Melissa essential oil (also known as lemon balm or bee balm) has a distinct aroma like newly mown grass with citrusy notes and a hint of earth. Melissa is an uplifting and calming oil that can help calm and soothe the digestive system, anxiety and nerves. It is also useful to those who are feeling insecure and vulnerable.
- Latin Name
- Melissa Officinalis
- Family
- Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
- Note
- Middle to Top
- Extraction
- Essential oil by Steam Distillation from the fresh flowering tops, leaves and stems.
- Constituents
- Caryophyllene, ctronellal, citral, eugenol, geraniol, nerol among others.
- Origin
- Europe
This herb can grow to between 70-150 cm tall, the leaves have a gentle lemon scent. At the end of the summer small white flowers full of nectar appear, these attract bees, hence the genus name Melissa (Greek for ‘honey bee’).
History
One of the earliest known medicinal herbs (also known as Lemon Balm)– Paracelsus called it the ‘Elixir of Life’. It was associated particularly with nervous disorders, the heart and the emotions. It was used for anxiety, melancholy, etc, and to strengthen and revive the vital spirit.
