Exotic Skincare: Emu Oil
Emu oil comes from the fat of the flightless emu bird, the smaller cousin of an ostrich. Similar to beef tallow, it is removed during processing, and rendered down into a pure oil. Unlike tallow however, emu oil is liquid at room temperature which makes it the perfect pair for solid oils like tallow for making a creamy consistency. In this article we’ll explore the history and effects of emu oil on your skin.
History
Emus originate from the continent of Australia, where aboriginal tribes used the oil for thousands of years for a multitude of uses including; cooking, skin care and as a medicinal treatment for wound dressing and healing, scar treatment, and pain relief. In the 1930s and 40s zoos began importing breeding stock of emus for domestic keeping. Beginning in the 1990s western natural health advocates began to recognize the benefits of emu oil, especially for topical uses, which began the widespread domestic farming of emus. Currently it’s estimated that the U.S. has around 1500 emu farms home to around 11,500 emus.
Composition
Emu oil is a minimum of 70% unsaturated fat, making it liquid at room temperature. Within that unsaturated fat profile emu oil consists of :
45% oleic acid,
6-9% linoleic acid,
10% palmitic acid,
9% stearic acid
Antioxidants
Carotenoids
Flavonoids
Omega-3
Omega-6
Omega-9
What that means is emu oil has all the fatty acids that big skincare companies pay big money to chemically synthesize into individual ingredients, already in fat soluble form, ready to be absorbed by you skin. The best part is according to skin ink, emu oil can penetrate the skin up to 3 inches because of it’s close resemblance to our skin and sebum, effectively delivering all of these miracle compounds.
Effects
Reduced Inflammation- A 2020 study demonstrated compelling evidence that emu oil can relieve pain, and reduce inflammation because it contains compounds that reduce certain chemicals that cause the body to react to pain, redness, and swelling. (medicalnewstoday)
Hydration- A 2024 study found that emu oil works to lock in moisture by preventing water loss in skin. Studies have also demonstrated promising results for remedying eczema and other skin conditions. (healthline)
Promotes healthy skin- According to dermatologist Dendy Engelman, emu oil supports collagen production which helps to promote healthy skin, increase firmness, improve skin tightness, and reduces wrinkles. (cosmopolitan)
Sourcing
Like all animals, emus store can store toxins in their bodies. Because of this, responsible sourcing of emu oil is incredibly important, because if the birds aren’t healthy, then the fat isn’t either. Factory farm conditions are egregious at best, and down right cruel at worst. These birds are often kept in close confined, dark conditions, and fed a diet that they are not adapted to that contains any variety of chemicals and preservatives.
After being convinced of the amazing benefits of emu oil, we began the search for an ethical supplier of high quality emu oil. We were thrilled to find that one of the top quality suppliers of emu oil is just right down the road from us in our home state of Montana. This supplier feeds their birds a locally sourced non gmo feed from Montana crops, and has free ranging conditions. Because of this, their emu oil is of the top 2% in quality in the country. We’re thrilled to be adding this to our product line and think you will be too!
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315535#risks
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Complete-fatty-acid-analysis-of-the-emu-oil-used-in-the-present-study_tbl1_43079282
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a37383649/emu-oil-benefits-uses-products/
https://www.healthline.com/health/emu-oil#uses
https://www.skininc.com/science/ingredients/article/21881976/emu-oil-ancient-remedy-for-modern-times