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Lemon Balm Hydrosol / Melissa Hydrosol

Lemon Balm Hydrosol smells much more like a diluted version of its corresponding essential oil than a number of other hydrosols. Lemon Balm Hydrosol is fresh and slightly herbaceous. It has a lemon-like aroma that is more gentle than that of Lemongrass Hydrosol.

Lemon Balm Hydrosol is also very commonly referred to as Melissa Hydrosol, and I frequently use both names interchangeably.

Botanical Name

Melissa officinalis

Aromatic Strength

Medium

Shelf Life

Up to 2 years if stored properly (refrigeration is recommended).

Reported Properties, Uses and Applications

Suzanne Catty reports that Lemon Balm Hydrosol is calming and helpful for stress and anxiety. Melissa Essential Oil is reported to be helpful with depression and Melissa Hydrosol is said to also help with depression. Topically, Lemon Balm Hydrosol is anti-inflammatory and can help with skin irritations. Lemon Balm Hydrosol is anti-bacterial and anti-viral. I use it in my toner for my oily, acne-prone skin. Catty states that it might help with herpes sores. [Suzanne Catty, Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy (Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2001), 110-111.]

Len and Shirley Price report that the Lemon Balm Hydrosol that they analyzed consists of 69-73% aldehydes and 10% ketones (these ranges do not include the water present in the hydrosol) and possesses the following properties: analgesic, anticoagulant, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, calming, cicatrizant, circulatory, digestive, expectorant, febrifuge, lipolytic, mucolytic, sedative, stimulant, tonic." [Len Price and Shirley Price, Understanding Hydrolats: The Specific Hydrosols for Aromatherapy: A Guide for Health Professionals (London: Churchill Livingstone, 2004), 124.]

Jeanne Rose adds that Melissa Hydrosol is helpful for insomnia. [Jeanne Rose, 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols (Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd, 1999), 173.]

Safety Information

Read AromaWeb's Hydrosol Safety Guidelines.

Helpful Sources of Information About Lemon Balm Hydrosol

Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy
Level: Beginning • Intermediate • Advanced
Author: Suzanne Catty
ISBN: 0-89281-946-4

Understanding Hydrolats: The Specific Hydrosols for Aromatherapy: A Guide for Health Professionals
Level: Intermediate • Advanced
Authors: Len Price and Shirley Price
ISBN: 0443073163 / 978-0443073168

375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols
Level: Intermediate
Author: Jeanne Rose
ISBN: 1-883319-89-7

Essential Waters: Hydrosols, Hydrolats & Aromatic Waters
Level: Beginning
Author: Marge Clark
ASIN: B00LDBDBC

The hydrosol information and safety precautions provided within this area are intended for educational purposes only. The data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

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