Sun extracted oil from St. John's wort blossoms in olive oil.

St. John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum L. [Fam. Hypericaceae], is an herbaceous perennial (wort is the Old English name for plant) that has been used as a medicine for psychological complaints and mild mood disorders, as well as externally for wound healing, for over 2,000 years. Traditional St. John's wort Oil Extracts are made using the freshly picked blossoms that are placed in certified organic olive oil and extracted in sunlight for many days until the oil turns a characteristic red color. The first British Pharmacopoeia from 1618 records this traditional mode of preparation of the oil. European countries still today recognize St. John's Wort as a powerful phyto-pharmaceutical drug. German physicians prescribed over 66 million daily doses of St. John's Wort extracts in 1994 alone. A systematic review of all English-language randomized, controlled, double-blind trials of St. John's wort, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in January of 2000 found 8 solid studies with high methodological rigor showing that St. John's wort is more effective than placebo in the treatment of mild to moderate mood disorders. The absolute increased response rate ranged from 23% to 55% higher than with placebo. One recent study involving 251 patients found that hypericum extract was more effective than placebo and as effective as imipramine for treating moderate mood disorders; patients taking hypericum began to show benefits in as early as two weeks. At six weeks, 74% of hypericum patients, 71% of the imipramine patients and 50% in the placebo group improved. It was also noted that rates of side effects were low for hypericum. Traditional oil extracts have even fewer side effects than most other St. John's wort products because they contain no hypericin, an anti-retroviral compound that is phototoxic. German authorities note that the oil extract is also antiphlogistic (anti-inflammatory and anti-fever).

St. John's wort contains: 0.05-0.3% hypericin (not found in traditional oil extracts – converted to safer related breakdown products); hypericin-like compounds, notably psuedohypericin, isohypericin, protohypericin, cyclo-pseudo-hypericin, etc.; flavonoids especially hyperoside, rutin, quercitin and quercitrin; biflavones, particularly amentoflavone (I3, II8-biapigenin) (0.26%); up to 3% hyperforin (antibiotic and sedative); 0.05-0.3% essential oils; more than 10% tannins; GABA, melatonin; chlorogenic acid; 2-methyl-butenol; proanthocyanidins and xanthones.

Unless otherwise prescribed: The average daily dose for St. John's wort is equivalent to 2-4 grams of chopped or powdered herbal drug. The dosage of St. John's wort oil extracts is recommended at 1.5-2.5 ml (3-5 capsules - 430mg/capsule) taken one to three times daily. Because the freshly picked blossoms are richer in active ingredients than the whole herb, the dosage of traditional St. John's wort Oil Extracts is lower compared with raw herb or other products.

Some authors recommend caution with taking St. John's wort products standardized for hypericin while using MAO inhibitors and other standard antidepressants, however, many other authors have observed no such interactions. 

St. John's wort products are contraindicated in people with very pale or sensitive skin who are planning to have exposure to high levels of sun or other sources of UV radiation.

Taken as directed, St. John's wort Oil Extract does not have any negative side effects. However, people who have very pale complexions or sensitive skin can develop photosensitivity to the drug when exposed to the sun or other sources of UV. If high levels of hypericin are in the system, it is best to stay out of the sun or take large amounts of antioxidants, especially OPCs from grape seed extract and anthocyanins from bilberry extract. Sensitive persons exposed to high dosages of hypericin can experience pink skin and even blistering in the sun. St. John's wort oil extracts are very safe and have far fewer side effects than standardized hypericin products. In general, the most frequently reported side effects for hypericin standardized St. John's wort products are dry mouth, nausea, rash, fatigue, restlessness and photosensitivity, but even these seem to be rare. None of the patients in the eight studies of the systematic review mentioned above experienced photosensitivity, but it has been listed as a rare possible side effect by other authors. In five of the eight trials reviewed, frequent lab tests showed no changes in complete blood count, liver function or serum creatine levels.