Emu oil appears to have anti-inflammatory activity when used topically. Emu oil is obtained from the fat of Emu birds which are found in Australia. Australian Aborigines apparently used emu oil for minor aches and pains, to heal wounds, and protect their skin. For more information on different oils.

Dermatitis
International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. 2013. Comparing the efficacy of Emu oil with clotrimazole and hydrocortisone in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis: A clinical trial. Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a common, chronic inflammatory disease. Inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress are thought to be effective in the pathogenesis of SD. Based on anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of emu oil, this study was designed to evaluate effects of emu oil on patients suffering from SD, and to compare it with routine treatments of SD with topical steroids and antifungal agents. This clinical trial was conducted on 126 patients who were randomly allocated to 2 groups: 62 in the clotrimazole vs. emu oil (group-1) and 64 in the hydrocortisone vs. emu oil (group-2). The right side of the face in both groups was treated with topical emu oil. The left side was treated with topical clotrimazole in the first group and with topical hydrocortisone in the second group. One month after the treatment, pre and post treatment symptom severity scores of pruritus, erythema and scales were compared. All 3 medications significantly improved pruritus, erythema and scales (P < 0. 01). However, topical clotrimazole and hydrocortisone were significantly more effective than emu oil in improving scales (P < 0.01), and hydrocortisone was significantly more effective than emu oil in reducing pruritus (P < 0. 01). Comparing with topical clotrimazole, emu oil resulted in significantly more improvement of erythema. Emu oil is a potentially useful agent that significantly improves itching, erythema and scales associated with SD; however, it was less effective than hydrocortisone and clotrimazole which are routinely prescribed to treat SD.

Dermatitis from radiation
International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics. 2015. Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of Processed Ultra Emu Oil Versus Placebo in the Prevention of Radiation Dermatitis. The purpose of this single-institution pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of an oil-based skin agent, Ultra Emu Oil, on skin-related toxicity in patients undergoing radiation therapy to the breast or chest wall. Patients were randomized 2:1 in a double-blind fashion and were instructed to apply processed Ultra Emu Oil or placebo (cottonseed oil) twice daily during the course of radiation therapy. The oils were applied before the third fraction and continued for 6 weeks after completion of treatment. The primary endpoint was the area under the curve (AUC) of Skindex-16 scale scores over time. Secondary outcomes included maximum grade of radiation dermatitis using the Common Terminology Criteria (CTC) for Adverse Events (CTCAE 3.0), the Skin Toxicity Assessment Tool, quality of life (QOL) measured by Linear Analogue Self-Assessment, and a symptom experience diary (SED). This pilot study confirmed the safety of oil-based skin treatments during radiation therapy and suggests a trend for reduced skin toxicity for patients receiving emu oil. A larger study is needed to evaluate the efficacy of emu oil in reducing radiation dermatitis in patients receiving breast radiation.

Research
Anti-inflammatory activity and healing-promoting effects of topical application of emu oil on wound in scalded rats.
Di Yi Jun Yi Da Xue Xue Bao. 2005.
To investigate the effects of topical application of emu oil on wound healing in scalded rats. METHODS: In 144 male Wistar rats with 10%; total body surface superficial II degree scald treated on a random basis with physiological saline, povidone iodine and emu oil, respectively, the changes of the wound were observed and the wound tissue and blood samples harvested at different times after injury for evaluation of histopathological changes, total tissue water content (measured by wet:dry weight ratios), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha levels in the wound tissue and plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Emu oil has topical anti-inflammatory activity in rats with superficial II degree scald, possibly in association with decreased levels of the proinflammatory cytokines in the tissues and can promote wound healing by inhibiting local secondary inflammation.

Effect of emu oil on auricular inflammation induced with croton oil in mice.
Am J Vet Res. 1999.
Topically applied emu oil significantly reduced severity of acute auricular inflammation induced by croton oil in mice.

Promotion of second intention wound healing by emu oil lotion: comparative results with furasin, polysporin, and cortisone.
Plast Reconstr Surg. 1998.
Previous studies showed that twice-daily application of emu oil lotion (mixture of emu oil/fat, vitamin E, and botanical oil) immediately after creation of full-thickness skin defects delayed wound healing 6 days later, perhaps owing to its antiinflammatory actions. If administration was delayed for 48 hours, a two-fold promotion of wound contraction, epithelialization, and infiltration of organized granulation tissue was observed. In the present study, emu oil lotion was applied to full-thickness skin defects in rodents 24 hours after surgery. Six days postoperatively, wound contraction and infiltration of fronts of epithelialized and granulation tissue were assessed. Results indicated a two-fold promotion of all of the above parameters with emu oil lotion. No such effects were exerted by pure emu oil, furasin, cortaid, or polysporin. Data obtained indicate promise for emu oil lotion as an aid in treating full-thickness skin defects if applied after the major postinflammatory stages of wound healing have transpired.

Emu oil supplement emails
Q. I'm new to your website, and I love it! I really like to research products, but sometimes it's hard to get around all the misinformation. There seems to be a lot of research taking place on the following: pure Emu oil: wound healing, antibacterial, hair loss, muscle pain.
   A. The only studies I could find are the ones listed above where emu oil used topically was found to have anti-inflammatory activity.