St John's Wort

Last month I enjoyed harvesting my own St Johns Wort. I wild harvested the seeds in Central Otago many years ago, and they’re finally establishing in my garden, enough for a decent harvest to infuse into a medicinal oil.

St John’w Wort is very well known for it’s internal use to treat depression, but it’s also great for strengthening the nervous system, improving digestion, protecting the liver, has antiviral properties and amazing pain relieving properties. This plant has a lot of associations with the Sun & for dispelling darkness, both of mood & evil.

I don’t recommend making St John’s Wort preparations for internal use without professional medical advice, as it can interact with other medications, and there are many contraindications. For years I’ve been effecitively using it topically (not internally), in pain my medicinal botanical skincare.

Topically, Hypericum Perforatum has anti-inflammatory & analgesic (relieves pain) properties with deep seated nervine effects, which can deaden nerve pain. It’s capable of easing arthritis pain, sciatica, muscle pain & joint discomfort, as well as relieving pain from & treating shingles. St John’s is often used to treat athletic injuries such as torn ligaments & muscles, much like Arnica, and can also speed the healing process of bruises by stimulating circulation of oxygenated blood to damaged cells.

I also use St John's Wort to heal broken skin and prevent scarring. It's vulnerary action helps the skin to regenerate and heal. It's also anti-inflammatory, reducing redness and inflammation that can contribute to a scarring, and it's antioxidant effect helps to relieve burns and associated nerve pain.

I've had amazing results treating deep cuts & 3rd degree burns with St John's Wort with no scarring afterwards.

My sun infused St John’s Wort organic oil is almost ready to strain, and I’ll then make another batch of the much sought after St John’s Wort Muscle Rub balm. It sold out in just a couple of months last year, and as I only make seasonal skincare, with what’s growing abundantly in season, it can be a long wait until next summer...