Burn relief that works

Draco Noir

Draco Noir

Gone but not forgotten...
In Memoriam
Joined
Jan 31, 2015
Location
Hawthorn
Guys, I offer this up in the spirit of sharing but with the usual YMMV disclaimer...

I periodically suffer from a bit of irritation/razor burn, and have hunted and hunted for something that helps. I've tried Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, a couple of commercial preparations that smell positively toxic and have ingredient lists that discourage me from wanting to use them even if they were effective (which they aren't particularly). At the suggestion of a GP, I even tried an over the counter steroid cream, which definitely worked but isn't a long term proposition at all.

Then I found myself in my local chemist a few weeks ago, and there on the counter in front of me was a bottle of Emu Oil. I read the label : Contains Omega 3,6,7 and 9 and Vitamins A,D,E and F. Added to this is the fact that it is highly penetrating, and is a potent natural anti-inflammatory. I cross checked this information online, and the claims seem to be completely verified and correct.

I bought a bottle and tried it out. Wow! Within 2-3 hours all trace of redness on my jawline trouble patch were gone, and by the end of the day there was no evidence of irritation at all. I've been using it with total success since then - 2-3 drops massaged into the face at the end of the shave, and no irritation ever since. It doesn't smell great, but doesn't smell bad either - just a subdued, neutral oily smell. The great thing is that I can put whatever aftershave or balm I choose over the top of it without losing any of the benefits.

The brand I bought was "Emu Tracks", and a 50ml bottle is about $15 full retail. At 3 drops per application, 50ml is going to last a long time.

Anyway, I hope this might bring some sweet relief to some of you - it has certainly helped me!
 
Mate have you tried any other quality oils- e.g., olive or argan? Not intended to erode your claims in any way at all, more curious to know if this is:
a) the virtue of certain oils - as played out in other threads, or
b) an excuse for me to buy yet another post-shave product (if different to the above) ;)
 
Interesting. Thanks @Draco Noir. That's very helpful. I rarely get razor burn but when I do it's horrible. I'll check it out. [emoji106]
 
I'm scared to ask, but what exactly is Emu oil?
 
@stillshunter - yes, I have tried argan, jojoba, and Vitamin E amongst others. Although effective as moisturisers, I didn't find any of them particularly helpful with the inflammation/rash/razor burn.

The thing that makes Emu Oil different is the bit I bolded in the original post : it's a potent natural anti-inflammatory. I believe that's the reason that steroid creams are effective too. As for an excuse to dispose of more money - only you can make that decision.....

@MrT - wikipedia tells us that "Emu oil is oil derived from adipose tissue harvested from certain subspecies of the emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, a flightless bird indigenous to Australia". It has been used for centuries by indigenous Australians as a remedial and anti-inflammatory.
 
Appreciate the follow-up mate. Can I ask what makes it
Draco Noir said:
a potent natural anti-inflammatory
Click to expand...
I realise many might say its a property of the thing in itself, but surely science has gotten us far enough to isolate the key ingredient/s....though I speak of the very same 'science' that still hasn't found a cure to baldness. Pfffft.

Draco Noir said:
As for an excuse to dispose of more money - only you can make that decision.....
Click to expand...
Yeah well it's guys like me that lined the pocket of other historical purveyors of viscous subcotaneous animal substances - a.k.a. snake oil salesmen. :oops:
 
@stillshunter - sorry mate, I haven't dug that deeply into the "why" of it.

You've piqued my interest now though - I'll have a good old dig later in the day and see what I can find out. Having said that though, even if they have isolated the key ingredient(s), it doesn't necessarily mean that they can synthesize them successfully.

I'll post whatever I can unearth (and a cure for baldness too, if I'm on a roll) :rolleyes:
 
@stillshunter : well, I can't definitively name the chemical(s) in emu oil responsible for its therapeutic effects. But neither can Australia's top research scientists yet.

Fact : there seems to be a great deal of highly credible research going on in this field.
Fact : it seems that the therapeutic applications are much broader than simple razor burn - there is scientific evidence that it is effective against certain types of arthritis, and a number of inflammatory bowel disorders including irritable bowel syndrome and the side effects of chemotherapy.

Here are some links that should provide answers to most if not all your questions :

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s196013.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17638122
https://sciences.adelaide.edu.au/schools-resources/docs/writing-gov-report-abimosleh.pdf
http://www.velbexx17.com/pages/dromaius-novohollandiae-emu-oil

Thanks for prodding me into researching this a bit more thoroughly, it certainly satisfies me that I'm not imagining the benefits : there is more than enough clinical evidence to satisfy me that the anti-inflammatory effects are much more than advertising claims.


"Emu can't fly but I'm telling you : he can run the pants off a kangaroo" - John Williamson, Old Man Emu :whistle:
 
Draco Noir said:
Guys, I offer this up in the spirit of sharing but with the usual YMMV disclaimer...

I periodically suffer from a bit of irritation/razor burn, and have hunted and hunted for something that helps. I've tried Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, a couple of commercial preparations that smell positively toxic and have ingredient lists that discourage me from wanting to use them even if they were effective (which they aren't particularly). At the suggestion of a GP, I even tried an over the counter steroid cream, which definitely worked but isn't a long term proposition at all.

Then I found myself in my local chemist a few weeks ago, and there on the counter in front of me was a bottle of Emu Oil. I read the label : Contains Omega 3,6,7 and 9 and Vitamins A,D,E and F. Added to this is the fact that it is highly penetrating, and is a potent natural anti-inflammatory. I cross checked this information online, and the claims seem to be completely verified and correct.

I bought a bottle and tried it out. Wow! Within 2-3 hours all trace of redness on my jawline trouble patch were gone, and by the end of the day there was no evidence of irritation at all. I've been using it with total success since then - 2-3 drops massaged into the face at the end of the shave, and no irritation ever since. It doesn't smell great, but doesn't smell bad either - just a subdued, neutral oily smell. The great thing is that I can put whatever aftershave or balm I choose over the top of it without losing any of the benefits.

The brand I bought was "Emu Tracks", and a 50ml bottle is about $15 full retail. At 3 drops per application, 50ml is going to last a long time.

Anyway, I hope this might bring some sweet relief to some of you - it has certainly helped me!
Click to expand...

Draco Noir... I think I love you!!! Thanks.
 
Don't worry guys - just a little shaving bromance - all fine!
 
I'm a three pass guy so I've experienced occasional razor burn. I pretty much solved the irritation problem by going to an all COLD water shave. It sound worse than it really is. It took about a week for me to adjust but the pay off was no more RB. In the morning I actually look forward to the brisk water. I've read that there are two schools of thought. Warm/hot water softens the whiskers and makes them easier to cut. The cold makes them stand up. In my case I prefer that they stand up and face the music. Really in all seriousness it may help, you just have to get by that initial break in period.
 
Not sure I can get Emu Oil over here in the UK, we have a shortage of Emu's to be honest but for burn relief you really can't beat 99% pure Aloe Vera Gel. Honest guys it's awesome. I use a brand called Naissance. I don't know what you can get over in Aus. I get mine from Amazon, you only need a little dab and it instantly soothes and relieves any soreness. Well worth a try.
 
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