Mental well being is now more important than ever as we navigate movement restrictions and social distancing measures. Anxiety around COVID-19, isolation and worries about work and finances can be a big cause of stress, and quite rightly, mental health is therefore receiving a lot of press.
There are a range of excellent resources to help people manage their mental well being, including tips for sleep, anxiety and working from home at the Aware website to the Corona Virus Anxiety Guide at the Ten Percent Happier website.
There has also been much reported about immune and mental health boosters, including St John’s Wort. In fact, one study published by the Cochrane Review Group in England found that it was superior to placebo and as good as standard antidepressants. Of course, you should always see your doctor or health care provider first before embarking on any course of treatment, because self-medication can have hazardous effects.
While St John’s Wort may be best known for its impact on mental well being, it also has other valuable properties which are used in herbal medicine to treat a range of symptoms.
Scientifically known as Hypericum Perforatum, the use of St John’s Wort dates back more than 3000 years and is well known for its effective healing properties.
It is purported to have anti-viral, relaxing nervine, anti-inflammatory, cardio-tonic and analgesic properties. These have been tested throughout the centuries by researchers in many different parts of the world. In Jerusalem, soldiers on the battlefields of the Crusades used St John’s Wort oil to treat combat wounds, while in modern Cuba during the country’s worst economic crisis in history, dentists who did not have access to anaesthetic recommended their patients take a Hypericum Perforatum tincture for one week prior to an extraction or filling. In 98% of cases this practice was found to be effective in reducing the pain of dental procedures.
St John’s Wort also works well externally in localised nerve pain such as sprains and cramps, sciatica, muscle and joint inflammation like tennis elbow, neuralgia from post-operative pain, and for the tingling of fingers or feet. It is also used to treat depression, anxiety, stress, PMT and menstrual cramps.
St John’s Wort grows wild in Ireland’s Burren region and surrounding areas and is used liberally in Bee Loved’s St John’s Wort Oil and Winter Oil natural body products to soothe nerve pain and inflammation. We soak the fresh St John’s Wort herbs in natural oil on a sun-drenched windowsill until the healing ingredients turn the oil crimson.
Learn more about St John’s Wort Oil and Winter Oil at our online shop.
This blog post appeared first on the Bee Loved Skincare blog.
