Uses of Emu Oil

Here's a variety of ways you can use this healing oil, including it's use for sun burn relief, joint pain, acne and more.

This list was compiled from medical studies and my personal experiences.

I hope you can also benefit from this natural oil.

1. Acne - May help reduce redness by reducing inflammation, improve skin texture, moisturize, and increase growth of healthy new skin. Emu oil is non-comedogenic so it won't clog pores. I would apply a drop of emu oil to an acne blemish and found it helped reduce redness and improved healing.

2. Arthritis - Research shows emu oil may reduce inflammation in arthritis and decrease joint pain. Try massaging a few drops of emu oil onto the sensitive areas on a regular basis and see if it reduces the pain and tenderness.
3. Bruises - Applying emu oil to the bruised area may promote faster healing and give your skin a healthy dose of essential fatty acids.
4. Burns - Emu oil was found to increase skin cell renewal, decrease water content in burn blisters, decrease inflammatory cell growth and improve healthy skin cell growth.

Studies show applying the oil immediately after the burn would delay healing. Applying the oil 24 - 48 hours after the burn occurred would increase healing time.

I applied emu oil twice daily to a burn I received on my arm. I found the burn healed faster with no scarring in record time.

5. Canker Sores - Try using 1 or 2 drops of emu oil on the sore. It may help speed up scar healing time.
6. Cholesterol Lowering - Animal studies showed emu oil helped lower high cholesterol levels. While there are no human studies on this subject, there is evidence omega-3 fatty acids increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL (bad cholesterol). Emu oil is comprised of Omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids - all essential fats your body needs for optimal health.

Emu oil can be taken in capsule form. You could try using enteric-coated emu oil capsules (for maximum absorption) and make sure it's 100% suitable for ingestion.

7. Cuticles & Nail Care - I use emu oil regularly to help soften and moisturize my cuticles. I find it helps nourish the nail bad and prevents dry, peeling cuticles.
8. Diaper Rash - Emu oil may improve skin texture, increase healing time, and reduce redness due to its anti-inflammatory actions.
9. Dry Cracked Skin - Emu oil is an excellent moisturizer and may help heal your skin. Emu oil was shown in some studies to increase skin cell growth and reduce inflammation.


Emu oil may replace depleted skin lipids in dry, damaged skin. This is one of the most popular uses of emu oil. Try applying emu oil when your skin is still damp after taking a shower or bath for maximum moisturizing.

10. Eczema - Some people with eczema have found relief by applying the oil to the area immediately after taking a shower or bath. I used this on my son who has eczema patches on his upper arms. I would apply a few drops of emu oil directly on the affected area. I found it needs to be repeated a number of times throughout the day for noticeable results.

Some people have found their eczema had decreased in redness, itching, and flaking when emu oil was used. Although this oil is hypo-allergenic, try doing a skin test to ensure there's no reaction to oil.

11. Feet Care - Do you have dry, cracked, peeling skin on your feet? Here's a simple remedy that works:

    When taking a shower or bath, use one of those foot scrubbers, like a pumice stone. While your feet are still wet, gently scrub the dead, flaking skin off your feet, then rinse off.



Step out of the shower and apply a few drops of emu oil directly onto the affected area while your skin is still damp. This may help moisture and soothe your feet.

It may take a while for the skin to rebuild healthy new skin before seeing improvement. You'll have to scrub your feet periodically and remember to apply the emu oil every time after showering or washing your feet to maintain the smooth soft skin.

12. Hair Care & Dry Scalp Conditions - Some people reported emu oil will improve hair growth in dormant hair follicles and improve texture in dry, damaged hair. Apply a very light coating to your scalp or hair. If your skin is too oily, simply wipe off excess with a tissue.

*Emu oil will not cause hair to grow in bald spots.

13. Insect Bites - Emu oil may relieve pain, itching, swelling and improve healing time. Did you know emu oil is an effective natural mosquito repellant? It was found to be effective for about one hour before needing another application. I've never tried this but looking forward to trying it out this upcoming summer.

14. Muscle Aches and Pains - Emu oil is an excellent treatment for muscle aches and strains. It's used by many athletic therapists, massage therapists and professional athletes for its unique therapeutic powers.
15. Razor Burn - I found emu oil makes a great natural shaving balm to soothe and moisturize sensitive skin after shaving. I use emu oil after shaving to keep my face smooth and prevent razor bumps.
16. Shingles - Emu oil may provide relief to people suffering from shingles by reducing redness and inflammation.
17. Stretch marks - Emu oil may help prevent stretch marks by moisturizing and keeping the skin supple and elastic. You can try using it on stretch marks that have already formed but you may have greater success in using emu oil to help prevent stretch marks.
18. Wrinkles - Did you know emu oil may be one of the best natural skin care products for preventing wrinkles? I use the oil regularly on my face to keep it from drying out. I believe the application of emu oil has played a role in keeping my skin more youthful-looking and supple.

This is just a small list of the many uses of emu oil. I tried using the oil in a variety of different situations to see what the reaction would be. Once you've done a skin test to determine your compatibility with the oil, you can do the same. There are so many uses of emu oil that I'm sure you'll come up with some great ideas of your own. Feel free to share them with us in the Emu Oil Forum. I look forward to reading about your experiences.

Photo credits Jyn Meyer & Ronald Schuster