The remaining component in this oil is triglyceride, a major element of other animal fats. Although mink oil is claimed to treat 16 different skin conditions, including acne, aging, and photodamage, there are only three published clinical trials that relate to mink oil benefiting the skin: treating cracked skin in diabetics, repelling insects, and reducing pruritus from insect bites. Mink oil is moderately comedogenic, with a score of three on a zero to five scale. This score suggests caution when the ingredient is being used as an acne therapy. Although it has not been shown to be incredibly effective at reducing wrinkles, no clinical trials to reverse skin aging have been reported.

The five fatty acids shown in the table are part of the three key lipid groups of the human stratum corneum permeability barrier. Mink oil is comparable to human skin in linoleic acid concentration, the most important fatty acid for barrier function. Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial characteristics are provided by both linoleic and oleic acids, thus efficacy for psoriasis, eczema, and other chronic inflammatory skin conditions would be expected. Oleic acid has also proven to increase the delivery of many active ingredients throughout the entire epidermis.

Emu Oil
Emu oil is a byproduct that is rendered from stored fat on the back of the emu and is unique to this member of the Ratite bird family. Emu are harvested for their skin and their red meat. This oil has been used by Aboriginals for millennia, primarily mixed with other herbs for medicinal use, and has a texture that is similar to mineral oil. Less than one percent of the emu fat exists in an oil phase. Emu oil has a comparable human sebum fatty acid profile and consists of 13
different triglycerides.

The first published clinical study in regard to emu oil was coordinated by P. Ghosh and M. Whitehouse in 1992 and documented an increased delivery of the other anti-inflammatory ingredients with emu oil. This benefit was expected with the known drug-delivery properties of high-concentration oleic acid. Significant skin irritation and comedogenic changes were also observed in the subjects using emu oil from the above clinical trial.

Three United States patents and one world patent application cite clinical trials that document emu oil's effects as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, insect repellant, and therapeutic for wounds and the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. The Nicolosi patent has documented definite, increased transdermal delivery of several other active ingredients and significantly reduced inflammatory signals in mice.

While emu oil appears to be a valuable composition that has been claimed to treat 44 different skin conditions and disease, clinical trial proof is lacking for nearly all these claims. The FDA states that emu oil is an unapproved drug for which fraudulent claims have been made as a therapy for arthritis and cancer. As with any cosmeceutical ingredient, caution must be used unless human clinical trials prove efficacy and safety with a formulation containing it.