How to Make St. John’s Wort Oil using Fresh Flowers

Making St. John’s Wort oil from fresh flowers is one of the most rewarding herbal preparations you can create at home. When those tiny yellow blooms turn your oil a rich ruby red, you know you’ve made something truly special.

This gently infused oil has been used for generations to support skin healing, calm irritated areas, and bring comfort during seasonal aches. The perfect time to craft this herbal oil is mid to late summer when the fresh flowers are in season.

If you enjoy learning hands-on herbal skills, this recipe is a wonderful addition to your remedies. You can find more tutorials on my Infused Oil Page.

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Every summer, my family goes up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and this year, to my surprise, I found wild yarrow and st john’s wort! I was so excited to have spotted these medicinal herbs and took advantage of them being in full bloom.

Now, not only do I look forward to collecting the fresh thimbleberries while we’re there, but I’m also excited to forage some wild flowers and herbs each year when we go. My kids and husband are completely crazy and like to swim in the freezing cold waters of Lake Superior so I’ll gladly take this alternate activity of foraging fresh flowers.

Send Me The Free Guide!

Quick Steps Summary

• Step 1: Harvest blooming St. John’s Wort flowers at midday.
• Step 2: Wilt for 12–24 hours to reduce moisture.
• Step 3: Mist flowers and leaves with alcohol for a few minutes.
• Step 4: Fill a clean jar with flowers and cover with oil.
• Step 5: Infuse in a warm, sunny spot for 2–4 weeks until deep red.
• Step 6: Strain, bottle, and store in a cool, dark place.

Ingredients & Supplies You’ll Need

• Fresh St. John’s Wort flowers (about 2 cups) – Provide the active herbal compounds that infuse into the oil.
• Organic Olive Oil (or fractionated coconut, almond, sunflower) (about 12-14oz, enough to fill the pint jar) – A nourishing carrier oil that extracts the plant’s beneficial properties.
• Vodka or other high-proof alcohol (just a spritz) – This is used for the alcohol intermediary step.
• Clean glass jar with lid – Holds the herbs and oil during infusion while keeping out dust and moisture.
• Cheesecloth or a Fine Mesh Strainer – Used to strain out the spent flowers for a smooth, clear infused oil.
• Amber or clear glass jars or bottles for storage – Protects the finished oil from light and extends shelf life.
• Labels – Helps track the infusion date, ingredients, and batch details for easy reference.

What Is St. John’s Wort Oil?

St. John’s Wort oil is a traditional herbal infusion made by steeping fresh yellow Hypericum perforatum blossoms and leaves in a nourishing carrier oil. As it infuses, the mixture transforms into its signature deep red color, a natural sign of hypericin release. It’s a little disieving because the flowers are a bright beautiful yellow, and the oil turns red when it is infused.

Hypericin is one of the primary active compounds found in St. John’s Wort. It’s a naturally occurring pigment that’s responsible for the plant’s deep red coloration, and plays a major role in the therapeutic qualities of St. John’s Wort oil.

When the fresh flowers and buds are infused into oil, hypericin helps give the final product its characteristic rich red hue, a visual sign that the plant’s beneficial compounds have been successfully extracted.

Why Use Fresh St. John’s Wort?

Freshly harvested St. John’s Wort flowers offer higher levels of hypericin and hyperforin, the key compounds responsible for the oil’s therapeutic qualities. Using fresh blooms produces a stronger color, richer potency, and a noticeably improved aroma compared to dried herbs.

Because fresh flowers extract so well into oil, the final product becomes more effective for skin-soothing preparations, including salves, balms, and infused oils. If you want the most vibrant color and strongest herbal benefits, fresh is best.

Hypericin has several topical benefits, making it valuable in infused oils, salves, and balms:

• Skin-soothing support – Helps calm irritated, stressed, or sensitive skin.
• Supports the body’s natural healing processes – Traditionally used on minor scrapes, bumps, and everyday skin discomfort.
• Comfort for tired or overworked muscles – Often used in massage oils for its relaxing properties.
• Natural antioxidant properties – Helps protect skin from environmental stressors.

Hypericin works alongside other important compounds, like hyperforin, to create the well-rounded, soothing effects that St. John’s Wort oil is known for.

Best Time to Harvest St. John’s Wort

Harvesting St John’s Wort is best done when it is at peak bloom, so you get the strongest oil. When the flowers are dry from dew, usually midday, you can cut or pick some of the stems with flowers and leaves on them.

Make sure you are foraging from an area that is free from chemical spraying. Roadside St John’s Wort will likely have something sprayed on it. Don’t take more than about 30% of each plant, so the plant has enough energy to keep growing.

To check for the flower’s readiness and potency, you can squish a flower between your fingers, and it should leave a reddish or purplish stain on your fingers.

How to Make Fresh St. John’s Wort Oil (Step-by-Step)

Harvest fresh St. John’s wort flowers and buds during midday when the hypericin levels are the highest, and the plant has dried from the morning dew.

This is when hypericin levels are highest, and the plant is dry from morning dew.

Wilt the plant material for 12–24 hours by either spreading out the flowers and leaves on a dry rack or hanging the stems. Wilting removes some of the moisture in your fresh flowers to reduce the risk of mold during the infusion.

Once wilted, the blossoms slide off the stems easily. Pinch the tops where the flowers cluster and pull down gently; they will separate with almost no resistance. You can also remove the leaves. Put the leaves and flowers in a bowl for the alcohol intermediary step.

Mist the flowers and leaves lightly with high-proof alcohol, like vodka, just enough to make them damp but not wet. Stir the blossoms to make sure they all touch the alcohol. This step helps break the cell walls and prevents spoilage during infusion. It also helps to extract different compounds in the plant materials. If I were using dried St. John’s Wort, I would skip the alcohol intermediary step.

Pack the flowers loosely into a clean jar; no need to pack them in, they need space.

Pour the olive oil or your preferred oil into the jar until the herbs are fully submerged. Use a clean spoon or knife to remove trapped air bubbles in the oil. Make sure none of the flowers or leaves float above the oil. Put the lid on the jar.

Place the jar in indirect sunlight or a warm, bright window. St. John’s wort LOVES gentle warmth and this encourages the signature red hypericin extraction.

Shake the jar daily to keep everything mixed. Infuse for about 2-4 weeks and watch the oil turn a deep ruby red.

The oil turning red is a sign that the active compounds have infused fully. Color may develop as quickly as one week or take the full four weeks.

Use a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth to remove flowers and flowers from the oil. Squeeze out every drop; this oil is precious.

Transfer to amber bottles or a clean glass jar. Store in a cool, dark place for best potency and color. Don’t forget to label your oil infusion, not that you’re liable to forget because of the red color.

How Long to Infuse St. John’s Wort Oil & How to Store

It will typically take 2-4 weeks in a sunny window to infuse your oil. It will be faster in warmer climates. The deeper the color, the stronger the infusion.

Store in a cool, dark place. If you use an amber bottle, it will protect the color better. The oil will stay good for about 12 months, 15-18 if you add vitamin E to it. Make sure to keep moisture out of the oil.

How to Use St. John’s Wort Oil

You can use this oil in soothing balms, salves, roll-ons, or in lotions. It can also be used as is for minor scrapes, everyday skin support, as a massage oil, or for after-sun relief. Capture the benefits of this oil in whatever way that will benefit you and your family most.

Safety Notes

As always, please do your own research on herbal infusions when you’re looking to use them on yourself or your family, and contact a professional if you have any questions or doubts.

• Avoid if you are allergic to plants in the Hypericum family
• For external use only
• Consult a professional if you’re pregnant or nursing
• Do not apply this oil to open wounds, incisions, or deep punctures

Explore More Herbal Recipes

If you love crafting simple remedies from homegrown herbs, explore some of our other favorite recipes!

• Calendula Baby Balm – Make this simple and gentle balm to use for nursing or diaper changes!
• Plantain Salve – A powerful all-purpose salve everyone needs in their medicine cabinet.
• Dandelion-Infused Oil – A fun spring-infused oil to make when your yard is painted gold.
• Elderberry Syrup – Great for cold and flu season!
• Lemon Balm Lip Balm – This is a great natural remedy for helping with cold sores.

FAQs About Infusing St. John’s Wort

Make Your First Bottle Today

Fresh St. John’s Wort oil is one of the most beautiful herbal preparations to learn. Give this recipe a try while the flowers are in bloom, and then explore our other herbal tutorials on our Herbal Remedies Page to continue building your natural remedy toolkit.