What is horse oil and why is it a popular skin treatment in East Asia?

From auspicious horse-themed phrases and couplets to whether your luck is in, check out our Year of the Horse 2026 series to discover all you need to know about the coming Lunar New Year.\nIn the ever-evolving world of beauty, where snail mucin, donkey milk, bee venom and salmon sperm have all had their moment, another unconventional ingredient has long been galloping under the spotlight: horse oil.\nWhile the hype has tempered since the late 2010s, when it was driven by the explosive worldwide popularity of K-beauty and J-beauty trends, horse oil has never disappeared from cosmetic markets and remains a steady top-selling staple in East Asia.\nIt occupies a space between affordable essential and niche luxury in pharmacies and beauty shops in Hong Kong. It is stocked alongside everyday essentials in major chemist chains, as well as in curated sections of speciality cosmetic stores, with prices ranging from less than HK$100 (US$13) for a basic tube to several hundred dollars for premium brands.\nBut what exactly is horse oil?\nRendered from fat found in the mane, tail root and abdomen, horse oil is a by-product of the meat industry in regions around Europe and Asia. In Japan, where dishes such as basashi – horse sashimi – are eaten, horse oil is widely available.\n\nSaid to offer intense hydration when applied to the skin, it is sold in creams, serums, shampoos, lotions and gels.\nThe products are claimed to calm irritation, fortify hair, and diminish the appearance of scars and wrinkles, while reinforcing the skin’s natural barrier and supporting its renewal process. It typically has a light, non-greasy texture, unlike heavier animal fats.\nIt has a reputation for being a reliable, multipurpose treatment, serving as a testament to enduring cultural practices and community trust even in the absence of extensive clinical validation.\nAccording to a Peking University journal on traditional Chinese medicine, horse oil was first used as folk medicine in parts of East Asia, applied to burns, cuts and chapped skin. Its sustained popularity across centuries and continents suggests that what began as a scattered remedy has become ingrained in many cultures.\nHorse ointment was used in ancient China for the treatment of qi deficiency, meaning a lack of sufficient vital energy that could cause weakness and fatigue, as well as other illnesses such as haemorrhoids and burns, the journal said.\n\nIn Mongolia and other Central Asian steppe cultures, particularly those located in cold environments, it was applied to treat frostbite and severely chapped skin. It served as a protective barrier and healing salve, and its use is deeply embedded in the nomadic lifestyle, where every part of the horse was used.\nWhen it comes to ethical concerns, the UK-based World Horse Welfare states that as long as the slaughter process is humane, extracting its oil for cosmetic purposes should not be an issue, as the procedures would not be unlike those for other animal meats. Much like lanolin or tallow, the fat is being repurposed rather than being discarded.\nAccording to a journal entry on food science from the National Library of Medicine, after extraction, the oil undergoes rigorous refinement, starting with a filtration that removes solid impurities, unwanted pigments and residues, followed by a round of neutralisation to stabilise the oil’s pH.\nThe process is crucial to creating a cosmetic-grade product that is stable, mild and sensorially acceptable – resulting in a clear, lightweight and virtually odourless oil that can be easily incorporated.\nVarious studies, including one report published in 2018 in volume 11 of Microbial Biotechnology, show that acids found in horse oil, such as linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, closely match those in human skin oil (sebum). Because of this, it is theoretically considered a well-suited base for cosmetics aimed at nourishing and repairing the skin barrier, as it should allow for better absorption due to its compatibility.\n\nHowever, Dr Carmen Lam, a specialist in dermatology and venereology, says that she would not recommend horse oil to her patients due to a lack of “large-scale human studies to show its true efficacy”.\nThough not entirely disputing its purported benefits, she stresses that it may not be the miracle product that many believe it to be, cautioning against ingredients that are popularised by tradition and consumer testimonials.\nLam adds that animal-derived cosmetics may not always be suitable for regular use, in which case a patch test is always recommended.\n“For animal oil, there can be preservatives like methylisothiazolinone or fatty alcohol that can cause skin problems,” she says. “Always use products with simple ingredients and consult your dermatologist if your skin is sensitive before applying new products.”\n