Over 30% of people in the United States have eczema. No wonder why eczema-related products are becoming popular nowadays – just like the emu oil for eczema. Know more about this product and how it benefits people with dermatitis as you read on.
Living life with eczema or also known as dermatitis is not a joke. It entails a lot of responsibilities. You have to take extra care of what you take, of where you go, even the clothes that you wear has to be of a certain fabric or you might just suffer its consequences. No wonder why a lot of eczema patients get frustrated or disappointed whenever they feel like they’ve done everything to keep their symptoms away, yet flare-ups still happen.
While there are a lot of available medications out there that help treat eczema symptoms, people with eczema often do not only rely on one. As much as they could, they will continue searching for the best if the not perfect product to help them deal with the symptoms of this incurable skin condition.
Emu oil eczema is one of those products that are gaining — or should we say, have already gained – popularity among eczema patients. But what is this really and how effective this product is in treating symptoms of eczema?
What is Emu Oil?
Emu oil originates from the emu bird, which is a native Australian terrestrial bird. For over a thousand years, emu oil has been used as a homeopathic remedy.
Although its name is emu “oil”, this solution is not really an oil rather a complex fatty acid that contains Omega 3 and 6, as well as vitamins and minerals. Just in case you are not aware, fatty acids are vital to the body’s function, and in keeping our hearts healthy. But apart from those, emu oil is known to have additional properties that make it ideal as a treatment for eczema or dermatitis.
Based on facts, emu oil is said to have been used in Australian Aboriginal culture as a moisturizer for over thousands of years now. Specifically, it has been used to heal wounds, as well as to help protect the skin from punitive situations of the desert.
Emu oil comes in a bright yellow liquid form. Precisely because, as mentioned earlier, it is mostly made up of fat. The fats, by the way, are collected from the skin of the emu bird.
If you think it is pure emu fats, well, not really because once the fats are collected, it goes through a process. It passes through several types of filters and goes through a series of procedures until a pure oil is produced. There are, by the way, different types of emu oil, which differs according to the levels of filtration and processing.
Furthermore, most emu oils go through full processing to ensure bacteria and contaminants are reduced. However, there are also some that are more refined to be able to create higher ad better contents of fatty acids.
To ensure the quality of emu oil you purchase, make sure that it is certified by organizations like the American Emu Association. The certification also ensures that the emus where it came from enjoyed the best possible lives.
Emu Oil Contents
For you to better appreciate what emu oil is all about, we are sharing with you the substances that make it.
Apparently, emu oil contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), antioxidants, and compounds, as well as the following substances:
Essential fatty acids – Emu oil is high in omega-3, omega 6, and omega-9 fatty acids. These help in the reduction of inflammation. It also helps give comfort on muscular pain, as well as eases out arthritic joint pain. Fatty acids are also thought to help relieve signs of wrinkles, scars, and blemishes by keeping skin cells nourished.
Vitamin A – Vitamin A is an antioxidant and a very vital nutrient. It is an excellent skin stimulant, which is why it is often found in topical anti-aging creams.
Other compounds present in emu oil are:
– carotenoids
– flavones
– polyphenols
– tocopherol
– phospholipids.
Benefits of Emu Oil
Imagine, emu oil has been around and has been used for over 400,000 years already. Being around for such a long period of time only means the product is really beneficial. In fact, it has been proven to help relieve minor body aches and pains help quicker healing of wounds, as well as helps protect the skin from harmful elements.
Based on history, native Australians apparently presented the oil in European countries as a moisturizer, as well as a natural sunblock or sunscreen. European settlers have eventually adopted the use of emu oil including other natural remedies introduced by the native Australians.
Although there is no definite proof, for the longest time, there have been more attributions regarding the benefits of emu oil. Some of these benefits include:
- Heals Wounds
Emu oil has a painkilling effect, plus has antioxidants. Thus, it is said to help wounds heal faster than usual. Emu oil has the ability to get through the deepest part of the skin. On one hand, it helps ease the pain caused by my minor wounds. The antioxidant component of emu oil, on the other hand, helps in protecting the skin from further damage.
Apart from minor wounds, emu oil is also applicable to cuts, bruises, as well as burns.
- Bug Repellant
Emu oil has terpenes, a substance commonly found in the oil that is also said to be responsible for keeping bugs away from attacking your skin. In fact, apart from bugs, many other insects are said to get disoriented and repelled by this substance. Thus, applying emu oil before heading out is a must.
- Helps Reduce Cholesterol Level
If you have problems with cholesterol, emu oil – when taken orally — is said to be beneficial as well in reducing cholesterol in the body.
A study conducted in 2004 where researches found out that hamsters that consumed either olive oil of emu oil had a significant reduction of cholesterol levels in their bodies compared to those who took coconut oil.
Although the result seems to be promising, further tests and trials should still be done to help substantiate these claims.
- Reduces Breast Sensitivity
Breast sensitivity is very common among breastfeeding mothers. Usually, when a newborn latched to the mom’s breast, the mom experiences pain due to improper latching of the baby. This case usually results in engorgement, soreness, dry and cracked skin, as well as pain.
Unfortunately, in some cases, these symptoms are too much to bear or are too painful and uncomfortable that mommies decide to stop breastfeeding.
However. In recent researches, it was found out that breastfeeding mothers who applied emu-based cream for a 24-hour period since after delivery on their breast areola and nipple skin made it more hydrated resulting in better, less painful breastfeeding.
The thing here is, moms need to ensure the cream is wiped out from their nipples and breasts using a warm cloth before feeding their babies. Unfortunately, emu oil has not yet been proven safe for babies to take.
- Helps Treat Ulcer
There is a study conducted by Pharmacy Today that says emu oil actually helps in treating ulcers. In some cases, people who had ulcers and applied emu oil in different levels had a protective effect while in some people, the emu oil helped reduce the size of their ulcers.
- Anti-Inflammatory
One of the most popular benefits of emu oil is its anti-inflammatory advantage. In fact, researchers noted that the strong anti-inflammatory effect of emu oil may be valuable in treating medical conditions like ear inflammation, arthritis (used as massage oil), and inflammatory bowel syndrome. Apart from these, emu oil is also thought to help prevent bone loss, which is common to those who are undergoing chemotherapy.
- Stimulates the Skin
Another popular benefit of using emu oil is that it helps stimulate the skin, which means, it helps increase the number of healthy skin cells. Thus, it reduces the appearance of wrinkles, at the same time, revitalizes aging or sun-damaged skin.
Some skin conditions where emu oil has been recommended for use are skin wounds and seborrheic dermatitis (which is one classification of eczema). It is also thought to help skin-related medical cases like hypopigmentation, rosacea, shingles, and alopecia.
- Helps Enhance Skin Moisture and Absorption
As earlier mentioned, emu oil is said to be very beneficial in treating skin conditions, as well as wounds. Emu oil is easily absorbed by the skin, and it helps lock in moisture, which results in making the skin less prone to drying out or cracking. According to research, emu oil helps a lot in reducing skin damage caused by cancer radiation.
Emu Oil Eczema
Emu oil has components that are thought to be very effective and helpful in treating eczema. In fact, there are a lot of people who have eczema who resort to using emu oil.
Emu oil is said to be more effective when the manufacturing process does not take away any of the essential components, which we earlier mentioned. Thus, if you see an emu oil being advertised as “super refined” or “tripled refined”, you better not purchase those kinds as the process may have stripped the most useful components of the product.
The best and most ideal emu oil product is the one that says 100% emu oil – because that means, none of the most essential elements of the “oil” has been removed. Thus, making it more effective in treating medical conditions like eczema.
Relieving Eczema
Now that you already know what emu oil is all about, how beneficial it is, what are its components or key elements are, let’s proceed to what makes it beneficial for eczema patients.
We are sharing with you some of the properties of emu oil that makes it very effective in treating symptoms of eczema. Please note though that some of the items here were already mentioned earlier. However, for the sake of making a point specific to eczema, we still included them here.
Anyway, so here are a few things worth noting on what makes emu oil eczema effective.
- It contains fatty acids like Omega 3, 6, 9, which are very essential in keeping the skin healthy.
Unfortunately, Omega 3 and 6 are not produced by the human body. Thus, there has to be taken from other sources. Common sources of these kinds of fatty acids are nuts, seeds, and of course, fish.
Fatty acids are proven to help improve skin barrier, and also helps in the reduction of an allergic reaction. So, it’s like, the more your skin has it, the more it is shielded from allergies and all that.
But how do these elements become beneficial in treating eczema?
Well, there was a study conducted in 2006 that showed how taking Omega 3, 6, and 9 as a dietary supplement helped improve the condition of people suffering from eczema. The result was vital after taking the supplement for 8 weeks, and even more, improvements were seen after 16 weeks.
So, imagine if you ensure that your body has all these essential fatty acids. You sure have something to fight off your eczema symptoms.
- It has powerful antioxidants that help regenerate skin and heals burns faster.
Every eczema patient knows how painful a flare-up can be especially when the itch is accompanied by inflammation and swelling. We totally understand how agonizing it is for people with eczema that some of them resort to taking Ibuprofen (which is an over-the-counter medication) to help ease out the symptom.
Fortunately, a study conducted in 2005, shows that emu oil has the capacity to help reduce inflammation in scalded skin after just a day of using it. Emu oil was also seen to have healed the wound right after.
Apart from that, another study that was conducted as early as 1997, it states that emu oil has actually the same effect as Ibuprofen. Thus, making it even more ideal for people treating eczema symptoms.
- It has antibacterial properties.
People with eczema experience too much itching that sometimes, they can’t bear but scratch the affected area off. Scratching the affected area is actually not ideal for people with eczema as this can introduce bacteria that can cause infection. That is why it is a common thing among eczema patients to keep and apply antibacterial cream when they are experiencing flare-ups to avoid further skin damage.
Fortunately, emu oil has similar antibacterial properties that are common to creams specifically formulated for eczema patients. In fact, emu oil has high concentrations of linolenic acid, which is responsible for eliminating H. pylori bacteria from the skin.
Probably, by now you are quite convinced already as to how emu oil eczema is as effective as or even better than other creams or formulations for treating eczema symptoms. But we are not over yet!
- It is an antioxidant.
Yes, we have already mentioned this a while ago, but we are saying it again now – because it plays an important role in treating symptoms of eczema.
One reality about eczema is that it takes a huge part in skin aging. Eczema results in dull, sagging, and thinner skin. That is where antioxidants take place. It helps counter these unfortunate effects.
As you already know, emu oil contains fatty acids like Omega 3, 6 and 9; Vitamin A; as well as carotenoids, flavones, polyphenols, tocopherol, and phospholipids, which are all beneficial in keeping the skin healthy and fresh.
As proof, a study was conducted in 2008 that shows how antioxidants present in emu oil produced better protection properties than other avian oils.
Now we are already convinced why a lot of people – particularly eczema patients are trying this product out. It indeed has a lot of beautiful promises, or should we say benefits.
- It acts as a topical steroid for eczema sans side effects.
A sad reality about some topical creams or steroids for eczema – whether prescribed or over-the-counter – is that they have side effects when used.
The good thing about emu oil eczema is, it does have the same topical steroid effect but without side effects!
The result is very evident in a study conducted in 2013 where it showed how emu oil considerably helped improve red skin, itching, and scales related to seborrheic dermatitis (which is a common type of eczema or dermatitis), and said to be a useful non-steroid alternative for treating eczema symptoms.
So there you have it. True to its claim, emu oil eczema has indeed what it takes to be every eczema patient’s best friend. By the way, it is also proven safe for babies as long as you make sure it does not reach their mouth because as mentioned earlier, it hasn’t been proven safe for intake yet.
Wrap Up
With all that’s been said, we thought it is safe to say that emu oil eczema is really promising. It has so many essential elements that make is great for treating eczema symptoms. The best thing for us though is the fact that while it acts as a topical steroid, emu oil eczema does not have any side effects.
For someone with eczema, the last thing he or she would want it to have complications or side effects from using medical treatments to help manage eczema symptoms.
So, if you are someone who has eczema or you know someone who has it, please do yourself or do that someone a favor by introducing this product. But of course, to be sure, always ask your doctor’s approval first. After all, our bodies are all uniquely made. What may work for one may not do the same to others – but of all these, we hope it does do well for everyone.
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