Emus are big birds native of Australia that resemble a small ostrich. Emu oil was discovered by Aborigines many thousands of years ago as a skin moisturizer, antiseptic, and as an aid in the relief of sunburn, muscular aches and joint pain, as well as aiding in the healing of injuries.
The emu oil is rendered from a thick layer of fat on the back yielding 5 - 7 liters of unsaturated, non-toxic, highly penetrating oil. Emu Oil is, along with Donkey Milk, Lavender, Mint, Aloe and Oatmeal , one of the oldest cosmetic substances found around the world.
Many of us have felt the need of deep, soothing moisture in our skin, but shy away from using any oily lotion because of the greasy film they leave behind. When we think of oil (baby oil, oily skin lotions, etc), we immediately associate the world "oil" with either Mineral Oil or Vaseline derivatives. These substances takes ages to be absorbed, and in addition, clog our pores. Therefore, we end up using thiner lotions that do not quite do the job.
Emu oil has gained recently much popularity because is one of the few cosmetics that has all the advantages of oily substances and NONE of the disadvantages: Emu oil is absorbed by any skin like water, making it the greatest emollient in the world.
The reason for this behavior lies on its composition. Emu oil is the closest in molecular structure to human oil. In addition, Emu oil is considered a complete source of essential fatty acids (this amazing oil contains omega 3,6,9 essential fatty acids). Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) are fats that humans cannot manufacture or synthesize but are essential to our health and skin condition. Nature intended for us to obtain these Essential Fatty Acids from a well balanced diet, but many of us simply do not eat as well as we should. The topical use of Emu oil and products containing Emu oil replenish our skin with these valuable nutrients, rejuvenating it.
So it moisturizes and nourishes....what else can it do? As if these wonderful qualities were not enough, Emu oil also possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties, making it absolutely perfect for arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscular aches and upset, inflamed skin.
Nevertheless, obtaining this wonderful substance is not easy task: It must be carefully distilled and filtered, and has a very short shelf life, compared to Mineral Oil or Vaseline. That is why is so hard to find good cosmetic products based on Emu oil. In addition, traditional pure Emu oil has a very heavy, unpleasant smell.
