The night between 23 and 24 June is St John’s night and has always been considered a magical night. According to legend, in fact, the dew that falls during this particular night has healing properties and is able to drive away negative energies. According to other legends, on this night the witches gathered to dance around a walnut tree, which is why this night is also called the night of the witches. Beyond the myth, however, the reality is that this day falls just after the summer solstice, the longest day of the year when the sun has warmed flowers and plants for a longer period of time by making them really powerful natural remedies. This is why, according to tradition, in this special night of Saint John a powerful beauty floral water is prepared by leaving to macerate several herbs. The obtained lotion has a powerful anti-aging and anti-inflammatory action, useful to make the skin tonic and bright, to fight aging processes and wrinkles but to help also in case of acne prone skin and blackheads. But let's see how to prepare St. John's beauty water!
St. John’s beauty water, the herbs to prepare it and properties
The list of herbs actually used is not rigid but varies according to the plants that can be found. In any case, basic ingredients are lavender, which is antimicrobial but also relaxing (Behmanesh et al, Scientifica, Oct 2015), St John’s wort, with antioxidant action (Franchi et al, Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 2011) and rosemary, that is a powerful anti aging agent (Andrade et al, Future Sci, Apr 2018). Take a bowl of water and add 1 sprig of rosemary, a teaspoon of lavender flowers and some flowers of St John’s wort. You can make your water even more powerful by adding other plants. For example, you can add 10-12 mint leaves, that are anti-aging, antimicrobial and also able to counteract allergies (McKay et al, Phytother Res, Aug 2006), the petals of two rose buds, which give serenity but also help fight wrinkles, as we have seen in previous posts dedicated to the properties of roses for you skin. But you can also add some walnut leaves. Walnut leaves in fact show astringent properties thanks to the substances they contain, the tannins, and they are also anti-inflammatory (Dawid-Pac et al, Postepy Dermatol Alergol, Jun 2013). Therefore, in case of oily skin, acne, enlarged pores but also itching and sunburned skin you can add walnut leaves to your lotion, you will benefit from it. Other plants that can be added in St. John’s beauty water are artemisia, against skin aging, mallow, with a strong anti-inflammatory action useful in case of pimples and blackheads, sage, bactericide and astringent, very useful in case of inflammation of skin and acne, or chamomile, anti-inflammatory and helpful in case of dermatitis (Kim et al, Arch Pharm Res, Jun 2000 - Dawid-Pac et al, Postepy Dermatol Alergol, Jun 2013). Leave these plants to macerate overnight, the next day filter and use this water rich in the active ingredients of the plants to rinse the face, eyes and décolleté.
