The latest harvest of St. John's Wort flowers is currently being steeped in gently-heated containers of organic olive oil. This is alchemy in action, as evidenced by the reddening of the oils as they are extracted from the fresh flower buds. The color is due to the hypericin content, and is only seen when fresh flower buds are used.

Many of our customers buy this oil and use it as-is, or incorporate it into other topical preparations such as salves, creams and lotions. Aside from the fun of creating your own concoction, home-made remedies are free from synthetic chemicals that you may not want to use on your skin. By making your custom topical preparation, you can tailor the recipes to suit your particular needs. You can adjust the scent, change the lotion consistency and even make remedies that contain REAL quantities of herbs rather than the minute amounts that are often added to commercial products (just to make the label sound impressive). Remember! ...there is no wrong way to make salves, lotions or creams.

St. John's Wort oil has a multitude of uses and has even been used in clinical trials.

Germany's commission E approves the use of topical St. John's Wort preparations to treat minor wounds and burns and to prevent scarring. Researchers have shown that this oil contains compounds to heal wounds associated with inflammation, such as bruises, varicose veins, burns (and sunburn), bee stings, and even radiation burns.

Several studies have also shown that St. John's Wort oil is effective topically against viruses and bacteria, and the topical application may help prevent infection.

Traditionally, this herb has been used as a topical analgesic, and there is some preliminary evidence from scientific studies that confirms this activity.

In this issue we will share some remedies using this miracle topical oil.*

1. Dilute the St. John's Wort oil in a carrier oil such as olive oil or grapeseed oil.
2. Use one part St. John's Wort oil to two parts carrier oil.
3. Shake thoroughly and pour into an amber glass bottle.
4. Store in the refrigerator and then pour the oil over your sunburn for an extra cooling relief.
5. You can use it often as needed and for best results use as an overnight treatment on the day that your skin has been affected.

• A general rule is to use one cup of herbal oil per each 1 oz of melted beeswax (grated beeswax melts faster).
• You can melt the beeswax in a double boiler or add the grated beeswax to heated herbal oil.
• Pour the salve into containers before the blend starts to harden.
• If your salve is too runny, simply re-heat and add more beeswax.
• If it is too hard, re-heat and use more oil.
• If pressed for time, you can test your salve by pouring about a tablespoon of the heated mixture in a container and placing it in the freezer.
• Wait a few minutes to check consistency and adjust recipe as desired.

Other Applications

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The Contraindications and Potential Drug Interactions information provided on this website is not intended to be all-inclusive. A health care professional should be consulted regarding the use of herbal products. Always keep your Doctor or other healthcare professional informed about the herbal and other dietary supplement products that you are taking.