The Hidden Truth About Toxiticy in the Skincare Industry and why we choose Tallow over Chemicals

I recently ran a Facebook ad for my tallow skincare and suddenly I was flooded with comments asking:

“Where’s the lab testing?”
“Is this even safe?”

It triggered me (in a good way). So I dug deeper into the skincare industry, safety regulations, and testing. And honestly? What I found shocked me.

When “Safe” Doesn’t Mean Tested

Most people assume skincare products in stores have been rigorously lab tested before hitting the shelves. After all, if it’s for sale, it must be proven safe… right?

Not quite. In Australia, cosmetic and skincare products do not legally require independent lab testing before being sold. The only requirement is that they’re “safe for consumer use” and that responsibility falls on the brand or importer, not a regulator.

Translation: a moisturiser, serum, or cleanser can land in your bathroom without ever undergoing proper scientific safety testing.

Skincare Ingredients = Industrial Chemicals

Here’s where it gets wild. In Australia, skincare ingredients are regulated under the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS).

Yes the very same framework that oversees industrial chemicals also applies to your face cream.

The Poisons Standard (SUSMP) does restrict or prohibit some substances, but not all. That means plenty of synthetics, stabilisers, fragrances, preservatives, and fillers still make it into mainstream skincare.

The Double Standard

Natural skincare brands like ours often get grilled with questions like:

“Where’s the science?”
“Was this lab tested?”

Fair enough questions. But why don’t we ask the same of supermarket and pharmacy brands?

Most mass-market products are packed with synthetic ingredients that sit on chemical registers yet they’re rarely questioned. Glossy marketing and clinical packaging seem to give them a free pass.

Our Approach: Simple & Ancestral

At Love Fat, we take a different path.

Our skincare is built on 100% grass-fed beef tallow a nutrient-rich fat humans have trusted for generations. Unlike synthetic formulations, tallow naturally contains fatty acids and small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K depending on the animal’s diet). Together, they help:

• Restore the skin barrier
• Lock in moisture
• Support elasticity
• Soothe dryness & irritation

And honestly? Even if tallow only made skin feel soft and look healthy….. I’d still choose it. Because it works, without the chemical cocktail.

Shouldn’t We Trust Our Own Skin?

Here’s what I keep coming back to:

Why do we need someone else to tell us what’s good for us?

We can look in the mirror, touch our skin, and see the results. Maybe we’ve lost trust in our own judgement because we’ve outsourced it to industries built on selling us more products. 

What the Research Says

Modern cosmetic research on tallow is limited, but what exists is promising —and paired with ancestral use, the evidence is compelling.

• Verywell Health – Beef Tallow as a Moisturizer
• Weston A. Price Foundation – Fatty Acid Analysis of Grass-Fed vs Grain-Fed Tallow
• House of Tallow – Lipids in Grass-Fed Tallow
• The Guardian (2025) – Is Beef Tallow Good for Skin?

Final Word

The toxicity in the skincare industry isn’t always obvious. Products aren’t tested the way we assume, and many are regulated as industrial chemicals.

That’s why we choose something different: skincare that’s ancestral, nourishing, and radically simple. Because at the end of the day  glowing, resilient skin is the best evidence there is.

LF x