St. John's Wort infused in Almond

[Lenimae]

Good evening everyone! :wave:

So, I was browsing my local Nutter's & happened to spot this oil. A 500ml of St. John's Wort infused in Almond--on sale for $9.99 regular $28.99. So I grabbed it! I'm wondering if this would be a good one to use in a cp soap recipe?? If it is...

#1. Can anyone tell me how to incorporate it? Like, would I just use in place of Almond Oil in a recipe? (I know...pls excuse my inexperience. I'm probably asking an extremely retarded question here...)

#2. What "type" of soap would it be good for? (oh gosh, the questions just keep getting stupider don't they! :Kitten Love: )

#3. What else would compliment it?

I hope these questions don't make me sound too ridiculous!! It's just that I have no clue as too how much St. John's Wort:Almond is in this oil. The only thing that is on the bottle is the label & amount, exactly how I worded it. St. John's Wort infused in Almond 500ml :eh:

Any info/suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

 

[TeriDk]

Not sure I got this right but it seems to me that you would use the infused almond oil at the same % that you would for regular almond oil in a recipe. I infused lavender and calendula flowers in olive oil for a month and just made soap with the oil. Of course, I screened the oil before using. I assume that oil will actually absorb properties of herbs but how much depends on a number of factors such as how much herb and for how long it was infused.

Type of soap....hmm, I don't know. If I recall, I think people use no more than 5-10% of almond oil in their recipes. Need to run your recipe through soapcalc or another soap calculator.

I have no idea what would compliment it. I'm not sure if SJW is one of those herbs that cause allergies. I know that it can help with SADS or other mild depression and where I live it is considered an invasive species. You might try Wikipedia or a trusted herb site for more info. Hope this helps.

 

[Marieke]

St Johns worth can make the skin more sensitive to the sun but I doubt weather it will have that effect when used in soap. It's on the skin for such a short time and not all qualities of the plant will survive the soaping process I can imagine.

I infuse herbs in olive oil because that's usually the biggest percentage in my soaps. Good for skin herbs I use are: horse tail, stinging nettle, plantago and echinacea. When I make soap, I use the infused oils and herbal tea instead of water.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Is your oil yellow or red - or neither? Was it in the cooking section or the pharmacy of the store you bought it in?
St. John's Wort is used in creams and ointments for minor wounds and burns and to relieve muscle pain, but I'm not sure how effective it would be in soap.
And yes, it is used traditionally to treat minor depression...however, it can interact with prescription medications, and some people are very sensitive to it. For example, it causes sleep disturbances and nightmares for my sister.
I would use it in a salve or balm, but if you wanna use it in soap, try 10-15% of your total recipe.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

You might try Wikipedia or a trusted herb site for more info. Hope this helps.

Unfortunately, Wikipedia is not a valid resource, since users upload the information, and it can be added to or edited by other users. Wikipedia can definitely be useful, but make sure to cross-check any info you find through another reputable source as Wiki doesn't validate info that users upload.
From Wikipedia:

Wikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous Internet volunteers who write without pay. Anyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles, except in limited cases where editing is restricted to prevent disruption or vandalism. Users can contribute anonymously, under a pseudonym, or, if they choose to, with their real identity.

At the bottom of Wiki articles, there are footnotes with references...check the references before trusting the info found there, especially with something as important as "medical" information.
(I only know this because my kids were not allowed to use Wikipedia as a resource for schoolwork because of the user editing and uploading without credentials.)
Herb Resources:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb Uses_AB.htm
http://www.herbs.org/herbnews/
http://www.richters.com/
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/about-herbs#All

 

[TeriDk]

Unfortunately, Wikipedia is not a valid resource, since users upload the information, and it can be added to or edited by other users. Wikipedia can definitely be useful, but make sure to cross-check any info you find through another reputable source as Wiki doesn't validate info that users upload.
From Wikipedia:

At the bottom of Wiki articles, there are footnotes with references...check the references before trusting the info found there, especially with something as important as "medical" information.
(I only know this because my kids were not allowed to use Wikipedia as a resource for schoolwork because of the user editing and uploading without credentials.)
Herb Resources:
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb Uses_AB.htm
http://www.herbs.org/herbnews/
http://www.richters.com/
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com
http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/about-herbs#All

Thx for the references. Hmmm...never heard that Wiki was considered unreliable. I assume experts would police and remove any mis-info.

 

[Badger]

Yes, Wiki is not considered reliable. This is something that was repeated in every college class I had when I went over the past few years. I have used Wiki to get some basic information and then cross referenced to get another source for the same answer. In schools, it is not allowable as a resource though, because of the fact that the information can be false. Always double check info that you find there if it is something important such as a health issue.

 

[Lenimae]

St Johns worth can make the skin more sensitive to the sun but I doubt weather it will have that effect when used in soap. It's on the skin for such a short time and not all qualities of the plant will survive the soaping process I can imagine.

I infuse herbs in olive oil because that's usually the biggest percentage in my soaps. Good for skin herbs I use are: horse tail, stinging nettle, plantago and echinacea. When I make soap, I use the infused oils and herbal tea instead of water.

Thank you so much for your tips on "good for skin herbs"! I'll be sure to add them to my notes!

 

[Lenimae]

Is your oil yellow or red - or neither? Was it in the cooking section or the pharmacy of the store you bought it in?
St. John's Wort is used in creams and ointments for minor wounds and burns and to relieve muscle pain, but I'm not sure how effective it would be in soap.
And yes, it is used traditionally to treat minor depression...however, it can interact with prescription medications, and some people are very sensitive to it. For example, it causes sleep disturbances and nightmares for my sister.
I would use it in a salve or balm, but if you wanna use it in soap, try 10-15% of your total recipe.

I bought it at our Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods store. It was near the essential oils section with all the other oils, etc. that you would purchase for things like soap making etc. The oil is in an amber bottle & I couldn't see the actual color so I poured a bit into my hand & it appeared to have a bit of a reddish tinge to it. It is also mildly fragrant...I'm assuming that would be the SJW? I forgot to mention that there is a FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY down the edge of the label as well. Is it just me or is it kind of strange that it doesn't state how much of the herb is actually in this oil? roblem: I suppose I'll just have to experiment a bit. Thanks so much for your input!

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Does the bottle have any ingredients listed besides Almond Oil & St. John's Wort?
Is the fragrance like "perfume" or more "camphorous" (medicinal)?
It's probably meant as a massage oil...but I suspect it has other ingredients besides just St. John's Wort infused Almond Oil...