Can You Really Use Tallow for Eczema?

If you’ve been searching "how to heal eczema", you’ve likely come across a lot of conflicting advice.

Some claim eczema is only manageable by avoiding triggers such as mold, pollen, dust, and harsh soaps. Others recommend steroid creams & injections to control symptoms.

Personally for me, after hearing "You have eczema and there's no cure" from my doctor I was scared. For many of us, first hearing this sounded like a life sentence of hiding our skin & shame. I know for me personally it did. But what if there’s another way? Let’s take a closer look at eczema, its impact on your skin, and how tallow skincare may help.

What is Eczema?

Eczema is an umbrella term for several immune-reactive skin conditions, with atopic dermatitis being the most common. It causes red, inflamed, dry, and itchy skin and can affect people of all ages, including children.

Research shows that 15-20% of Canadians have eczema. Flare-ups are often triggered by changes in temperature, allergens, irritants, or stress. Symptoms are linked to a weakened skin barrier, making it harder for the skin to retain moisture and protect itself from irritants and bacteria.

How Eczema Damages the Skin Barrier

One key factor in eczema is a deficiency of filaggrin, a protein that helps maintain the skin barrier. Without enough filaggrin, there can be a breakdown of the skin barrier and the skin becomes prone to transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and more susceptible to irritants, allergens, and bacteria. This creates a vicious cycle of dryness and inflammation.

How?

Filaggrin helps the body defend itself against 'intruders' including environmental allergens such as pollen, mould, bacteria and dust. While keeping the intruders out, it plays an important role in keeping moisture, all the good stuff, locked in. 

When filaggrin isn’t working properly, the skin barrier falls apart. Eczema leaves the skin significantly more prone to losing water and vulnerable to irritants, allergens and bacteria. This drives both further dryness and inflammation. This can be a vicious cycle for eczema sufferers, as with a weakened skin barrier, it's more difficult to lock in water.

Eczema sufferers may experience difficulty with their skin holding in water, as noted by the American Academy of Dermatology Association. This means an increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), impacting their skin barrier function.

For those with eczema, strengthening and protecting the skin barrier is critical to managing symptoms.

Common Eczema Triggers

Eczema triggers vary widely, but some of the most common include:

• Environmental factors: mold, dust, smoke, dry air, pet dander, and pollen
• Seasonal changes: transitions between summer and autumn or winter and spring
• Foods: gluten, dairy, and other allergens
• Harsh skincare products: those containing strong fragrances, surfactants, or alcohol
• Stress and anxiety
• Genetics: a family history of eczema or atopic conditions

Identifying and avoiding your triggers is an important first step in managing eczema.

What are the best eczema treatments?

Firstly, the most important thing is reducing or avoiding common triggers. As it can be difficult to determine these triggers, those from suffering from eczema symptoms may find relief in topical treatments.
According to the experts, eczema creams are believed to be most effective when they contain ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol in specific formulations and sufficient concentrations. These ingredients strengthen the skin barrier by penetrating the stratum corneum cells and adding to the natural oils that the skin cells produce.

Is Tallow Good for Eczema?

The answer is a resounding yes. 

Grass-fed & grass-finished tallow has all the right ingredients to help with eczema. Tallow contains a high concentration of fatty acids, cholesterol and ceramides. Tallow is a rich, natural emollient that closely mimics the oils found in human skin, making it ideal for supporting a compromised skin barrier.

Here’s why tallow is beneficial for eczema:

1. High in Fatty Acids: Tallow contains essential fatty acids like palmitic acid, stearic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which help hydrate and soften skin while reducing inflammation.
2. Natural Ceramides: These help repair and protect the skin barrier.
3. Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Palmitoleic acid and CLA help calm redness and irritation.
4. Occlusive and Emollient Qualities: Tallow creates a protective barrier on the skin, locking in moisture and shielding against irritants.

Beef tallow has a high concentration of fatty acids compared to most vegetable oils and plant-based butters.

Grass fed tallow has a high concentration of palmitic acid (26 per cent). This directly aids the skin barrier in improving skin hydration and reducing water loss from the skin's surface, which is a key concern for eczema sufferers.

Grass fed tallow also contains palmitoleic acid, which studies suggest is beneficial for reducing inflammation and redness in the skin. This may assist with managing eczema, as well as psoriasis, rosacea, and generally irritated skin.

Furthermore, grass fed tallow contains stearic acid at high levels, which is known for its skin softening properties. It has high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which a study from 2021 determined could relieve skin inflammation. Outside of tallow, CLA is otherwise difficult to find in nature.

Using beef tallow for skincare may help to protect the skin from environmental stressors. Tallow can be classed as a barrier cream due to its emollient and occlusive properties which help heal, nurture and protect the skin.

Why Tallow Balm is Better Than Moisturizer for Eczema

Barrier creams, such as a grass fed Tallow Balm, maintain and protect the physical barrier of the skin and prevent the skin from drying out. They stop transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin breakdown by providing a topical barrier on the skin.

Barrier creams act as a shield against potential irritations, such as dust or pollen, which is it can make a huge difference in helping heal damaged skin.

If barrier creams form a protective layer over the surface of your skin, are they the same as a moisturizer? Not exactly, but they can easily be.

A regular moisturizer will hydrate the outer layer of the skin while barrier creams restore the skin barrier itself. With the emphasis on hydrate, the key ingredient in moisturizers is aqua, quite simply, water. Essentially, you don't need to buy the moisturizer separately to get the same benefit, especially when moisturizers are often laden with sensitizing, synthetic ingredients. Tallow Balm is a multi-purpose product complete with fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins that can also take the place of a regular moisturizer.

Unlike water-based moisturizers, which often require preservatives and synthetic ingredients, Cowbelle Skincare’s Tallow Balm is free from unnecessary fillers, hydrates your skin & protects it.

Tallow Balm versus cream for eczema

Cowbelle Skincare’s Tallow Balm is a concentrated formula made with tallow, honey, jojoba oil & beeswax - all skin-loving ingredients.

Tallow Balms, when applied to damp or dry skin alone, not only provide moisture, but also help the skin retain moisture and provide eczema relief.

It can be more effective than a tallow-based eczema cream or regular moisturizer for treating certain skin conditions because of the presence of several different emollients and humectants.

Tallow functions as an emollient with occlusive properties, while honey & beeswax act as natural humectants to lock in hydration while softening the skin. Several studies show the benefits of topical honey & beeswax in supporting the skin barrier.

The main difference between a balm, moisturizer and cream is that most balms are formulated with oils, butters and/or wax.

The main ingredient in most creams or moisturizers is water. Water-based products require preservatives or risk going rancid.

So with regular moisturizers, the customer unfairly pays for a predominantly water-based product.

Tallow is one of nature's best moisturizers​

Many drug store-bought eczema skincare products are primarily made with mineral oil (often labelled petroleum or petrolatum, depending on where you come from). It's common to see this ingredient in regular moisturizers and eczema products, as well as lip gloss and lip balm, because it also gives a shine to products. Yes, mineral oil can help protect the skin. But better to use a barrier cream that helps support our skin’s natural functioning. 

Tallow Balm is gentle on your skin. Tallow is unique in that is closely mimics the oils found in healthy human skin, even compared to other natural skincare and pharmaceutical products. Unlike petrolatum-based creams, which simply provide a thick barrier over the top of skin, Tallow Balm mimics your skin’s natural sebum to help accelerate the healing process while also helping repair barrier function. It’s a gentle, non-toxic alternative with the added benefit of fat-soluble vitamins and naturally-occurring fatty acids.

Eczema treatments to avoid

When it comes to managing eczema, it's best to avoid creams and balms with strong fragrances, harsh preservatives, and alcohol, especially with the intended goal of healing a compromised skin barrier. It's important to avoid sodium lauryl sulfate in soaps and detergents to avoid irritation of the skin. This includes soaps, shower gels, and laundry detergents (even some fabric softening detergents).

And word to the wise: Don't have hot showers or baths trying to 'burn' it off. Eczema sufferers can actually get drier from a bath or shower, unless an effective moisturizer is applied immediately afterwards (again, it's all about locking in that moisture).

By applying a natural cream like a Tallow Balm, you are adding another barrier to supplement the natural skin barrier. This not only reduces the amount of water you lose through evaporation from the skin, but it also keeps out unwanted things, such as bacteria or irritating substances.

Other tips to manage eczema naturally

1. Use moisturizers generously

Gentle barrier creams and other thick balms contain more oil, making them most effective at locking moisture in. 

2. Hydrate

You’ve got to keep your skin adequately moistened. Drinking plenty of water daily is key to this process. Fans of alcohol and coffee should consider giving up or reducing consumption of their favorite beverages this winter. They’re diuretics, meaning they’ll cause you to be dehydrated. As you refrain from booze and caffeine drinks, increase the amount of water you drink. That’s the best way to stay hydrated, and that protects your skin barrier.

3. Vitamin D

Eczema sufferers will sometimes also have vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D plays a critical role in skin barrier function and immune response, something which is weakened in those with eczema. Unobstructed sunlight is key in boosting vitamin D, as well as incorporating more vitamin D-rich foods (e.g. beef liver, wild-caught salmon, sardines, and dairy products), which brings us to our next point...

4. Diet

Did you know you can also eat your hydration? Our cell membranes are made up almost entirely of fats so the right foods go a long way in boosting hydration. Make meals around avocado, wild-caught salmon and grass fed beef. For snacks, reach for seasonal, nutrient-rich foods including apples, pears and root veggies at the onset of the cooler months to up hydration levels.

5. Exclusively oil cleanse

Surfactants in foaming cleansers can cause dryness and irritation. Double or triple cleanse with a gentle Cleansing Oil to remove the day’s impurities and add fresh moisture to the skin. This will help keep your skin’s microbiome in balance without overstripping your skin.

6. Wear soft, natural fibres only

Rough or synthetic fabrics can irritate skin and some types of clothing are more likely to encourage a flareup. Choose clothes made from breathable, natural fibres, such as cotton, linen and silk. When dealing with eczema, it's especially important to layer clothing to make sure you can regulate your temperature optimally depending on the external environment. Note: Some 'scratchy' natural fabrics like wool may irritate the skin, so it's important to dress in softer fibres where possible.

7. Use a humidifier

A humidifier adds moisture back to the air and helps your skin remain supple. It's also great to help with breathing issues, especially those caused by colds or allergies. You can add a humidifier to your bedroom and another in any room of your home where you spend a great deal of time.

8. Take shorter, milder showers

Though long, steamy showers are tempting, the hot water damages the skin barrier, leading to more inflammation and dryness. Try using room temperature or lukewarm water instead. It’s important to moisturize after stepping out of the shower. That might seem counterintuitive, but water will evaporate from your skin after bathing. So applying a moisturizer within a few minutes after the shower will serve to lock in water. It’s a good habit to get into that will help you avoid future flare-ups.

9. Take a food sensitivity test

Around 30 per cent of children suffering from moderate and severe eczema also have a food allergy. Common trigger foods may include dairy or gluten. Rather than eliminating foods altogether, it's first recommended to take a food sensitivity test.

10. Remove asthma triggers

There is a strong link between eczema and asthma, with research finding that approximately 20 per cent of adults with eczema also have asthma. Using a HEPA air purifier can help keep airborne allergens at bay.

Change in season to autumn or spring can mess with your skin barrier and flare up skin conditions including eczema and psoriasis. When temperature and elemental fluctuations impact our own skin care, it's important to add extra moisturizing support. Emollient ingredients, such as tallow and jojoba oil, are effective moisturizers. Add more Tallow Balm during the drier months to moisturize and provide a protective barrier.

Real Results from Real Customers

Eczema sufferers have found relief using Cowbelle Skincare’s Tallow Balm:

"This tallow based balm and cleanser cured the eczema on my face in less than four days. I had dry, puffy and red eyes for months and tried everything to get rid of it. Found this product on instagram and I will never look back. 10/10" – Niamh

"What a dream!! My daughter had eczema and we had tried every product in the store when we ordered this product to try tallow as recommended by a family member. We are thrilled with the results and love the ingredients as the spots were on her face and easily picked. We now use this on our preemie and have noticed such a difference in her skin. Thank you for this amazing product. We will be customers forever." - Brenna

"It has been exactly one week since I began using The Balm, and I am blown away! I have had eczema on my face since 2020. Dermatologists have all tried to cure it, mainly with steroids 😞 and nothing has worked...after only a week of the balm, it has transformed not only my skin, but my confidence, and my life. I am no longer uncomfortable with dry itchy skin, I am no longer trying to cover it up with make up therefore making the eczema worse, my skin is beautiful and glowing." - Kaitlyn

Eczema flare ups? Tallow Balm is here

It was eczema and a frustration with the available skincare options that led to the creation The Balm – our 100% natural tallow balm.

Wanting to avoid steroid creams, and having tried many (many many) mainstream lab-created eczema treatments & skincare products, our founder decided to seek out a more holistic natural way to heal her eczema. This is when she discovered the power of tallow.

At Cowbelle, we have many customers using our tallow balm to manage eczema, including on their child's sensitive skin.

Our tallow balm, The Balm, is an all-rounder, multipurpose cream formulated specifically for dry & sensitive skin types. The Balm is free from essential oils, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals & all synthetic highly processed skincare ingredients. It's a gentle, fragrance-free, all-natural formula containing nourishing ingredients including tallow, honey, jojoba oil and beeswax, which are rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

If you've tried everything for eczema, you need to try the everything balm. Shop The Balm today.

Keywords: tallow skincare, eczema, natural skincare for eczema, natural solutions for eczema, tallow balm for eczema