The Dirty Side of Clean Beauty: Why Animal-Based Skincare Isn’t as Natural as It Seems

In the age of ancestral diets, wellness influencers, and “clean girl” aesthetics, there’s a growing trend toward beauty products made from unexpected sources: cow fat, snail slime, and even salmon sperm. Promoted as “natural,” “non-toxic,” or “ancestral,” these animal-derived products are quickly gaining traction, often in response to public distrust of synthetic ingredients and concern over microplastics, parabens, and so-called “forever chemicals.”

But behind the glossy claims and glass jars is a far messier truth: animal-based beauty comes at a cost, and it’s one few consumers stop to consider.

What Is Animal-Based Beauty?

Today’s viral skincare trends feature ingredients like:

• Beef tallow: rendered cow fat whipped into moisturiser

• Snail mucin: slime extracted from live snails and used in anti-aging serums

• Collagen: sourced from cow hides and fish skin

• Salmon sperm DNA (PDRN): applied after microneedling in luxury facials

These aren’t legacy products from 19th-century apothecaries, they’re booming on TikTok and Amazon right now. Products with vague but appealing labels like “grass-fed,” “cruelty-free,” or “organic” dominate the search results. But where do the ingredients actually come from? And who, or what, is paying the price?

Natural Isn’t Always Sustainable, or Humane

At first glance, “grass-fed beef tallow” or “wild-caught salmon DNA” may sound more wholesome than lab-made chemicals. But many of these terms are poorly regulated or completely unverifiable, especially when they show up in the cosmetics aisle.

Take beef tallow. Out of nine popular brands reviewed on Amazon, only one mentioned where the cows came from. Most simply said “grass-fed,” without naming farms, certifying standards, or third-party oversight. And while “grass-fed” suggests better animal welfare, most cattle still end their lives in crowded feedlots, regardless of how they’re raised early on.

Meanwhile, the manure from feedlots doesn’t just disappear, it contributes to ammonia pollution, contaminated waterways, and even premature deaths in nearby communities. One study cited by Vox linked 4,000 premature deaths annually in the U.S. to beef-related air pollution alone.

So while slathering tallow on your skin may feel rustic and pure, it’s often propping up the same industrial meat system driving deforestation, climate change, and poor animal welfare.

Additionally, dermatologists remain cautious. Experts point out that although beef tallow is rich in fatty acids and vitamins, there is very limited clinical research proving its effectiveness for typical skincare goals. One review concluded that despite its hydrating potential, its benefits remain anecdotal at best and its high comedogenicity (pore‑clogging risk) makes it unsuitable for many skin types.

The Weird World of Collagen and Salmon Sperm

Other animal-based ingredients are harder to trace but no less ethically murky.

• A 2023 investigation by multiple international news outlets found that collagen production in Brazil was linked to deforestation, land theft, and violence against Indigenous people. While marketed as a “by-product,” collagen is often a strategic co-product that helps extract more profit, reinforcing demand.

• For salmon DNA skincare, transparency is even more elusive. Products like Rejuran claim to use wild salmon from Korea, but sourcing details remain scarce. Most companies don’t publish how their DNA is extracted, or what environmental footprint their operations leave behind.

Even the buzzy “snail mucin” boom raises concerns. In some facilities, snails are sprayed with acidic solutions to force them to excrete slime, and are later euthanised for other commercial uses.

Wellness or Window Dressing?

“Clean” beauty, and the ancestral aesthetic that often accompanies it, markets itself as an antidote to modern life. And it’s easy to understand why. People want safer products, more transparency, and less harm to their bodies and the environment. But replacing synthetic chemicals with animal by-products doesn’t always fix the problem, it just outsources the harm to animals, ecosystems, and marginalised communities.

Dermatologists emphasise that skincare outcomes are not guaranteed by the novelty of an ingredient. Many “luxury” or trending ingredients lack the breadth of clinical data that staple products like ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid or retinoids have.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting clearer skin or gentler ingredients. But when “non-toxic” means relying on feedlot cattle, deforested land, or fish from depleted oceans, it’s worth asking: Is this really clean? For whom?

What You Can Do

• Go Vegan: Choosing cruelty-free, vegan-certified skincare is one of the most direct ways to reduce demand for animal exploitation in the beauty industry. You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight, start with one product, read the label, and look for plant-based alternatives with proven ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and peptides. These often outperform trendy animal-based options without the ethical or environmental baggage. Vegan skincare is no longer fringe, it’s widely available, backed by science, and growing fast. It’s a small step that, collectively, can make a big impact for animals, climate, and transparency.

• Check the sourcing: If you absolutely must use animal-based products (although I’m struggling to imagine why), check where it comes from. If a product doesn’t clearly say where its animal ingredients originate, assume they’re industrial. Don’t be fooled by “grass-fed” or “organic” claims unless they’re certified and verifiable.

• Advocate for regulation: Much of the beauty industry still flies under the radar when it comes to environmental and animal welfare standards. Stronger laws matter more than viral marketing.