Foraging & Making St. John’s Wort Oil & Salve

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a pretty yellow flowering plant that’s considered a noxious weed in several states, but is well-loved by herbalists!

Besides using it for tinctures and liniments (like this herbal liniment for varicose veins & muscle pains), it’s also wonderful to infuse into oil for salves and lotions.

If you don’t have any to forage where you live, you can grow it in your garden – check Strictly Medicinal for plants and seeds.

Today, I’m going to share an herbal salve recipe that’s great for tired legs and back muscles, and general aches & pains – if you’re on your feet a lot, or if you have to spend a lot of time sitting in a chair, I think you’ll love this salve!

Here’s a quick video story of me gathering St. John’s Wort and turning it into infused oil:

Tips to Identify St. John’s Wort

Depending on where you live, St. John’s Wort blooms around June to August, often peaking around the summer equinox (June 21-ish).

It’s usually growing along roadsides or the edges of fields, or places where the soil has been disturbed. It likes full sun, but I’ve found a few clumps in partial shade too.

It grows between 1 to 3 feet and tends to spread over a place – if you see one patch of St. John’s Wort, you’re likely to see another clump growing nearby.

The bright yellow flowers have five petals and lots of little yellow stamens, and if you look closely, you’ll see little black spots on the edges of the petals.

One notable characteristic about the flowers is that if you crush a flower bud between your fingers, a dark red pigment will release, staining your fingers. This pigment means that the plant has active medicinal constituents.

Another characteristic is the oblong leaves, which grow opposite each other, over branching stems. If you hold one to the light, it will look like it has little pin dots all over it.

Usual foraging rules apply to St. John’s Wort – don’t harvest from roadsides or other sprayed/toxic areas and don’t overpick any one spot. For every flower, bud, or flowering top you pick, be sure to leave behind at least 3 or 4 times as much undisturbed for pollinators and other friendly little critters to enjoy.

How to Make St. John’s Wort Oil

Before making this salve, you’ll need to make a St. John’s wort infused oil.

(Or, if you don’t have the fresh flower available, you can buy some ready made St. John’s Wort Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs.)

Normally, I completely dry herbs before infusing in oil, but St. John’s Wort is one exception to the rule. You won’t get an effective oil using dried herb. 

Instead, pick the flower buds and flowering tops (top 6 to 8(ish) inches of the plant) and either use them right away, or spread them on a screen or paper towel for a few hours to slightly wilt them.

Next, place the flowers in a glass canning jar and fill about 3/4 way. Mash, chop, or bruise the flowers/flowering tops in some way to expose more surface area to the oil.

Pour your favorite oil into the jar and almost to the top. Some good choices include sunflower, rice bran, apricot kernel oil, or sweet almond oil.

Cover the top of the jar with a piece of cheesecloth secured with a rubber band (to allow evaporation) and infuse for at least two weeks. The oil will turn a pretty shade of red as the beneficial components are infused into the oil.

Some herbalists like to infuse St. John’s Wort in the sunlight, while others prefer a dark area. Both ways will work!

Strain and store the finished oil in a cool place. Some herbalists like to store the oil in the refrigerator to extend shelf life.

How to Make St. John’s Wort Salve

You can use just St. John’s Wort oil in this recipe, or you may wish to combine other herbs in the infusion – dandelion, goldenrod, mullein, or arnica would all be nice choices.

I’m using a 2% essential oil dilution rate, which is about 48 drops in this recipe (which makes about 4 ounces of salve.)

Healthy adults who plan to use this short term may wish to double the amount for a 4% usage rate for a stronger effect.

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Ingredients

Measurements are by weight; you’ll need a scale to make this salve.

• 3.5 oz (99 g) St. John’s wort infused oil
• 0.5 oz (14 g) beeswax
• 48 drops of essential oil (see note below)

Directions to Make

Weigh the infused oil and beeswax into a heatproof jar. Place in a small saucepan filled with a few inches of water. Place the pan over a low burner until the wax is melted.

Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes then stir in the essential oils. Pour into tins or containers. This recipe fills about 2 1/2 two-ounce tins.

Essential Oils to Use for St. John’s Wort Salve

You have several options, but I’m fond of using cypress, juniper berry, lavender, cedarwood (Himalayan), fir needle, rosemary, and/or peppermint in pain salves.

One idea is to use 30 drops peppermint essential oil, plus 10 drops juniper berry (or cedarwood or fir needle) essential oil, plus 8 drops rosemary essential oil.

Or, for a more warming salve, try 30 drops cypress, 10 drops juniper berry, fir needle, or cedarwood, plus 8 drops rosemary or lavender.

Or, you could use a ready made pain blend – my absolute favorite is Tei Fu Oil.

*If you’re concerned that St. John’s wort oil will cause sun sensitivity,  THIS ARTICLE at LearningHerbs will be helpful to read!