Beef Fat, Winter Swimming and Sauna to stay healthy?
In Latvia many of us enjoy winter swimming. We're called 'roņi' - or 'seals' in english. Many of us combine cold plunges with banya/sauna. It's a very good habit we have, but it also puts a high stress on our skin.
So we need to take care of skin too. Lots of us forget about that during and after cold plunges and sauna. That's what i want to talk about here.
To make sure our skin is in peak condition during and after a cold plunge we should use natural means. And avoid almost all modern skincare products.
That's where tallow (beef fat) comes in. But first...
Why should you avoid modern skincare?
Four things - tallow, raw honey, winter swimming and sauna. For centuries all 4 have been used in skincare and healthcare. And modern skincare misses all 4 of them.
Only in the last few generations tallow - the most basic and nourishing of ingredients - was swapped out for ineffective products full of harmful chemicals.
And not because they're better, (although that's what they want you to believe) but because it's cheaper to manufacture.
There are also some other reasons we won't get into right now ;)
Skin is your largest organ. It absorbs the things it touches, and we believe you shouldn't apply things to your skin that would be toxic to eat.
If you knew what was inside skincare products that are found in our stores, (yes even europe) you wouldn't even go near them.
They are a chemical sludge that's known to cause health problems.
Once again, skin absorbs the things it touches. So why would you put anything on your skin that you wouldn't want inside of your bloodstream?
Good and bad habits shape your health - it builds up over time
In a nutshell, modern skincare products are a convenient chemical sludge that might make your skin feel a little better for an hour, while filling your body with useless (and harmful) chemicals you don't want there.
They sit in your body and compound. After some months or years of accumulating in the background they come out as a new health problem. And so the cycle continues creating new problems.
The foundation for skin health is broken.
What is done is done, but you can break the cycle today and start to build up that foundation again.
Stop consuming garbage products, take care of your skin with natural remedies like tallow.
Why tallow?
Ever wondered why peoples' skin looked way better back in the day? Turns out tallow was used in skincare for thousands of years.
Tallow is rendered beef fat.
To render tallow, beef fat is heated until it liquifies into gold colored oil. At this liquid state, the fat is then strained through a filter to remove impurities. Once cooled, tallow becomes white and hard.
We render our tallow from beef suet coming from local farms in Latvia. The suet comes from pasture-raised, grass-fed cows - meaning they've spent most of their lives out in pastures eating grass.
Suet is the fat that's stored around the kidneys, and is the most nutrient dense fat of the animal. Proper tallow is only made using suet. All of this ensures a dense concentration of nutrients compared to tallow you can find elsewhere.
Amazingly it is shelf-stable for up to 1 year.
Why is it so special?
Its genetic makeup closely mimics our skin's natural oils. Making it an intensive moisturizer that shares similar biology with our skin.
It is full of vitamins A, D, E and K:
- Bioavailable vitamin A (retinol) helps with collagen production, acne and anti-aging. This is a form of vitamin A that is only available from animal sources and not found in vegan products.
- Vitamin D helps with skin cell growth and repair, it can help manage conditions like psoriasis.
- Vit. E protects your skin cells from damage.
- And Vit. K helps with repair and healing.
It doesn't end there. Tallow is a all-in-one package for truly healthy skin:
- Optimal omega balance: The ideal 1:1 ratio of alpha linoleic (omega-3) and linoleic (omega-6) acids enhances skin structure and barrier function. These omega fatty acids also mitigate inflammation and support immune health, benefiting conditions like eczema and rosacea.
- Conjugated linoleic acid boasts significant anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
- Stearic and oleic acids naturally present in skin and sebum offer exceptional softening and moisturizing properties.
Unlike the skincare products we're used to, that do 1-2 things right and 50 things wrong - tallow doesn't go through industrial treatment with extreme heat, pressure or bleaching.
It's able to nourish deeply, absorb quickly, and provide what plant-based alternatives simply cannot match - and all that because it is pure.
Why Raw Honey?
Dating back to thousands of years before Christ, honey has been used in skincare.
Raw honey - one that has not been heated or filtered - is always the best choice.
We're using local Raw Linden Honey from Latvia, and the benefits it brings are endless:
- Helps balance the bacteria
- Speeds up skin cells' healing processes
- Linden honey is an excellent humectant, drawing moisture into the skin. More hydration compared to some regular honeys.
- Antioxidants fighting free radicals - giving a youthful appearance.
Linden honey is particularly rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds - which help protect the skin from oxidative stress and environmental damage, potentially more so than some regular honeys.
- Natural exfoliant, helping remove dead skin cells and promote radiant skin
- Natural antibacterial properties may help combat certain types of bacteria associated with acne.
- Anti inflammatory - honey soothes irritated skin and reduces redness and inflammation.
- While many honeys have soothing properties, linden honey is particularly noted for its calming effects.
- Natural Glow: Regular use of linden honey can help improve skin tone and brightness, giving the skin a healthy glow. This brightening effect may be more pronounced due to its specific nutrient profile.
To complete the list you should add sauna.
Why Banya?
You probably already know everything about saunas and why you should use them regularly.
They are ancient and have been in use for thousands of years, as before, for a very good reason.
In eastern and northern european saunas we use sauna brooms for massage, aromatherapy and ridding the body of dead skin cells.
Beauty treatments, such as using body scrubs made out of honey, also go hand in hand with that, that's why we make our own tallow scrubs and balms.
Saunas and banyas have a long list of benefits:
For skin:
- Detox
- Improved blood flow to skin
- Deep Cleansing
- Hydration, especially in banya
- Skin elasticity
- Helping with skin conditions
- Exfoliation
Health benefits:
- Cardiovascular health
- Relaxation, stress relief
- Muscle recovery
- Opens up airways, easier to breathe
- Pain relief
- Better sleep
- Immune system support
- Longer life
After heating up in the sauna, it is important to cool down rapidly in a cold pond, a pool or a powerful shower.
The sudden contrast between the hot and cold exercises the blood vessels, strengthens the body, and improves skin elasticity.
Why our Sauna Set is a must?
It's a truly powerful and healthy skincare experience, plus it's completely natural.
Here's what's included:
Our Tallow & Honey Balm already has a few 5-star reviews. Here it is in simple terms:
- Ideal for daily use.
- It has a pleasant, natural scent from essential oils (we have unscented version for sensitive people! :D)
- Very light feel on the skin.
- Nourishes and moiturizes your skin after sauna.
- Cleansing.
- Can improve conditions like eczema, rosacea, etc.
- Completely natural, made from the purest ingredients: grass-fed tallow, raw honey, organic beeswax, extra virgin olive oil and extra virgin coconut oil.
- Your skin will love it.
Our Orange Honey Scrub:
- Feels and smells refreshing, invigorating.
- While scrubs are typically used after cleansing the body - a tallow scrub effectively removes dead skin cells while also cleansing the skin.
Our Fresh Birch Tree Slices:
- Rough enough, but gentle at the same time.
- Used for massage and exfoliation.
Our Sauna Set PDF (coming soon) :
- Short and concise list of best practices.