Although swapping out a regular moisturizer for beef tallow sounds outlandish, with the rise of searches for “natural” alternatives, it sounds enticing for viewers. In fact, TikToker Nara Smith shared a May 2024 video of husband Lucky Blue Smith making his own lotion after running out of his usual product using beef tallow.

At the same time, another video went viral of a young woman, @superglowingg, saying that her skin was “flawless” and “so glowy” after using the tallow for two weeks. But just because a product is more natural than one with more ingredients, it doesn’t make it any better. 

As P Frank MD practice dermatologist Connie Yang told NBC News, “Natural is not always better. Things like poison ivy are natural — does not mean it’s good for your skin.” 

For more viral TikTok beauty trends, read on.

(E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)