Natural Skincare with St. John's Wort
St. John's Wort in Bloom
St. John's Wort
St. John’s Wort, botanical name, (hypericum perforatum) comes from the Hypericaceae family, and for centuries has been used to treat mild and moderate depression, anxiety and nerve damage. St. John’s Wort will grow 1 to 3 feet tall and has bright yellow five petal flowers. It is these flowers that are harvested to make St. John’s Wort oil, tinctures, and salves.
St. John’s Wort blooms from June through August and is traditionally collected on June 24th the day in which is believed John the Baptist was beheaded. This plant loves full sun and can be found growing in uncultivated soils such as along road sides, and meadows. Though this plant is historically know for treating depression it also has tremendous benefits for your skin as well.
St, John's Wort Infused Oil
St. John's Wort skin benefits
St. John’s Wort when infused with oils such as olive oil has no anti-depressant effects; however is very therapeutic for the skin having antiseptic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and astringent abilities. St. John’s Wort infused oil can soothe a sunburn, and is great for speeding up the healing process from deep lacerations. This oil, often call amongst herbalist as the “red oil”, is commonly used to relieve nerve pains, strains, and shingles, burns, bee stings, bruises, varicose veins and really does speed up the skins healing process from deep cuts and puncture wounds.
Make your own St. John’s Wort infused oil
If you are fortunate enough to have this wonderful plant growing around your house, you can easily prepare this infused oil to have handy in your medicine cabinet for those unexpected bee stings, cuts, bruises and sprains. Just follow these 3 easy steps.
1. Harvest St. John’s Wort oil when flowers are opened. Just the flowers not the stems. You should let these flowers dry out for a few hours in a shady area so that no moisture remains as well as unwanted little creatures.
2. Once you have your freshly harvested St. John’s Wort flowers, place them in a glass wide mouth jar with lid. Pour some olive oil in the jar 1-2 inches above the flowers. Cover the jar tightly and place in a warm sunny location for about 4 to 6 weeks until the oil has turned a dark red color.
3. Once your oil is ready it is time to strain the oil out from the flowers, preferably into an amber glass bottle with a lid that seals tightly. Infused oils can have up to a year or better shelf life when stored in a cool place away from heat and light, capped tightly.
Though this herbal remedy is a simple one, it is very time
consuming and requires a good amount of harvested flowers, which would explain
why these oils are not cheap. 1 oz of
St. John’s Wort oil can very easily sell for well over six dollars an ounce.The saying, "the reder the better" is true for this oil to be of best quality and purity.
Remember to always consult with a clinical herbalist or qualified healthcare practitioner before treating yourself with natural and herbal remedies. All information mentioned in this hub is for general information and should not be considered as medical advice or consultation. Always contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if medical care is needed.
St. John's Wort Infused Oil
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