What Is Emu Oil Made From? Uses & Risks

what is emu oil made from
Emu oil is made from processing the fat tissue of the emu bird. Despite health claims, emu oil is not approved or regulated by the FDA

Emu oil is made from processing the fat tissue of the emu bird. Although the bird is native to Australia, various certified emu farms have popped up in the United States and Canada. These farms claim to ethically extract and manufacture emu oil from the carcass of the animal that is already being slaughtered for its meat.

Extraction of fat from emu is a multistage procedure where the adipose tissue (fat) on the bird’s back is extracted, vacuum packed, and frozen to be delivered to a refinery. Then, the fat is distilled and bottled as emu oil.

Various studies have reported that emu oil contains high levels of unsaturated fats or good fatty compounds such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. Emu oil is rich in many polyphenol compounds, carotenoids and vitamin A. Additionally, it contains various organic compounds that may have regenerative and healing properties.

However, the use of emu oil comes at an environmental cost. And because emu oil is produced from the animal slaughtered for its meat, it is neither vegan or cruelty-free.

What is emu oil good for?

Emu oil is marketed as good for an array of health benefits ranging from skin health and hair growth to relief from joint pain.

The FDA, however, has not approved pure emu oil products for medicinal use and has not supported claims that emu oil is a safe or effective treatment, as there is an absence of significant clinical studies conducted on humans.

Despite these warnings, many people apply emu oil topically because it has been claimed to good for the following:

  • Acne: The antioxidant content and vitamin A compounds in emu oil may help reduce acne flare-ups and lighten acne spots.
  • Dry skin: Emu oil is a good emollient due to its high fat content. When applied regularly to the face and body, it moisturizes dry skin and retains water in skin cells. 
  • Aging: Some small-scale studies claim that the oil has anti-inflammatory compounds that can help regenerate aging skin and give you a healthy glow.
  • Baldness: A few clinical studies have reported that emu oil can improve hair growth by reviving dormant hair follicles. It may even improve scalp health by maintaining scalp pH and strengthening the biological barrier of the scalp.
  • Insect repellent: Spot application of emu oil may keep bugs, mosquitoes, and ants away. Emu oil has been traditionally used in Australia to reduce redness due to bites from wasps and fire ants.
  • Other uses: Proponents of emu oil claim that it can improve mucositis (chemotherapy-induced mouth ulcers), bone loss, and inflammatory bowel syndrome when taken through the mouth. Many individuals claim that emu oil has lowered their cholesterol and sugar levels and enhanced their sexual performance. However, these claims have no scientific evidence to back them up.

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Is emu oil toxic?

It is possible to be allergic to emu oil. Symptoms can range from rash and itchy bumps to skin edema and anaphylaxis. It is unknown whether emu oil is safe to ingest. Emu oil should not be used during pregnancy or lactation or in children due to the lack of safety data.

Because the FDA does not support or regulate emu oil use, there is also a high risk of contamination in emu oil products. 

Other products such as vitamin E, argan oil, olive oil, and aloe vera have properties similar to emu oil and are known to be safe. You can use these cruelty-free and environmentally sustainable substitutes for emu oil.

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References
Image Source: uskarp / Getty Images

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/bioterrorism-and-drug-preparedness/how-spot-health-fraud

https://www.truthinadvertising.org/emu-product-claims-questioned-by-fda/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25441585/

https://aea-emu.org/about-aea/