Koru Naturals Emu Oil Products (Crew Review)

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Deanna

This post is a little out of the ordinary for me since this blog is mostly about our homeschool/discipleship journey, but I know many of my fellow homeschool moms enjoy finding natural products to meet their families’ needs, so I took the opportunity to review two products from Koru Naturals: the pure emu oil, and the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm.

About Koru Naturals and Their Products

New Zealand is known for its natural beauty, and for thousands of years its inhabitants have enjoyed the benefits of many natural substances found there. From manuka honey and tea to various oils and Rotorua mud, Koru Naturals shares the resources of New Zealand with the rest of the world. They sell a variety of products intended for skin and hair care, as well as other common health concerns.

The first product we received was emu oil, which is used as a moisturizer for both skin and hair. It is hypoallergenic, has very little scent and penetrates skin well so it does not clog pores or leave a greasy feeling. It can be applied directly to hair or unbroken skin, or it can also be added to bath water.

Koru Naturals sells Grade A emu oil that is fully refined, but not clarified (a process which can strip the oil of some of its active ingredients). Each batch is tested to ensure that vitamins, minerals, and Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are present at the same concentrations found in nature. Koru Naturals offers pure emu oil in 2, 4, or 8 oz. bottles.

The other product we received was the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm, a combination of Grade A emu oil and pure lanolin. It is intended for softening and healing skin that is dry, cracked, or calloused. It is especially good for hands that are subjected to harsh elements such as detergents, cleaning products, or severe weather. The balm is recommended to be applied at bedtime (as well as reapplying after bathing or showering).

Emu oil and lanolin are both gentle, so there is no stinging or burning. Nothing else is added (there are no dyes, perfumes, preservatives, paraffin, or chemicals), so it’s great for people with sensitive skin. It comes in a 4 oz. container.

How we used it

My skin tends to be dry year round, though it’s definitely at its worst during the winter, so I’m always on the lookout for quality moisturizing products. These two products are obviously very similar (with just the addition of lanolin in the balm), so they can be used for many of the same things. For me, the choice usually came down to whether it would be easier to apply a liquid (emu oil) or something less drippy (the balm). Also, the lanolin is helpful for healing, so I used it when trying to treat more severe skin issues.

Emu Oil

I mainly used the emu oil as a skin moisturizer. Just one or two of the thick drops in my hands was plenty to help relieve dry skin. More than that left them feeling greasy, but it absorbs really quickly and it never bothered me. My dry, itchy skin was left feeling soft and comfortable almost instantly, and the relief was long-lasting.

I also just started using it in Arianna’s hair, which is a bit curly and tend to get very dry and tangled. Again, I found the key to be moderation. The first time I used it, I applied it to her wet hair after washing (first rubbing it on my hands, then into her hair starting at the ends), and it was hard to tell how well it was being absorbed so I kept adding more. I probably used six or seven drops altogether, and it was definitely too much. Although her hair wasn’t overwhelmingly oily, it didn’t look clean. Still, it was much more manageable. I plan to use it again, but I will be sure not to use more than two or three drops.

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm:

My main hope for the balm was to help clear up Arianna’s eczema. My three older kids have all suffered from moderate eczema on their legs around ages 2-3, and hers seems to be peaking lately. With the boys, lotions and various oils usually helped, but Arianna’s has been a bit more persistent. Thankfully it looks more irritating than it seems to actually feel (she never complains about it as the boys did), but I would love to find a way to clear it up for her. Unfortunately, the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm didn’t help as I had hoped. Maybe I just needed to be more vigilant about applying it regularly, but when I didn’t see any improvement after several days, I set it aside unless Arianna mentioned it.

However, I did find the balm useful in other ways. Elijah’s lips got really chapped one day (to the point of peeling and bleeding), so I pulled out the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm and gave them a swipe. Within hours his lips looked perfectly normal, and the problem didn’t return. I also found the balm to be a great relief for my growing pregnant belly, which always gets dry and flaky as the skin starts stretching. I found the pure emu oil soaked in too quickly to spread over my entire abdomen without using a lot, but the balm worked wonderfully.

Final Thoughts

It was great to find such effective moisturizing products that I can feel confident using on my children’s skin without worrying about chemicals or other additives. I appreciate the purity of the emu oil and Koolpurrie Restoring Balm, and I especially love the way they make my skin feel.

Koru Naturals offers many other products, including lip balm, lanolin cream, shampoo, and conditioner, which were received by other Crew members, so be sure to check out their reviews!