Herb Pharm St. John’s Wort
Reviewed By: ologsinquito on February 19, 2014
St. John’s Wort has long been used by herbalists. It comes from a plant that blooms in Europe on June 24, the feast of Saint John the Baptist, for whom it is named. In our house, we use this for topical treatment of cuts and scrapes. It replaces over-the-counter antibacterial cream in our medicine cabinet.
Product Attributes
For years, I’ve purchased St. John’s Wort (wort is an old-fashioned name for herb) from Herb Pharm, a company based in Williams, Oregon known for its strict standards in harvesting and distilling. We use a tincture, which is very potent and lasts for years.
Benefits of St. John’s Wort
- St. John’s wort is perhaps best known as a natural anti-depressant and mood elevator. (However, if you suffer from depression, always work in conjunction with a medical professional.) It is also a very powerful anti-bacterial agent.
- The product we buy from Herb Pharm is guaranteed to be potent enough, as the herbs will have been harvested correctly.
- Using St. John’s wort for cuts and scrapes will help prevent infection, according to the homeopathic practitioner who first recommended this product.
- Herb Pharm is sold on Vitacost for only $10.29. Shipping is free if your total order exceeds $49.
How We Use St. John’s Wort
Growing up, my son endured his share of cuts and scrapes, especially when he was outside playing in the yard with his friends. A touch football game would invariably end in an injury. I never worried about infection. After cleaning off the wound, I would cover it with St. John’s wort and pretty much forget about it. If I remembered, I’d try to repeat the application a couple of times when the wound was healing.
The only drawback to applying St. John’s wort tincture to an open wound is that it does sting a little. However, my homeopath assured me this was a good sign because it meant it wasn’t infected.
Sometimes, especially as my son got older, he neglected to tell me about his wounds. He didn’t clean them himself either. So, on a couple of occasions, redness and swelling had set in. A couple of applications of St. John’s wort cleared it up.
Skin Infection Can Be Serious
However, if at any point I had noticed an infection that was not getting better, or redness that was spreading, I would have taken my son to the emergency room immediately. Fortunately, his cuts and scrapes never progressed that far. We always tended to check in with a medical professional after an injury. Even if it was a telephone consultation, it was reassurance that we were on the right track.
Disclaimer
I am not a medical professional, so my product recommendations are not intended to substitute as medical advice. Work closely with your practitioner.
Avoiding Topical Antibiotics
Since I worry about the effects of overuse of antibiotics, and the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, I was much more comfortable using St. John’s wort to treat minor injuries. It’s been years since we’ve used an anti-bacterial cream.
Flickr photo by bob in swamp
