Nature’s “first aid oil” has been made into a cream for 100 + 1 uses. There are so many instances where relief is needed followed by repair- this cream was created for that reason. Each ingredient works harmoniously together to help with a wide range of skin conditions. It is these ingredients that possess strong wound-healing, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, can create a barrier to protect skin and eliminate bacteria that cause infection to spread. This cream is safe to apply anywhere on the body, including around the mouth and on broken skin. It characteristically reduces the need for itching and in turn allows the skin to start the healing process. 

TRANSFORMATIVE INGREDIENTS

St John’s wort

·       Promotes wound healing by boosting collagen production

·       Decreases inflammation to stop itching

·       Cares for burns and cuts

·       Soothes eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis

·       Minimises severity of cold sores

Extra virgin olive oil

·       Maintains healthy microbiome by delivering probiotics to skin

·       Skin softening and moisturising

·       Strengthens skin barrier

Prickly pear flower

·       Suppresses collagen breakdown to maintain skin elasticity

·       Improves skin texture

·       Reduces scarring

·       Reduces skin inflammation

·       Protects against environmental pollutants

Thyme oil

·       Antibacterial for open wounds and not allowing infection to spread

·       Stimulate blood flow to allow faster healing and fade scar tissue

·       Eliminate toxins from body

Lemon Balm oil

·       Reduces inflammation and pain

·       Helps to heal and prevent cold sores

 Zinc oxide

·       Acts as a barrier to lock moisture in and keep pathogens out

·       Supports wound healing

·       Prevents bacterial infection

·      Calms irritated and sensitive skin

·      Reduces occurrence of diaper, groin and skin-fold rash

 THE SCIENCE

St. John’s wort (SJW) has been used from the time of the Ancient Greeks and considered to ward off evil and protect against disease (1). Since then, it has been used over the centuries in a multitude of ways as a “rescue” skin remedy. Amongst its many uses, it can be used on burns, bites, wounds, bruises and sore muscles. It helps to relieve the pain of shingles and may decrease the severity of cold sores. It works well for problem skin that has difficulty healing such as bed sores, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.

The two active components of SJW are hypericin and hyperforin which have strong antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. These components also stimulate fibroblast motility (procollagen production), collagen production and keratinocyte differentiation (skin repair). For this reason, it is effective at wound-healing and burn recovery2. Dry skin and skin exposed to a myriad of chemicals creates a base for infections, inflammation and itching. As hyperforin enables keratinocyte differentiation, it helps to reduce water loss from the skin and allow the process of skin repair2. The hypericin is also clinically helpful for psoriasis3 as it helps to decrease tumor necrosis factor alpha- which is found in high concentrations in both skin lesions and blood plasma of patients. Hyperforin is effective in atopic dermatitis (eczema) by decreasing the size of the wound and the presence of Staphylococcus bacteria4. The SJW components (hypericin and hyperforin) additionally inhibit growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria5 and against viruses such as herpes simplex virus6. Application of SJW has been shown to accelerate healing of surgical wounds, treatment of pressure (bed) sores, improve scar appearance and decrease of pain7.8.

The prickly pear cactus flower is effective at wound repair. It has been found that within two weeks where there is a wound, the skin layers become properly arranged so that there is no scarring9 due to containing high levels of potassium, iron and zinc10.The anti-inflammatory effect of prickly pear is due both to the antioxidant properties and the bioactive compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and phytosterols11.

Olive oil is composed mostly of monounsaturated oleic acid and anti-oxidants. The oil is works well to reinforce the integrity of the skin barrier and help reconstruction of the skin as well as being a strong anti-inflammatory12,13.

Thyme oil is a potent antibacterial due to the phenolic components, carvacrol and thymol14. It is able to reduce bacteria on skin and help stop spread of germs such as B.cereus, E.coli, campylobacter and salmonella15. Thyme also allows for a faster wound healing and fading of scar tissue by stimulating blood flow and being a protective agent to the damaged tissue16.

Zinc is often used to create a skin barrier and protector, although it also has some other healing abilities. Topical application can help heal keloids (thick and raised scars) by stimulating collagenase17. Zinc helps with itching as it reduces the secretion of histamine18 as well as in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis due to the antiproliferative (suppressing malignant cell growth) effect19. The antibacterial action of zinc is also effective with underarm and foot odour20. 

Lemon Balm has an antiviral effect and can help with targeting herpes simplex virus21. It is shown to be effective at having an inhibitory effect against the virus which can be useful when drug resistance may develop22. Lemon Balm is also helpful in various cases of inflammation and pain23.

Intensive Skin Repair Cream seriously does have 100 + 1 uses.

 DIRECTIONS FOR USE

This is a cream that can be safely applied to any area of the body as often as needed. Use a small amount spread thinly to the area of the skin and rub until it has absorbed.

INGREDIENTS (*certified organic)

extra virgin olive oil* (Olea europaea), prickly pear cactus flower gel* (Opuntia ficus indica), St John’s wort* (Hypericum perforatum), lemon balm* (Melissa officinalis), zinc oxide, cetearyl olivate (olive oil derived), sorbitol olivate (olive oil derived), natural preservative*

1. Rate

1.      Hobbs, Christopher. (1990). St. John's wort--ancient herbal protector. Pharmacy in history. 32. 166-9.

2.      Wolfle U, Seelinger G and Schempp CM. Planta Med 2014; 80: 109–120.

3.      Mansouri P, Mirafzal S, Najafizadeh P, Safaei-Naraghi Z, Salehi-Surmaghi MH, Hashemian F. The impact of topical Saint John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) treatment on tissue tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in plaque-type psoriasis: A pilot study. J Postgrad Med. 2017 Oct-Dec;63(4):215-220

4.      Schempp CM, Windeck T, Hezel S, Simon JC. Topical treatment of atopic dermatitis with St. John's wort cream--a randomized, placebo controlled, double blind half-side comparison. Phytomedicine. 2003;10 Suppl 4:31-7.

5.      Gibbons S, Ohlendorf B, Johnsen I. The genus Hypericum – a valuable re- source of anti-Staphylococcal leads. Fitoterapia 2002; 73: 300–304.

6.      EMEA (European Medicines Agency). HMPC assessment report on Hy- pericum perforatum L., Herba. EMA/HMPC/101303/2008. London: EMEA; 2009

7.      Samadi S, Khadivzadeh T, Emami A, Moosavi NS, Tafaghodi M, Behnam HR. The effect of Hypericum perforatum on the wound healing and scar of cesarean. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Jan;16(1):113-7.

8.      Yücel A, Yüksel K, Yesilada E and Akın O. Effect of St.John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) oily extract for the care and treatment of pressure sores; a case report (2017). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 196: 236-241.

9.      Ammar I, Bardaa S, Mzid M, Sahnoun Z, Rebaii T, Attia H, Ennouri M. Antioxidant, antibacterial and in vivo dermal wound healing effects of Opuntia flower extracts. Int J Biol Macromol. 2015 Nov;81:483-90.

10.    Ennouri M, Ammar I, Khemakhem B, Attia H. Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Opuntia ficus-indica f. inermis (cactus pear) flowers. J Med Food. 2014 Aug;17(8):908-14.

11.    Bardaa S, Turki M, Ben Khedir S, Mzid M, Rebai T, Ayadi F, Sahnoun Z. The Effect of Prickly Pear, Pumpkin, and Linseed Oils on Biological Mediators of Acute Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Markers. Biomed Res Int. 2020 Aug 2:5643465.

12.    Vaughn AR, Clark AK, Sivamani RK, Shi VY. Natural Oils for Skin-Barrier Repair: Ancient Compounds Now Backed by Modern Science. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2018 Feb;19(1):103-117.

13.    Donato-Trancoso A., Monte-Alto-Costa A., Romana-Souza B. Olive oil-induced reduction of oxidative damage and inflammation promotes wound healing of pressure ulcers in mice. J. Dermatol. Sci. 2016; 83:60–69.

14.    Yamazaki K, Yamamoto T, Kawai Y, Inoue N. 2004. Enhancement of antilisterial activity of essential oil constituents by nisin and diglycerol fatty acid ester. Food Microbiol. 21: 283-289.

15.    Smith-Palmer A, Stewart J, Fyfe L. 1998. Antimicrobial properties of plant essential oils and essences against five important food-borne pathogens. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 26: 118-122.

16.    Dursun N, Liman N, Ozyazgan I, Güneş I, Saraymen R. Role of thymus oil in burn wound healing. J Burn Care Rehabil. 2003 Nov-Dec;24(6):395-9.

17.    Söderberg T, Hallmans G, Bartholdson L. Treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars with adhesive zinc tape. Scandinavian Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery. 1982;16(3):261–266.

18.    Marone G, Columbo M, de Paulis A, Cirillo R, Giugliano R, Condorelli M. Physiological concentrations of zinc inhibit the release of histamine from human basophils and lung mast cells. Agents and Actions. 1986;18(1-2):103–106.

19.    Sadeghian G, Ziaei H, Nilforoushzadeh MA. Treatment of localized psoriasis with a topical formulation of zinc pyrithione. Acta Dermatovenerologica Alpina, Pannonica et Adriatica. 2011;20(4):187–190.

20.    K. E. Sharquie, A. A. Noaimi, and S. D. Hameed, “Topical 15% zinc sulfate solution is an effective therapy for feet odor,” Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications. 2013;3 :203–208.

21.    Gaby AR. Natural remedies for Herpes simplex. Altern Med Rev. 2006 Jun;11(2):93-101. PMID: 16813459.

22.    Schnitzler P, Schuhmacher A, Astani A, Reichling J. Melissa officinalis oil affects infectivity of enveloped herpesviruses. Phytomedicine. 2008 Sep;15(9):734-40.

23.    Bounihi A, Hajjaj G, Alnamer R, Cherrah Y, Zellou A. In Vivo Potential Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Melissa officinalis L. Essential Oil. Adv Pharmacol Sci. 2013;2013:101759.