Saint John's Wort
A Trusted Herb for Calm, Comfort, and Repair
Saint John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum, is an herbaceous perennial with bright yellow flowers that grows wild along roadsides and open meadows. It is named for St. John the Baptist, as it traditionally blooms around June 24, the day honoring his birth. Despite its common roadside appearance, this plant has a long and respected history in topical herbal medicine.
Used since ancient Greece, Saint John’s wort has been valued for centuries as a remedy for bruises, burns, muscle pain, nerve discomfort, and slow-healing skin injuries. Indigenous Cherokee healers used the mucilage from the leaves as an ointment for burns and bruises, and later introduced the plant to early colonists. The word wort itself comes from Middle English, meaning simply “herb.”
Saint John’s wort is especially well known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, making it one of the few herbs traditionally used for mild to moderate nerve-related discomfort, including sciatica and back pain. It has also been widely used to support the healing of minor burns, wounds, and irritated skin conditions such as eczema.
For topical use, Saint John’s wort is most commonly prepared as an infused oil, a method with deep roots in European folk medicine. When infused in nourishing plant oils, the oil-soluble compounds are gently extracted, creating a skin-friendly ingredient valued for soothing, calming, and restorative care.
Topical Skin Benefits of Saint John’s Wort
Saint John’s wort infused in oil is a versatile botanical ingredient used to support skin comfort, healing, and resilience.
- Soothing & Anti-Inflammatory: Helps calm irritated, sensitive, or inflamed skin, making it useful for eczema, rosacea, mild dermatitis, and sun-stressed skin.
- Supports Wound & Burn Healing: Traditionally used to aid healing of minor cuts, scrapes, abrasions, bruises, and mild burns.
- Antibacterial Support: Helps keep compromised skin clean, which can be beneficial for acne and blemish-prone skin.
- Nerve & Muscle Comfort: Long used as a massage oil to help ease muscle tension, joint discomfort, and mild nerve pain such as sciatica.
- Moisturizing & Skin Conditioning: Nourishes dry or stressed skin, helping improve texture and comfort.
How We Use Saint John’s Wort
We infuse St. John’s wort in oil using a slow, gentle warm-infusion process that draws out the herb’s fat-soluble compounds. This creates a richly infused oil that pairs the nourishing nature of plant oils with the soothing, skin-supportive qualities of St. John’s wort. The finished infusion is used in:
- Body oils
- Face oils
- Healing salves and balms
- Natural soaps
This traditional preparation allows Saint John’s wort to be used in a mild, skin-friendly form that supports soothing care and everyday skin comfort.
