159/22 | Review Article | Veterinary Clinical Medicine

Rendered animal fat: A boon to the cosmetic industry

ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh-243122

Abstract

Rendering is an age-old technique to harvest animal fat from various tissues originating from slaughter houses. The cosmetic industry is one of the important areas where rendered fat is exploited. The Indian cosmetics industry is continuously witnessing firm growth over the past years. So the demand for rendered fat is high in the Indian scenario. Animal fats are used in cosmetic products like lipstick, eyebrow pencil, eye makeup, makeup base and foundations, shaving soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, and other skincare products. The addition of rendered fat in beauty products gives emulsion stabilization, emolliency, occlusiveness, surfactant, and viscosity-increasing properties. Utilisation of animal origin fat can support the animal husbandry sector as well as reduce the pollution originating from slaughterhouses. This article deals with various ways in which animal fat is rendered and used in cosmetic industry. Article also explains various quality parameters used for assessing the quality of rendered fat, a brief status of Indian cosmetic sector, role of various species origin fats and lipids in speciality products. The effect of fat on applicant surface like skin, advantages and disadvantages of animal fat utilisation for cosmetic sector is also reviewed.

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