Benefits and Properties
of Balm Essential Oil

Botanical names
Melissa officinalis

Family
Labiatae - mint family

Place of origin
the balm plant startaed in the Orient, then expanded to the Mediterranean region, today it is cultivated in Italy, France, Balkan states, and North America

Plant Description
The balm plant likes a sunny location with rich soil, it will grow around three feet tall and has quadrangular, branching stems. The leaves are heart shaped or oblong and serrated with bilabiate, bluish white flowers from June to August. The plant has a very strong scent of its own but reminds you of lemon, bees love it and it’s name melisse is from the Greek word honeybee.

Essential Oil
Oleum melissae Extracted by steam distillation is clear to light yellow with a green lemony aroma

Yield
around three and a half tons of plant to make one pound of essential oil

Containes
about 30% citral, 40% linalool, geraniol, pinen, limonene, as well as different acids

Blends well with
lavender, geranium, myrtle neroili, and rose

Safety tends to increase perspiration

Beneficial Effects - Physical
antiviral, antiseptic, antidepressant, antibiotic, hormone balancing, supports liver and gallbladder, may help lower blood pressure and strength the heart, aids in reliving cramps and flatulence

Specific Conditions – Physical
allergies and asthma, herpes, spleen dysfunction, flatulence, weak circulation, heart disorders, headaches, menstrual disorders, menopause, weather sensitivity, eczema, bruises, insect bites, helps oily and blemished skin, oily hair and dandruff

Beneficial Effects – Mental
strengthening, balancing, calming

Specific Conditions – Mental restless sleep, nightmares, depression, stress, anger, sadness

Is it a Pure Oil?

Although this plant is grown in many areas, few distillers produce it because of the amount of plant material needed to get the essential oil.

Because of this, balm essential oil is also rare and very expensive.

Most essential oil sold as balm oil is actually from lemongrass or citronella grass, which is less expensive and mush easier to distill. This oil is usually label just Balm Oil or Oleum melissae indicum

Even thought these oils have beneficial benefits their properties cannot compare to the true balm essential oil, so if you are wanting it’s benefits you want to be sure that you have at least some of the true oil in your preparations you are using.

Ways to Use

This oil is great for use in our over-stressed, over-stimulated world we live in, it balances, cheers and strengthens giving you inner contentment. It helps shield you against all the things you are bombarded with, it is calming and helps you to enjoy more simple things.

This is why it is so good for our nervous system and helps aid against depression, stress, anxiety, insomnia, shock and more.

Balm oil was used to treat melancholy as early as the 10th century in Arabia. It is compared with the mineral chrysocolla (a brilliant green, opaque color healing stone) for its help in psychological balance, soothing emotions like anger and hate and bringing out calm, tolerance, empathy and sensitiviy.

It works well for cold sores that erupt with stress, you can also use an alternative oil like bergamot, which will give you good results since the true oil is hard to find and expensive. Both oils can be used against the virus and also help calm you when under stress.

It has antiviral properties making it good go use for helping treat infectious diseases. It is especially good for shingles or herpes (simplex, labialis, or genitalis) since these are often activated during stress or when your immune system is weak.

If you use a drop of oil (undiluted or slightly diuted) when a blister first appears, you may be able prevent further outbreaks. For shingles or genital herpes you can take it orally (it is recommended not to take essential oils internally without the advice of a trained aromatherapist) 1 or 2 drops three times daily and also use diluted in a compression with a echinacea or propolis tincture

Dilute the oil in a compress or carrier and use or massage over specific problem area.

Use it to massage the chest for heart problems.

It may be beneficial in treating thyroid dysfunction, circulatory problems, nervous headaches and weather sensitivity.

Is helpful during menstruation, especially with a heavy flow. It helps regulate hormones so aids during menopause (except do not use when having a hot flash).

It is good for the digestive system and will help relive cramps and reduce flatulence, massage the stomach clockwise. It also will stimulate the gallbladder and liver.

It is beneficial for treating bruises, rheumatism and insect bites.

Use on allergy-related skin problems and eczema.

For help with allergies like asthma and hay fever blend balm with Roman chamomile and use in a diffuser, aroma lamp, inhale from a tissue or take orally (remember to check with an aromatherepist).

Be carefully when purchasing commercially produced preparation as they generally contain no or very little true balm oil. If it is true balm oil it is not going to be cheap. It is a very, very expensive essential oil but is well worth it if you can find it and afford it as it is a very precious and effective essential oil.

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