The common name for melissa (Melissa officinalis) is lemon balm – and this speaks volumes, as its grassy, lemon scent is indeed a balm for the fatigued heart and frazzled soul.

Back in ancient times, melissa was treasured as a restorative tonic.

Monks have a long tradition of crafting elixirs and spirits from selected herbs and plants they divined to be helpful.  Carmelite water is one such tonic, developed by Carmelite monks back around the early 1600s.  Distilled in France with the key ingredient of melissa, this prized tonic was widely esteemed for its calming virtues.

Dubbed The Elixir of Life by philosophical physician Paracelsus (also a keen botanist), melissa is said to bring out our gentle characteristics and enhance the efficacy of other essential oils when added to them.  If you find yourself see-sawing between extremes, it’s like adding a featherweight balance that can bring you back to your centre.

And if you find yourself weeping at the drop of a hat, melissa will pat you gently on the hand and help you pick it up again.

Taking a look at the plant itself, lemon balm is steam distilled from the aerial parts of the herb before it starts flowering.

Young Living melissa oil comes from its very own St Maries Lavender farm in Idaho with Young Living’s own industry-leading steam distillation equipment.  Young Living established its St Maries farm on pristine land never exposed to man-made fertilisers or chemical pesticides. Along with lavender and melissa, Idaho tansy is also grown there.  You can read more about the farm and Young Living’s impeccable Seed to Seal® process here. It’s just one of the many reasons we only use Young Living.

A member of the Lamiaceae family, melissa has a rather long list of relatives.   If they all met up for Thanksgiving, you’d need a really, really long table:

To tap into melissa’s quietening and relaxing effects, apply a drop of Young Living melissa essential oil to your wrists then smooth them over the tips of your outer ears, behind your ears then under your nose and inhale deeply.

Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.

 

This oil is also exquisite in your diffuser when you want to dial down the energy at home, both for unwinding in the evenings  and in your bedroom as you’re drifting off to sleep.  A plug-in timer is a great investment if your diffuser doesn’t have a built-in one.

We suggest you also look up your favourite trusty essential oils reference book for more info and documented, researched benefits.

Each drop of melissa is like liquid lemon-delicious-scented gold.  And authentic melissa is somewhat rarified and priced accordingly.

While worth every cent, if a single bottle of melissa essential oil is not within reach, consider adding a Young Living blend that contains melissa to your collection.  These include Brain Power™, Forgiveness™, Humility™ and Hope™.  Brain Power™ contains Royal Hawaiian sandalwood, blue cypress, cedarwood, frankincense (all high in sesquiterpenes), melissa, lavender, helichrysum.  These oils are all gentle and wonderful for your skin, mind and mood.

Melissa essential oil is nurturing and balancing for the skin.  One precious drop can be enough to lift your spirits while you spritz your skin for a refreshing moisture boost and we’ve included a recipe here for you to try.

In summer, keep this DIY spritz in the fridge for extra vitality.  And keep another bottle of this Bliss Spritz by your bedside to help set your mood for a restful night’s sleep.  You can also mist your pillowcase with it.  (Test first in an inconspicuous place if the fabric is delicate: hello, silk!)  Divine.

DIY HYDRATING BLISS SPRITZ

  • 125mL glass spray bottle
  • 110 mL / ½ cup approx. of organic rose water or orange blossom water
  • 2 drops Young Living Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) or Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) essential oil
  • 1 drop Young Living Melissa essential oil
  • OR 3 drops Young Living Brain Power™ or Hope™ essential oil blend in place of these single oils
  • 3-5 drops Young Living V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Complex or other pure carrier oil like jojoba, sweet almond or rosehip

Combine the ingredients in the spray bottle.  Shake the bottle well before spritzing.  Test on a small patch of skin inside your elbow first just to be sure all is well according to your own sensitivities.  As with all essential oils, make sure you don’t get any in your eyes as it really is an unhappy situation.  Avoid the eye area in general, close your eyes before spritzing, and lightly pat the eye area with a tissue before you open them to be on the cautious side.

Not all oils are created equal.  Far from it.  Quality varies immensely, so please ensure you are choosing a brand with complete transparency from seed to seal, such as Young Living.  Discover why we love them so much in this short video.

Order Here
To join and order from Young Living, please click Order Here.

This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!

Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.

Order Here

Enjoy the good oil daily.

The information on this site does not constitute advice. Please consult with your health practitioner. When using any of the products mentioned throughout this site, please be sure to read the labels and follow their suggestions for safe use. We make commissions from sales via many of the products we recommend but we only suggest products we genuinely enjoy and want you to benefit from.  Melissa harvest image used with permission © Young Living Essential Oils.