Category: Healthy DIY Products

Make a Simple Natural Oil for Inflammation and Sore Muscles

sjw flowers

My friend had a garden filled with medicinal St. John’s Wort and invited me to help myself to the flowers to make a healing oil for my sore muscles and the inflammation I am dealing with in my leg as a result of the surgery I am recovering from.

So simple to do, it was wonderful to spend 5 minutes gently plucking the bright yellow flower heads from the waist-high plants. I felt connected and involved directly with the plant that is going to give me relief as I travel with a backpack and cane throughout Ecuador.

After putting the flowers, buds and all, into a jar (do not wash the flowers as the key medicinal value would be washed away), I pushed them down tight. The next step is to add pure virgin oil to generously cover the flowers. Put a lid on it and out it goes onto the deck into the sunlight for 4 to 6 weeks.

sjw in 4 days

As the St John’s Wort flowers infuse with the oil it will turn red and the medicinal qualities of the plant will be passed into the oil. Hence the healing properties can then be used to treat muscle aches and inflammation.

After 6 weeks drain the mixture with a cheesecloth or the like and keep the oil in a sealed jar.

This oil, used as a healing externally, has no side effects, so can be used externally on your muscles as needed.

Remember: if you are ever using anything that you have a negative reaction to stop using the product and consult a health care practitioner if symptoms or concerns continue.

sjw red oil 3 weeks

I plan to experiment with this product in Ecuador using coconut oil because it will be so readily available and it is my oil of choice at the moment. That will be a post for the future when we are more settled.

I’ll update this post to show the change in colour as the weeks pass. I’ll also let you know how it works for me as we travel and I use it as a pain and inflammation control option. Until then I’ll watch it change and transform.