Emu oil and ostrich oil: what is the difference, and what can they do for your skin?

When it comes to skincare oils, the secret lies in their fatty acid profile.

Fatty acids are the building blocks of the skin's outer layers. They strengthen the barrier, lock in moisture, and reduce evaporation, keeping your skin smooth, hydrated, and healthy. Because each fatty acid plays a distinct role, the unique composition of an oil determines its effect on your skin.

Both emu oil and ostrich oil are rich in skin-loving fatty acids, but their profiles differ just enough to create unique effects. And now, real research is backing up what people have known for centuries.

What Makes Ostrich Oil Special? 

Ostrich oil contains over 70% oleic and palmitic acids and has strong skin compatibility. It's also particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, containing at least twice the amount found in emu oil, with some studies suggesting even higher levels.

Once absorbed, ostrich oil delivers antioxidants that combat free radicals, support tissue repair, and stimulate the growth of new cells. This makes it an excellent option for refreshing dull skin, softening fine lines, and easing under-eye puffiness.

Key Benefits of Ostrich Oil 

• Deep moisturisation with strong skin compatibility
• High omega-3 content for powerful regeneration
• Rich in antioxidants with anti-aging effects
• Accelerates wound healing and cracked skin repair
• Heals deeply cracked skin and brings your complexion back to life
• Anti-inflammatory; soothes severe itching (pruritus)
• Boosts collagen production and skin rejuvenation

• Helps even out tone and reduce inflammation-related pigmentation

Why We Use Ostrich Oil 

Ostrich oil is unmatched in its ability to reduce inflammation, promote collagen synthesis, and accelerate healing. Combined with our grass-fed beef tallow in the PURE,  Nurture and Somewhere Else ranges, it provides long-lasting softness and moisture, even in extreme climates.

You'll find ostrich oil in:

• PURE Tallow & Ostrich Oil Moisturiser (Sal-Free)
• Baby's Tallow Healing Cream
• Baby's Tallow Healing Cream (Sal-Free)
• Organic Ostrich Oil 
• Somewhere Else - Luxurious Tallow Cream With Emu & Ostrich Oils

What Makes Emu Oil Unique? 

Emu oil contains approximately 70% unsaturated fatty acids, with oleic acid accounting for more than 40%. It also provides essential fatty acids - 20% linoleic acid and 1- 2% alpha-linolenic acid.

We source therapeutic-grade emu oil from Australia, produced using a patented low-heat process that preserves delicate omega fatty acids. This results in a pure, stable oil with its natural structure remaining intact.

Key Benefits of Emu Oil

• Has approximately 70% unsaturated fatty acids, which support barrier repair
• Proven to penetrate deeply into the skin
• Has a strong anti-inflammatory effect (studied in wounds, burns, and arthritis)
• Speeds up healing of burns, cuts, and abrasions
• Relieves eczema, dermatitis, and skin sensitivities
• Enhances collagen formation; repairs keratinisation disorders
• Supports thinning skin and helps rebuild skin thickness - especially for steroid withdrawal syndrome
• May boost hair and nail growth; supports collagen fibre development
• Provides anti-rheumatic support for joint discomfort
• Helps lighten pigmentation in inflamed or damaged skin

Keratinisation disorder = excess keratin production causing rough, dry patches.

Why We Use Emu Oil 

Emu oil helps regenerate thinning skin, relieves itching, encourages collagen production, and shields against oxidative damage. It's especially good for burns, red, raw skin, or tough, rough patches. It also promotes hair growth around wounds and eases joint pain.

You'll find emu oil in:

• Emu Oil (Therapeutic Grade)
• PURE Tallow & Emu Oil Face & Body Cream
• Baby's Tallow Healing Cream
• Baby's Tallow Healing Cream (Sal-Free)
• Calming Baby Oil
• Somewhere Else - Luxurious Tallow Cream With Emu & Ostrich Oils
• Brightening Under-Eye Serum

What the Research Says 

While both oils have been used for generations, modern science is now backing up the traditional claims. Here's what the evidence shows.

Ostrich oil - Fighting the bacteria behind cuts and scrapes: Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Nobody wants a small cut turning into a bigger problem. Two of the most common troublemakers behind infected skin are Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa - bacteria that love to move in when skin is broken.

If you deal with eczema, you already know the cycle: dry, cracked, itchy skin that's easily broken, and once it's broken, these bacteria are quick to move in. That's often what turns a flare-up from uncomfortable into genuinely painful.

In animal studies, wounds treated with ostrich oil showed a measurable drop in these bacteria and healed faster than untreated wounds - even holding up well against a standard antibiotic ointment used for comparison. A separate lab test also showed ostrich oil stopping Staphylococcus aureus growth outright.

Disclaimer: If your skin looks infected - hot, swollen, weeping, or not improving - please see a health care provider of your choice and consult with your nutritionist rather than relying on skincare alone. But for everyday eczema-prone skin that's dry, sensitive, and easily compromised, it's a reassuring reason to reach for an oil with this kind of traditional and early scientific backing.

Our customers using ostrich oil - healing severely cracked skin and restoring complexion 

If your skin is severely cracked, peeling, and looking sallow and lifeless, ostrich oil is exactly what many of our customers have turned to - and the results speak for themselves. They've reported seeing their skin transform from that painful, flaking, dull appearance back to smooth, healthy, and glowing. The deep penetration combined with the antioxidant and regenerative properties means ostrich oil doesn't just moisturise the surface - it actually rebuilds and rejuvenates skin that's been through the wringer. For anyone dealing with persistently compromised, cracked skin, it's been a real game-changer.

Calming the itch: emu oil's anti-inflammatory effects 

If you live with eczema, you know that itchy, red, inflamed feeling all too well - and how hard it can be to find something that actually soothes it instead of making it worse.

Scientists at the University of Queensland found that applying emu oil to skin genuinely calms inflammation - it lowers the same markers in the body that cause redness, swelling and that hot, irritated feeling. Follow-up studies backed this up, showing the same calming effect worked across different triggers.

This isn't just lab talk either. In a real clinical trial with actual people, cancer patients using emu oil on their skin during treatment had less irritation than those using a plain oil - a genuinely encouraging sign for anyone whose skin needs gentle, calming care.

It's also been tested and confirmed not to clog pores, even used at full strength. And it's been used for generations in Aboriginal Australian traditional medicine specifically to soothe irritated, inflamed skin.

A gentle note: this evidence is encouraging, not a cure. If your eczema is severe, weeping, or not improving, please see your health care specialist rather than relying on skincare alone.

Emu oil and thinning skin: could it help support aging skin and steroid withdrawal syndrome? 

As we get older, our skin naturally gets thinner - less bounce, more fragility, and that papery look that comes with the years. It's one of the most visible signs of aging, and it's something loads of people struggle with.

But thinning skin doesn't just happen with age. If you've been using topical steroid creams for eczema or psoriasis - even prescribed ones - over a long period, you've probably noticed your skin becoming thinner and more fragile. That's a real side effect of prolonged steroid use, and when you stop using them, many people experience what's called steroid withdrawal syndrome - a painful rebound flare-up where the skin gets red, angry, and often thinner than before. It's deeply frustrating: the treatment that calmed your flare-up ended up making your skin look and feel worse in a different way.

This is exactly where our customers have found emu oil makes a difference. In a small study on older adults, skin was scanned before and after six weeks of applying pure emu oil. On average, skin thickness increased by around 8% - a promising early sign for skin that's lost some of its youthful fullness. It didn't work the same for everyone, which makes sense - skin varies so much from person to person.

Separate research at Boston University found that emu oil increased skin cell growth activity by 20% and left skin noticeably thicker and healthier-looking. So what does that tell us? That emu oil may do more than just sit on the surface - it may genuinely support your skin's own renewal and rebuilding process, which is exactly what steroid-damaged, thinned skin needs.

Our customers using emu oil alongside their skincare routines - particularly those dealing with steroid withdrawal syndrome - have reported seeing their skin thicken and strengthen again. That's a real turning point for anyone whose skin has been compromised by long-term steroid use or the rebound flare that comes with stopping.

This research is early and small-scale, so it's not a miracle cure. But combined with what we're hearing from our community, it's a genuinely encouraging sign for anyone dealing with steroid withdrawal syndrome or supporting thinning skin naturally.

Which Oil Should You Choose? 

Both oils are genuinely excellent for sensitive, dry, or irritated skin - whether you're dealing with eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, or acne. But they work in slightly different ways:

Ostrich Oil - absorbs more deeply into skin, packs higher omega-3 content, and is your go-to for regeneration, deep moisturising, and fighting bacteria in compromised skin.

Emu Oil - offers longer-lasting protective barrier support, has proven anti-inflammatory benefits, and is brilliant for wounds, burns, sensitivities, and calming irritated, inflamed skin.

The Bottom Line

Ostrich Oil - delivers deeper hydration, is rich in omega-3, and has potent antioxidant and regenerative properties, with early evidence for fighting bacteria in damaged skin.

Emu Oil - provides long-lasting barrier protection, has proven anti-inflammatory benefits, supports skin thickness and renewal, and works brilliantly for wounds, burns, sensitivities, and calming eczema flare-ups.

Both are excellent choices - pick whichever suits your skin's needs: deep regeneration and bacteria support (ostrich), or healing, protective support, inflammation relief, and thinning skin support (emu).

References 

1. Farahpour, M.R., Vahid, M., Oryan, A. (2017). Effectiveness of topical application of ostrich oil on the healing of Staphylococcus aureus- and Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected wounds. Connective Tissue Research, 31, 1-10.
2. Anti-Bacterial and Antioxidant Potential of an Ostrich Oil Emulsion (2023).
3. Whitehouse, M.W., Turner, A.G., Davis, C.K., Roberts, M.S. (1998). Emu oil(s): a source of non-toxic transdermal anti-inflammatory agents in aboriginal medicine. Inflammopharmacology, 6, 1-8.
4. Yoganathan, S., Nicolosi, R., Wilson, T., et al. (2003). Antagonism of croton oil inflammation by topical emu oil in CD-1 mice. Lipids, 38, 603-607.
5. Rollmann, D.C., et al. (2015). Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of Processed Ultra Emu Oil Versus Placebo in the Prevention of Radiation Dermatitis. International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, 92(3), 650-658.
6. Emu Oil: Comedogenicity Testing (1993). Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Medical School, Houston.
7. Influence of Emu Oil on Skin Thickness in Older Individuals. American Emu Association research presentation.
8. Holick, M. (1996). Study on Skin Enhancement and Hair Growth. Drug and Cosmetic Industry Magazine.