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As you know, I can be adventurous in trying beauty products. My preference is for natural less toxic ingredients.
A few months ago, I had a conversation with a young person (early 30s) talking about using beef tallow in their skincare. They were surprised that I already knew about beef tallow as a skin and haircare ingredient. They were more surprised that I hadn't learned about it on social media!
I remember older folks talking about the things they used for their hair and skincare "back in the day". Folks used common things used for moisturizing and/or conditioning and as protection of their skin and hair:
- Vaseline
- Crisco
- paraffin and/or kerosene
- Butter
- Lard
- "Fried meat grease" (aka bacon grease)
- Lotion (on their skin and their hair)
- pine soap (aka pine tar soap)
- Castile soap
As young pre-teens and teens, my cousins and I still used to put lotion in our hair to tame and moisturize it. We thought we were too cool for hair grease!
Of course, for some people who felt they were more "city" than "country", the idea of using fried meat grease was ridiculous. My mother had a friend who was white and I remember she would brush talcum powder through her hair when she didn't have time to wash it. The powder absorbed the oils and freshened the smell. (Take note, young'uns; we had dry shampoo before you were a thought!) I also was using shampoo bars when lots of young Americans had never heard of such a thing.
Anyway, after I blew the mind of that young person I spoke with, I toyed with the idea of trying tallow for my skin and hair. I changed my mind when one of my older "play" aunties told me that tallow tends to be heavy and oily. Oh well.
I was ready to give up on the idea but I just couldn't get it out of my head. Y'all know I tend to be a little obsessive.
So. I scoped around online and found a couple of things I really want to try. Stay with me now...
At first, I was going to try duck or goose fat. At first, but then, I saw something that I couldn't resist. Camel hump fat. You did not read that wrong.
So I ordered the product (it's made for cooking but, I can't think of why it can't be used on my skin and my hair. You know, like coconut oil and Crisco.
As I wait for it to arrive, I have some concerns:
- Will it work?
- Will it smell too strong or off-putting?
- If I can use it for my skin and hair, will I want to cook with it?
So many questions.
On the positive side, I have read in several places that camel hump fat is less greasy than beef tallow. It's said to be very hydrating and suitable for sensitive skin. I have also read that it is anti-inflammatory. I read that the texture is similar to coconut oil. That's one good thing!
I still want to try the duck or goose fat, but I am excited about the camel fat. At first, it seemed as though it's not commonly used for skin or hair care. Then I found an article about a Middle Eastern man who makes beauty products using the fat. Great minds!
I did have to look up how to process it to use it on the skin and hair. It sounds simple enough and involves melting it and adding EOs to help with the scent. The price wasn't bad because I caught it on a slight discount. It's pricier than coconut oil, depending on the source. The duck fat comes in smaller containers that don't cost as much but is only slightly cheaper per ounce.
I can't wait to try the camel fat and do a post about it. I used my Shopper Panel points to get it so I can use the next points to get some duck fat. And you know I will post about that too! In the meantime...
Peace
-- Free
P.S.: There are some mentions online that camel fat (aka camel milk) is being studied for its positive effects on CKD patients. I will be asking my nephrologist about this. I thought that was interesting.
(Camel fat is not always the same as camel milk. I see that there are camel milk products as an alternative to cow milk. I will try to sort out the confusion!)
