# Are emu based creams effective? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2013, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496 "2013-09-10T13:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ombre12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d26b3c/32.png) [@ombre12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ombre12)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/1 "2013-09-10T13:06:53Z")
A thread about arnica creams got me wondering about the effectiveness of emu for arthritis and general muscle/joint pain. There is Blue Emu (pretty expensive) and Australian Dream (heavily advertised lately and very expensive) Are either of these products any good besides the fact of being odorless? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/2 "2013-09-10T13:11:58Z")
I actually don’t know what emu cream is. Don’t tell me it is made from emus. I assume rather than it is an emu(lsion) of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/3 "2013-09-10T13:12:47Z")
Emu? Why not just rub schmaltz onto yourself? ---
**Author:** ![ombre12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d26b3c/32.png) [@ombre12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ombre12)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/4 "2013-09-10T13:39:54Z")
The ingredients on both list emu. Assume they are talking about the flightless Aussie bird. I don’t know what part of an emu they are using ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/5 "2013-09-10T13:54:42Z")
[No](http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/BioterrorismandDrugPreparedness/ucm137284.htm), beyond the same potential mild analgesic effect that you get from any rendered animal fat. The idea that emu oil has unusual therapeutic properties derives from traditional Aboriginal medicine, so take it with the same grain of salt that you’d apply to claims about rhino horn. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/6 "2013-09-10T13:55:51Z")
Who looks at an Emu and says “I need to make a cream from that?” Aborigines apparently. Those products use emu oil rendered from emu fat. A traditional medicine. No proven medicinal value that I know of. But Chuck Woolery does the radio commercials for Australian Dream so how bad can it be? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/7 "2013-09-10T13:59:26Z")
I’m going to stick my neck out and say no. I’ve used marmot cream and found it quite pleasant, while we’re on the topic of rendering down wildlife and rubbing it on ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/8 "2013-09-10T14:01:45Z")
Mink oil is the answer. It doesn’t matter what the question is. [sub]girls who skin mink have the softest hands… \<\\>[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/9 "2013-09-10T14:30:21Z")
Having to catch your own emu before rendering it into oil does wonders for your flexibility. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/10 "2013-09-10T14:32:59Z")
Case in point: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI8cRfPlT9s) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/11 "2013-09-10T14:45:25Z")
I was looking at the thread title and thinking, “Electronic mass unit? European monetary union? Surely this can’t be about the large flightless bird. That would just be too weird…” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/12 "2013-09-10T14:48:38Z")
Umpty-ump years ago, I knew a fellow who was getting into raising emus. He said that emu oil was absorbed through the skin, and thus could help lubricate joints when applied topically. The following excerpt from an article at [livestrong.com](http://livestrong.com) suggests that there is something to that. \*Emu Oil Emu oil has been used by many cultures for centuries. It is gleaned from the skin of the emu and is an effective skin-penetrating oil. The oil is a good source of linoleic acid and was used to treat muscle, joint and skin problems. The oil is now added to certain cosmetic and skin care products. Emu oil is almost always used topically, and has anti-inflammatory properties that have the potential to treat various skin problems, including rashes, poison ivy and insect bites. The oil is also used as a skin moisturizer. Research According to [Drugs.com](http://Drugs.com), limited research exists suggesting that emu oil is effective as an anti-inflammatory agent. Other research indicates that emu oil might be effective at treating certain disorders because it is so readily absorbed by the skin. A study from the Texas Tech University Medical Center reports that emu oil can help treat burns as it penetrates the skin. A report from the 88th American Oil Chemists Society annual meeting reports that emu oil may help the skin absorb lidocaine three times as quickly as lidocaine on its own.\* Read more: [The 7 Healthiest Cooking Oils and 2 to Avoid | livestrong](http://www.livestrong.com/article/552368-safflower-oil-vs-emu-oil-for-skin-penetration/#ixzz2eV82Pdvl) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/13 "2013-09-10T15:07:51Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Umpty-ump years ago, I knew a fellow who was getting into raising emus. He said that emu oil was absorbed through the skin, and thus could help lubricate joints when applied topically. The following excerpt from an article at [livestrong.com](http://livestrong.com) suggests that there is something to that. > > \*Emu Oil > Emu oil has been used by many cultures for centuries. It is gleaned from the skin of the emu and is an effective skin-penetrating oil. The oil is a good source of linoleic acid and was used to treat muscle, joint and skin problems. The oil is now added to certain cosmetic and skin care products. Emu oil is almost always used topically, and has anti-inflammatory properties that have the potential to treat various skin problems, including rashes, poison ivy and insect bites. The oil is also used as a skin moisturizer. > > Research > According to [Drugs.com](http://Drugs.com), limited research exists suggesting that emu oil is effective as an anti-inflammatory agent. Other research indicates that emu oil might be effective at treating certain disorders because it is so readily absorbed by the skin. A study from the Texas Tech University Medical Center reports that emu oil can help treat burns as it penetrates the skin. A report from the 88th American Oil Chemists Society annual meeting reports that emu oil may help the skin absorb lidocaine three times as quickly as lidocaine on its own.\* > > Read more: [The 7 Healthiest Cooking Oils and 2 to Avoid | livestrong](http://www.livestrong.com/article/552368-safflower-oil-vs-emu-oil-for-skin-penetration/#ixzz2eV82Pdvl) See the cite in post #5. Not only is emu oil mentioned on the FDA’s “How to Spot Health Fraud” page, its the number 1 example. When “limited research” is “suggesting” something I equate that with snake oil. Which is the same as emu oil I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/14 "2013-09-10T16:06:57Z")
I find it bizarre that so many people on this board would flippantly dismiss something that they apparently have no experience with. I have intermittent arthritis trouble in my hips. Blue Emu is one of the few creams I’ve tried that helps me. It has more claim to being a “miracle drug” than most things that are touted as such. The difference it makes is well-nigh instantaneous. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/15 "2013-09-10T16:22:25Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I find it bizarre that so many people on this board would flippantly dismiss something that they apparently have no experience with. I have intermittent arthritis trouble in my hips. Blue Emu is one of the few creams I’ve tried that helps me. > > It has more claim to being a “miracle drug” than most things that are touted as such. The difference it makes is well-nigh instantaneous. This would be because anecdotes are not data. Actual RESEARCH indicates that there is no unusual virtue in emu oil as opposed to other animal oils. That you personally believe that you have achieved some sort of positive reaction from the application of emu oil does not mean that any such thing objectively happened or that, if it did, it was the animal the oil came from that made the difference. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/16 "2013-09-10T16:33:41Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > He said that emu oil was absorbed through the skin, and thus could help lubricate joints when applied topically. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) penetrates intact skin (a drop on your hand leads to a garlicky taste in seconds). It’s also inexpensive. And possibly toxic. There is concern that a solvent that penetrates intact skin can carry with it whatever was on the intact skin originally. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/17 "2013-09-10T17:00:00Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I find it bizarre that so many people on this board would flippantly dismiss something that they apparently have no experience with. I have intermittent arthritis trouble in my hips. Blue Emu is one of the few creams I’ve tried that helps me. > > It has more claim to being a “miracle drug” than most things that are touted as such. The difference it makes is well-nigh instantaneous. Two words: placebo effect. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/18 "2013-09-10T17:07:19Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Two words: placebo effect. Shhhhhhhh it’s working. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/19 "2013-09-10T17:19:58Z")
If I could FTFY I’d take out the extraneous space between “Shhhhhh” and “it’s”. ---
**Author:** ![slowlearner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@slowlearner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowlearner)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496/20 "2013-09-11T00:44:30Z")
I’ve used emu lotion for years. I have bad knees and when one acts up rubbing emu on it noticeably reduces the discomfort for about 30 minutes. Aspercreme is actually more effective. I mostly use emu as a moisturizer because I work outdoors and it’s the best thing I’ve found, plus the odor keeps young beautiful women from swarming around me. Salmon oil capsules are good for arthur, 4-6 a day. Salmon oil, not fish oil, mind you. The placebo effect has been keeping me loose for years. Research will eventually show there is no placebo effect, just statistical noise, most research is either poorly done or biased so researchers oughtn’t to throw stones… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-emu-based-creams-effective/668496.md?page=2)