Description

Melissa oil is extracted from Melissa officinalis of the Labiatae family and is also known as balm, lemon balm, as well as common, sweet and bee balm.

This essential oil has a couple of uses in aromatherapy and helps to bring calmness to the mind, while having a great sedating effect, calming the heartbeat and palpitations. It furthermore is used to correct menstrual problems, while having excellent results in fighting cold sores (herpes simplex), as well as fungal infections to a lesser degree.

Oil properties

Melissa oil has a sweet, fresh and citrus-like smell and is pale yellow in color and has a watery viscosity.

Origin of Melissa

This plant from the Mediterranean region grows to about 60 cm (2 feet) and likes soil with a high iron content and has small serrated slightly hairy leaves and small white-pink flowers.

The flowers are very attractive to bees; the name ‘Melissa’ is the Greek word for honeybee and is also know as “lemon balm’ or in Hebrew ‘Bal-Smin” meaning ‘Chief of oils.’

In the 14th century it was included in tonic water made by the French Carmelite nuns and Paracelsus (1493 – 1541) called this herb ‘The Elixir of life’ while John Evelyn (1620 -1706) described it as “sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory, and powerfully chasing away melancholy”.

Extraction

Melissa oil is extracted from the fresh flowering tops, leaves and stems by steam distillation and yields 0.01 – 0.02 %.

Chemical composition

The main chemical components are trans-ocimene, cis-ocimene, 3-octanone, methyl hepenone, cis-3-hexenol, 3-octanol, 1-octen-3-ol, copaene, citronellal, linalool, b-bourbonene, caryophyllene, a-humulene, neral, germacrene-D, geranial, geranyl acetate, d-cadinene, y-cadinene, nerol and geraniol.

Precautions

Melissa oil is non-toxic but could cause sensitization and irritation and should always be used in low dilutions. For this reason it should be avoided during pregnancy and by people with a very sensitive skin.

Therapeutic Properties

The therapeutic properties of melissa oil are antidepressant, antispasmodic, bactericidal, carminative, cordial, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hypotensive, nervine, sedative, stomachic, sudorific and tonic.

Uses

Melissa oil calms the nerves and has excellent qualities in fighting depression. Its sedative effect is well documented. It helps in cases of hysteria and panic and helps to slows the heartbeat, eases high blood pressure and is a tonic to the heart while regulating the menstrual cycle, also helping with period pains.

It can settle the digestive system, helps with nausea, flatulence, vomiting, dyspepsia and dysentery and has a cooling effect on fevers. It can help with headaches and migraines associated with colds.

When treatment is started in the early stages, it can also be used as a topical treatment for cold sores (herpes simplex).

Summary

Melissa oil’s great benefit lies in its ability to calm and soothe the nerves, the digestive system, the heart, painful menstrual cycles and fevers.

• Burners and vaporizers
  • In vapor therapy, melissa oil can assist with fighting depression as well as having a greatly calming effect on the mind, reducing fevers, easing headaches, and for combating nausea.
• Blended massage oil or in the bath
  • As a blended massage oil or used in the bath, melissa oil can help with fever, headaches, depression, feeling jittery and stressed-out, settle upset stomachs and fighting fungal infections.
• Cream or lotion
  • Although the high aldehyde content of melissa oil may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals, it is useful to fight fungal infections, checking the blood flow in wounds and in some quarters it is also used to counteract baldness and hair loss.

More information about Melissa Oil