Lemon Balm Love
Greetings beautiful people!
A couple days ago I posted an Instagram reel of myself stripping lemon balm leaves in preparation for making tincture, and the response to it was wild! At least for us. Maybe it’s because lemon balm grows like mad wherever it may be, even through a handheld screen. Or maybe it’s because anyone who has ever smelled or tasted it can’t get enough. Or maybe people have so much of its can’t-stop-won’t-stop beauty that they want to know what the heck to do with it all!
Regardless, it was the inspiration I needed for this little post.
And let’s make it little, shall we? After all, I’ve got 94 things left to do on my list before the weekend, and you probably do too. So here’s the quick and healing lowdown on our beloved, fragrant, oh-so-seductive lemon balm.
Its fancy name is Melissa officinalis, so if your name is Melissa, lucky you! Also, the officinalis part indicates how long this beauty has been an offical healer.
It’s in the mint family. Hence its square stems and penchant for growing and spreading wherever it pleases.
Lemon balm is one of the best herbs for the nervous system. The amazing smell and delicious aroma, alone, are calming. But it’s also a nervous system tonic that both calms frayed nerves and brightens the spirit.
It’s soothing to an aching heart and helpful for folks with an elevated pulse and those prone to agitation and anxiety.
Lemon balm is powerful yet gentle and safe for children.
It can help folks with (or without) ADHD find focus.
Lemon balm soothes the belly and is a great remedy for nausea, bloating, gas and indigestion.
And, amazing grace, it’s also a specific remedy for herpes and shingles! You can take it internally to manage outbreaks and apply the tincture directly to the skin.
It also has been shown to calm an overactive thyroid. Some herbalists therefore warn against using it for an underactive thyroid, while others claim that it simply modulates thyroid activity and is thus supportive for all thyroids. I recommend that you do your own research and decide for yourself. This Herbs with Rosalee podcast episode may help.
If you’d like to make your own lemon balm tincture, follow these instructions.
The moral of the story is—get your lemon balm on!
And if you want to see the “(anti)viral” lemon balm video, here it is!
Sending big, calming, soothing love to all,
xo Bex
References
Kloos, Scott. 2017. Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants. Timber Press: Portland, Oregon.
Disclaimer
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
