Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is.

Emu oil is an oil made from the fat of the emu and, while slightly odd, makes for a fantastic all purpose skincare product.

Emu Oil has been used historically by the Australian aborigines for the treatment of burns, wounds, bruises, and as a pain reliever for bone, muscle, and joint disorders. Emu oil is approximately 70% unsaturated fatty acids. The largest component is oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Emu oil also contains about 20% linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and 1-2% linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid).

Commercial companies that sell emu oil often tout it’s 101 health and skin benefits but it’s important to note that none of these benefits have been conclusively proved. What we do know, however, is that the high percentage of fatty acids make this an amazing moisturiser with anti-inflammatory properties.

This applies slightly thick and greasy so it’s best to apply on damp skin post-shower so you can spread it easily. Just take 2 or three drops, warm up in your palms and massage the oil into your face and neck. This oil is, obviously, quite greasy and I wouldn’t recommend using this during the day unless you have ultra-dry skin. As a night treatment though, this oil can be a lifesaver.

So, who would need this?

I would definately recommend anyone with acne prone, dry or mature skin (or any combination of) to give this a shot, read on to see why. Personally I break this stuff out as soon as winter comes around to keep my skin well moisturised (especially in the face of the freak weather in Britain at the moment!). I usually use this as a pick-me-up 3 or 4 times a week overnight. I always wake up with my skin looking more even toned, any redness disappears and any fine lines are diminished due to the plump skin surrounding them.

(image source)

Funnily enough, the anti-inflammatory properties make this one of the few oils actually beneficial for acne prone skin. Now, if you have acne prone skin, smearing oil on your face might be the last thing you want to do but it actually works really well at soothing redness, healing acne, diminishing acne scars and moisturising skin without clogging it. This has glowing reviews on acne.org which is a good indicator of whether or not this is going to work for acne-prone skin.

If you have dry or mature skin, you’re definately going to want to try this. It works really well at moisturising skin, making skin feel softer and lines less visible. The same goes for application underneath the eyes.

You should be able to find Emu oil in health food stores and online (look for Grade A Emu Oil) – I buy mine from Gardon of Wisdom, it comes in 2oz and 4oz bottles at $7 and $14ish respectively.

All in all a nice, simple, cheap yet highly effective product. Definately a must-try for winter!