The Skincare Scam + A Simple Solution

When it comes to skincare, I need it to be simple. Also, it would be nice if it were affordable so that I could actually keep up with it financially. I used to think that more expensive meant better quality products. However, I've come to find that the industry of skincare is a huge scam. A multi-billion dollar scam. Spoiler alert : your skin can be clear with what you eat and a super simple skincare routine. 

I looked at the ingredients of the top, expensive skincare products I often saw in ads on instagram and Facebook. Every time I see one, I click on it for the sole purpose of reading the ingredients. The top ingredients from all of these products are typically : Retinol [Vitamin A], Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B12. 

Those are found in red meat. Back in January 2024, I began eating carnivore. I used to be a vegan so it's quite a jump. Meet Maggie White, pictured below. How old does she look? Late 50s? Maybe in her 60s? Sorry, if you didn't guess 82 years old, you're wrong. 

You did not read that incorrectly, this woman pictured, on that day Dec 2023, was EIGHTY-TWO years old. She's repeatedly proved her age, but you can look it up yourself [search : Maggie White Carnivore]. She's been eating a carnivore diet for 65+ years. Maggie also only drinks water. 

The fact is, I started looking younger when I started eating red meat again. Then I added tallow - which is rendered beef fat - and my skin improved again! I have an often embarrassing display of dermatitis on my face and scalp and it causes dandruff. Tallow helped, but adding aloe cleared it up completely! 

The goal is to stop using synthetic products, manipulated from plants and just get it from the best source available : beef, aloe and water. 

AM SKINCARE ROUTINE

Step 1 : Water. I splash it on my face just to wake up. Wipe away any excess water with my hands. 

Step 2 : Don't dry face with a towel, just put aloe on and let it all air dry.

Step 3 : Moisturize with Natural Whipped Tallow Balm. 

MIDDAY

Just put on aloe as needed.

PM SKINCARE ROUTINE 

Step 1 : Water. I thoroughly rinse my face, or just get in the shower.

Step 2 : Don't dry face with towel, put aloe on and let it all air dry.

Step 3 : Moisturize with Natural Whipped Tallow Balm.

THE ONLY PRODUCTS I USE

Moisturizer : Natural Whipped Tallow Balm [unscented] 

Aloe :  Aloe Vera Gel **

Chapstick : Tallow Lip Balm in the Sweet Orange

** I also get this from the grocery store when available, and we had our own aloe plant but we used it all and need to grow more. If you use bottled like I do, just make sure that it's at least 99% aloe as an ingredient. I also use the bottled aloe for a hair mask. I soak my scalp and hair in it for 1 hour [watch a show or fold some laundry] and then wash it out and shampoo/condition. 

WHY BEEF TALLOW?

I know intuitively that simpler is better, but dude, why beef tallow?! I got curious one day when I almost got sold through a very convincing ad about this newfangled skincare product. I looked at the ingredients of the product and laughed when I realized, "Hey! These are all found in BEEF." 

Tallow is beef fat and is deeply nourishing and moisturizing. Here are some of the benefits from all of the vitamins and minerals it contains : 

• Vitamin A - fights inflammation, helps with acne, is anti-aging as it reduces fine wrinkles [retinol], promotes natural moisturizing and supports the skin's immune system.
• Vitamin D - enhances cell turnover, decreases environmental damage, prevents dryness, stimulates the skin cells to produce more hyaluronic acid which smoothes the skin, heals the skin.
• Vitamin K - helps with brightening especially under eye darkness or dark spots on the skin 
• Vitamin E - smooths complexion, calms acne prone skin, anti-aging, helps with inflammation, moisturizes, helps prevent wrinkles, heals wounds, makes scars less visible. 
• Vitamin B12 - anti-aging, reduces inflammation, dryness and acne, helps with healing eczema and psoriasis, stimulates collagen production. 
• Contains conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA aka omega 6) with natural anti-inflammatory properties, regulates sebum production, helps skin to appear softer and smoother, repairs the elasticity of skin once lost.
• Has all of these nutrients that are found together only in animal products. 
• Contains oleic acid (omega 9) hydrates by penetrating deeply into skin, helps with flaky skin.
• Tallow is antibacterial & antimicrobial. 
• Contains palmitic acid which helps improve the protective barrier function of skin, it also works as an emollient. 
• Contains stearic acid which helps to repair damaged skin, and improves skin’s flexibility and suppleness and complexion. 
• Aids in skin regeneration for skin that appears healthier and more youthful
• Contains palmitoleic acid (omega 7) which is one of our skin’s basic building blocks and helps prevent oxidative damage.
• Contains natural SPF 4. You can even find sunscreen made with tallow if you have skin that needs more protection. 

ALOE BENEFITS 

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C - boosts hydration, brightens skin, evens skin tone, heals wounds, can heal sun damage, hydrating, smooths texture of skin, reduces hyperpigmentation, provides UV protection
• Vitamin E
• Folic Acid - AKA Vitamin B9 - skin firming properties, skin firming
• Choline - promotes collagen production, improves skin elasticity, minimizes appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 
• Treats : acne, eczema and sunburns 
• Anti-viral and anti-fungal
• Naturally occurring salicylic acid - acts as an exfoliator 
• Lignin - which is a compound that helps all of the above benefits penetrate deeper into the skin.

If you have fancy skincare products or any skincare products, go read the label and see how many of those are in them. I'll wait. How many different products did you have before you could have most or all of these? With all you have or use, do you even come close to having all of these beneficial vitamins and minerals? Imagine having all that and more but in only two products. I have dermatitis on my face/scalp and I tend to be self conscious to show my face because of it. My skin improved in softness after a couple uses and looked markedly brighter, smoother and moisturized after the first week of twice daily application. 

Don't take my word for it, do your own research.  I gave up even my beloved *face-burning-so-it-must-be-working* tretinoin prescription. No more multiple serums, or multiple moisturizers or excess sunscreen. There's a reason so much of the population is vitamin D deficient...but that's another topic for another day. Through research I did find naysayers that were dermatologists. Remember that pharma and doctors are often BFFs and there's little to no monetary gain in things that are natural and cheap to obtain. 

I use tallow because it is a pure, simple form of all of the top beauty product ingredients AND it's also a sunscreen. Yeah. It does need to be grass fed and grass finished tallow in order for the concentration to be the most potent. A little goes a long way so go light on the application. My tiny jar doesn't even look like I have used any and I use it on my face, arms, and hands. I just purchased a larger 8oz jar of tallow balm to use on my legs/body from Primally Pure Body Butter in Vanilla Almond. 

CURENT TOTAL SKINCARE COST 

$40 and it lasts for *months* If I continue to use the body butter that I just started using, the total could be around $85-ish dollars. 

PREVIOUS TOTAL SKINCARE COST 

My previous skincare included Maelove Wrinkle Repair Kit for $106 [I actually bought each separately so it cost me more than this. Yikes.], Maelove Eye Enhancer De-puffing Peptide Cream for $33, Curology Tretinoin Prescription for $46, Asterwood Pure Hyaluronic Acid with Vitamin C Serum for $13 and my Bali Body Hydrating Face Sunscreen for $24. GRAND TOTAL of [at least] $222. Y'all. My previous skincare was cost prohibitive, burned my face when I had a severe dermatitis flare up, was overwhelming to do when I was tired or lazy. 

With a savings of over $180, my current routine works far better, no burning skin and is so much easier to maintain. 

keep it simple, mamas. pax & aloha, 

Jane