ST. JOHN'S WORT OIL (Hypericum perforatum)
St. John's wort is a perennial shrub which has yellow, star-shaped flowers and five petals. It requires sunny and well-drained areas and can grow up to 100 cm. Although St. John’s wort is native to Europe, it can be found in many places of the world including, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Eastern Asia. It is believed that the St. John's wort is named as such because it is commonly harvested in late June, around St. John's Feast Day on 24 June and is hung on doors to ward off evil spirits and to safeguard against harm and sickness.
The flowers and leaves of St. John's wort contain active ingredients such as hyperforin and hypericin. When flower buds or seed pods are crushed, a reddish/purple liquid is produced. The red colour of macerated oil is derived from the degradation of hypericin due to exposure to sunlight. St. John’s wort was thought to have medical properties since classical antiquity and has been used in traditional European medicine for centuries.
Goya Botanicals St. John’s Wort Oil is handcrafted by infusing delicately harvested flowers into cold pressed extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed sesame oil.
For more information about this specific batch please visit St. John’s Wort Oil product page.
St. John's Wort Oil
Macerated oil or ointment prepared with the flowering aerial parts of St. John's wort have been used in the management of a wide range dermatological problems including superficial wounds and burns, bruises, contusions and many others in the worldwide traditional medicines(1).
According to the European Medicines Agency the traditional cutaneous use of St. John's wort macerated oil is described for the symptomatic treatment of minor inflammations of the skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders including first degree burns and sunburn as well as musculoskeletal disorders such as myalgia and rheumatism(2). Several studies have also revealed antimicrobial(3) and antibacterial(4) activity of St. John's wort macerated oil.
In modern medicine extracts of St. John's wort are prescribed widely for the treatment of anxiety, mood disorders and depression(5).
