The oil from St. John’s Wort is often called the red oil because of its characteristic colour. This colour comes from the pigment dianthrone, hypericine, found in the vacuoles located in petals and leaves. The oil, mentioned in the oldest herbalists’ texts, is traditionally used as a vulnerary and topical anti-inflammatory. Nicolas Culpeper (1616-1654) describes its use: « Outwardly, it is of great service in bruises, contusions, and wounds, especially in the nervous parts, (…) made into an ointment, it opens obstructions, dissolves swellings, and closes up the lips of wounds. »

According to many authors, the oil is also used for abrasions, inflammation, muscle pain, first-degree burns, hemorrhoids, vitiligo and neuralgia.

A. Vogel's St. John’s Wort Oil is prepared with the greatest care: the leaves and wilted flower heads are rejected and the time between harvest and extraction process is kept to a minimum. To prepare St. John’s Wort Oil, flower heads are macerated in sunflower oil for 6 weeks. The mixture is stirred once a week to make sure that the maximum amount of active ingredients (part used of the medicinal herb) is in contact with the solvent (sunflower oil). Finally, the mixture is pressed and filtered to obtain A.Vogel’s quality fine oil.

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