Spotlight Herb: St. John's Wort

Welcome to our weekly blog series where we discuss a new herb, its history, and common uses. This week's herb is one of our favorites because of how easy it is to grow and how many different applications it has! St. Johns's wort!

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a nervine herb or a plant that can have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. This versatile plant has a history of being used as a medication all the way back to ancient Greece, where it was used for a host of illnesses including various nervous system disorders. Though this plant is considered a weed, it is one of the most thoroughly studied herbs in the medical community and is often prescribed by medical doctors and herbalists alike. St. John's wort has antibacterial, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it can be used on the skin to help heal wounds and burns. Its wide range of uses makes St. John's wort is one of the most purchased herbal products in the United States.

St. John’s wort gained major popularity in the 1800’s when it began circulating as a treatment for minor depressive disorders. In recent years it has been studied extensively for treating mild depression and most studies agree that it is effective for treating mild-to-moderate depression and has much fewer side effects than prescription drugs.

In addition to depression, St. John’s wort shows effectiveness for some people with symptoms from other conditions such as:

• Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) & Menopause
• Seasonal affective disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) & social anxiety
• Certain rashes & skin conditions like eczema
• Hemorrhoids
• Healing wounds after surgery
• Neuralgia from shingles, sciatica, and toothache

At Green Magick Apothecary, we use St. John’s wort in our Pain Salve-ation salve because we believe its effects on nerve pain are undeniable. We also use it in our Skin Salve-ation salve because of its antiviral properties and its ability to reduce the itching associated with bug bites and rash. And if you have another issue that you believe St. John’s wort might be helpful for, but don’t think a topical application will cut it, let us know! We offer a free consultation on custom-designed products.

 Give our products a try! We know you won’t be disappointed!

Precautions:

Although St. John’s wort is essentially safe on its own, it can affect the way traditional drugs may interact with your body. It can increase the rate other medications are broken down by the liver, which can decrease the effectiveness of those drugs in your system. Always make sure to consult with your medical doctor or pharmacist before beginning any herbal treatment to avoid drug interactions.