St. John's Wort oil

I just picked up a little bottle of homemade St. John's Wort oil recently. I've heard it’s actually pretty amazing for health and wellness, but I'm not entirely sure what all the best uses are... any ideas?

Just go to any search engine and type in "aromatherapy" if you know the term, then look up the Latin name for that specific oil first.
Our local supplier, maybe something like Young Living or doTERRA, should have everything you need on it.
It just takes a little bit of effort.

People claim that St. John's Wort oil is great for skin healing and fighting off infections. It’s meant for topical use—rubbing it onto cuts, burns, or eczema. Some even swear by it for hemorrhoids.

Yeah, I get that, but I’d really love to hear what everyone else has experienced. This isn't exactly meant for aromatherapy—it doesn't have any kind of special scent. It's basically just olive oil that's been infused with St. John's Wort for about 40 days...

thanks Kenneth Hernandez67... I've heard similar things too, and apparently some women even use it for gynecological issues. It's also supposedly used during perineal massages for pregnant women who want to help avoid an episiotomy.

I used to use it for white discharge... I'd just soak a tampon in some St. John's Wort oil and you know... it totally worked for me🙂
Plus, you can actually just buy those pre-made St. John's Wort vaginal suppositories now, so you don't even have to mess around with the tampon trick... and I still sip on some St. John's Wort tea every once in a while.

Casey Palmer5, come on, give me the lowdown on that massage thing you mentioned?

As far as I am aware, olive oil infused with St. John's Wort—which sits in the sun for about 40 days until it turns a reddish hue—is a common folk remedy for joint and muscle aches. For instance, people might rub it onto the skin over a strained muscle... or apply it to the shoulder area to deal with a painful glenohumeral joint (what we call "frozen shoulder").

This oil possesses mild analgesic properties, though they are somewhat less potent than something like Voltaren gel.

That being said, St. John's Wort isn't entirely harmless. It accelerates the metabolism of various medications in the liver, which can effectively drop their concentration below therapeutic levels. It is unknown whether topical application produces this same effect, but one should still avoid experimenting with it if you are currently taking other medications, such as anticoagulants.

I actually make my own St. John's Wort oil at home! I’ve found it works wonders if you toss in a few cloves right at the end; it makes the scent so much nicer, plus the cloves have those great antibacterial properties. I mostly use it whenever my skin gets super dry or if I'm dealing with eczema.

Just a heads-up though, since St. John's Wort contains hypericin—which basically acts as a natural antidepressant—it’s a huge component in all those herbal mood supplements you see everywhere. I guess it's important to remember not to go overboard with it, because it can definitely interact with other medications, like birth control and stuff.

I haven't heard much about its pain-relieving properties, but I have read that it has antibacterial and antiviral qualities (I even came across something suggesting it might help against HPV)...

mellowbadger8, let me try to explain, though I only know a little bit about this—basically, there’s a technique people swear by to help avoid an episiotomy, which involves doing certain things during the last two months of pregnancy. You take this or another type of oil and use it for massage, essentially trying to stretch the vaginal opening as much as possible. The idea is to improve the elasticity of the perineum. Honestly, though, I don't think there's any solid proof it actually works, or at least there hasn't been any really reliable research done on it yet.
I'm still not personally obsessed with this kind of stuff 😁, but I guess I look into it from a professional standpoint. I stumbled upon the topic while browsing some other parenting forums (like BabyCenter or What to Expect).

Oh yeah, I've definitely heard about those antidepressant qualities too—if you've ever come across St. John's Wort, that’s the one. I noticed it's all over those big online herbal supplement shops lately. I did read somewhere, though, that it can have quite a few interactions with other medications. Luckily, I'm not on anything myself...

Casey Palmer5 said:Oh yeah, I’ve actually heard about its antidepressant qualities too—if you’ve ever come across St. John's Wort, that’s basically what we're talking about.

Hypericum perforatum acts as a natural antibiotic and is even used to help with nerve pain.

It's also commonly used to fight depression, especially that seasonal slump we get during the winter when there's hardly any sunlight, usually in homeopathic form. 🙂

According to old folklore, this plant is meant to drive away evil spirits and bring a bit of sunshine back into your life.

St. John's Wort isn't exactly the heavy hitter you'd call a "natural antibiotic." If you want real muscle, you're better off looking at things like garlic or echinacea.

Most people I know just keep it infused in olive oil—it’s pretty much the gold standard for soothing burns or minor scrapes.
It works well enough as an antiseptic and helps with inflammation.

If you're brewing it as a tea, though, don't expect a miracle cure for everything. It’s mostly used to take the edge off nerve issues and help with insomnia. That's really where its value lies. 🙂

My mother actually makes her own St. John's Wort oil using high-quality, locally sourced olive oil. She uses it topically on the skin quite frequently. She first started this practice back when my father was bedridden for about a month; thanks to the consistent application of that St. John's Wort oil, he managed to avoid developing any pressure sores or skin breakdown during that entire period.

St. John's Wort oil is truly remarkable; my mother actually makes her own batches at home. Personally, I tend to suffer from sinus issues whenever I spend too much time out in the summer sun. Honestly, nothing has provided more relief than using St. John's Wort. I simply apply a small amount to the painful area, and within a short while, the discomfort vanishes. Beyond that, it works wonders for healing wounds quickly when applied topically. I am also aware of several women who successfully managed gynecological concerns thanks to the properties of St. John's Wort.

Oh, one more thing—it's actually used for treating cuts and mouth sores, too. It can even help out with gum disease...

I used St. John's Wort oil for my stretch marks. Back when they were still red, I was applying it once or twice a day for about six months, and they just vanished...
Meanwhile, my neighbor keeps slathering that stuff on while she’s out tanning, and now she’s looking darker than a burnt piece of toast.

Christian Thompson said:I used St. John's Wort oil for my stretch marks. Back when they were still red, I was applying it once or twice a day for about six months, and they just vanished...
Meanwhile, my neighbor keeps slathering that stuff on while she’s out tanning, and now she’s looking darker than a burnt piece of toast.

Well, that is incredibly wise—truly brilliant! Anyone with even a passing familiarity with St. John's Wort knows it is highly phototoxic.

Christian Thompson said:I used St. John's Wort oil for my stretch marks. Back when they were still red, I was applying it once or twice a day for about six months, and they just vanished...
Meanwhile, my neighbor keeps slathering that stuff on while she’s out tanning, and now she’s looking darker than a burnt piece of toast.

If there’s one thing people really need to get straight about St. John's Wort oil, it's that you absolutely CANNOT go out in the sun after putting it on your skin!

Christian Thompson said:I used St. John's Wort oil for my stretch marks. Back when they were still red, I was applying it once or twice a day for about six months, and they just vanished...
Meanwhile, my neighbor keeps slathering that stuff on while she’s out tanning, and now she’s looking darker than a burnt piece of toast.

That worked for me too. My marks didn't disappear completely, but they're way less noticeable now. You just have to be consistent. Plus, the skin gets so soft. That oil beats any overpriced drugstore cream any day.😍