Melissa

Melissa Essential Oil

Melissa oil is highly sought after for its antiviral actions against coldsores and the like. It's also a soft yet assertive fresh fruity/floral

Product Information

Melissa officinalis

Labiateae Family (Lamiaceae) Also called Lemon Balm

Organically grown and steam distilled in Bulgaria from organically grown herbs.

One of the hardest high quality essential oils to find. Melissa is "lemony" but more in the sense of a celestial celebration of "lemon" that sings, crackles and radiates warmth. This plant has been known and used locally in Europe for a thousand years. It’s been popularly accepted as being beneficial for heart disease, melancholia, etc. The name “Melissa” can be traced back to the Greek word for bee: μέλισσα .which is pronounced “Melissa” and “balm” (Lemon balm) meaning “bee balsam”

In the late 1930, Nina Ricci came out with a perfume called “Coeur-Joie” which means “Heart’s Delight”—a light and fresh floral fragrance with a strong melissa-like top note.

Let’s go to Arctander

He doesn’t have a lot to say about Melissa as he can’t get past the high rate of adulteration and low commercial quantities available. He even says he’s seen plenty of Melissa oils over the past 25 years and has never once seen a real pure unadulterated one so he holds back his opinion.

While it’s true that Melissa oil is well known to be adulterated, due to its high value, we must bear in mind that Arctander’s book, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, was published in 1960, meaning his experience of Melissa was 1935-1960…Today there is greater demand for Melissa and there is market for the pure oil, and people pay for it, so perhaps we are privileged to have the acquaintance of an oil even Arctander was not privy to.

Battaglia says

Many pharmacological studies have been published

Antibacterial

Anticarcinogenic

Antidiabetic

Anti-inflammatory

Anti-oxidant

Antispasmodic

Antiviral

Dementia

Sedative

Antidepressant

Bactericidal

Nervine

Febrifuge

In other publications

Melissa has been confirmed as having great antiviral properties and so in addition to its inherent loveliness, it has been shown to be effective against herpes, influenza and mumps.

Melissa is known to be antibacterial, antifungal and antispasmodic. It's also considered to be a sedative and can help reduce anger linked to trauma. It's sedative properties mean that it can help an overstimuated nervous system, thereby easing stress, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. Melissa oil is reputed to lower high blood pressure and calm a rapid heartbeat