Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a lemon-scented perennial in the mint family, grown for its leaves rather than its flowers. It is one of the gentlest herbs in the Western tradition: brewed as a calming evening tea, taken as a tincture, folded into skincare, and reached for to settle a restless mind or an unsettled stomach. At La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer we grow and dry it as a single-herb crop in Charlevoix, Québec. This guide covers what lemon balm is, what it has traditionally been used for, what research has actually examined, and how to use it safely.
Old European herbals prescribed lemon balm to lift melancholy, one describing it as a remedy to expel "melancholy vapors" from the heart. Herbalists still describe it as a nervine, an herb that soothes and tones the nervous system rather than stimulating it. That quiet, steadying character is the thread running through almost everything it is used for today.
Because lemon balm covers so much ground, we have built a small family of guides around it. For brewing and the calm-and-sleep side of the herb, see our guide to lemon balm tea; for tinctures, extracts and other preparations, see how to use lemon balm; and if you would like to grow your own, see how to grow lemon balm. This page is the overview that ties them together.
What Is Lemon Balm?
Lemon balm is a hardy perennial herb native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia and Iran, and now naturalised in temperate gardens around the world. It grows to about a metre tall in good soil, with bright green, toothed, oval leaves that release a soft lemon fragrance when crushed, and small white to pale-yellow flowers in summer. Bees are so fond of those flowers that the plant's botanical name comes from mélissa, the Greek word for honey bee.
It looks and smells like a mint, and it is one, but it behaves more politely in the garden: its roots do not run underground the way true mint does, so it spreads mostly by seed and by slowly widening its crown.
- Scientific name: Melissa officinalis L.
- Family: Lamiaceae (the mint family)
- Common names: Lemon balm, balm, balm mint, sweet balm, melissa; mélisse in French
- Part used: The leaves and aerial parts, harvested before flowering for the best aroma
- Character: A gentle nervine, mildly aromatic, with a soft lemon-mint taste
To understand where lemon balm sits among other healing plants and how herbalists describe its action, see our guide to understanding herbal actions.
Lemon Balm Benefits: Traditional Uses and What Research Has Examined
Lemon balm's reputation rests on a long record of everyday use rather than on any single dramatic effect. The European Medicines Agency's herbal committee, which reviews that record for the European Union, recognises lemon balm leaf as a traditional herbal medicine for the relief of mild symptoms of stress, as an aid to sleep, and for mild digestive complaints such as bloating and wind. "Traditional use" is a specific regulatory finding: it means the herb has been used safely for these purposes for decades, and its effect is plausible, even where clinical trials are limited.
Modern research has looked at several of those same uses, mostly with standardised extracts rather than tea:
- Stress: A small double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study gave healthy volunteers single doses of a standardised lemon balm extract and measured their response to laboratory-induced stress, finding a modulation of mood consistent with the herb's calming reputation.
- Anxiety and sleep: A two-week open-label pilot study of a standardised extract in people with mild-to-moderate anxiety and sleep disturbance reported improvements on clinician ratings, though without a placebo group the result is preliminary.
- Mood, pooled: A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials found that lemon balm preparations were associated with lower anxiety and depression scores than placebo, while noting the trials were varied in design and dose.
It is worth being honest about what this does and does not mean for a cup of tea. Those studies used concentrated extracts, often several hundred milligrams at a time, which is far more than a single infusion delivers. The everyday effect of lemon balm tea is subtle and cumulative: a soothing ritual that may help you wind down, not a remedy with a guaranteed result. That gentleness is exactly why herbalists have traditionally taken it regularly, as a daily cup, rather than only in a crisis.
Two further traditional uses deserve a mention. Lemon balm has long been taken after meals to ease mild digestive upset, which fits its aromatic, mildly antispasmodic character. And it has a history of topical use in balms and creams, including on cold sores, an application we treat separately given the care that subject deserves.
Active Constituents
Lemon balm's uses trace back to a handful of aromatic and antioxidant compounds concentrated in its leaves. The same essential oils that give the herb its scent carry much of its traditional activity, which is why aroma is such a good guide to quality in the dried leaf.
- Essential oils: Citral, citronellal, geraniol and neral, responsible for the lemon aroma and much of the herb's calming reputation. They are present in small amounts and are lost easily to heat and light.
- Phenolic acids: Rosmarinic acid, which can make up several percent of the dried leaf, along with caffeic and related acids. These are the main antioxidant constituents.
- Flavonoids: Luteolin, apigenin and related plant pigments.
- Tannins and triterpenes: Ursolic and oleanolic acid, contributing mild astringent qualities.
Traditional and Historical Uses
For centuries lemon balm has been used to settle the mind and the gut. European and Mediterranean herbal traditions reached for it in several recurring ways:
- To calm nervous tension and ease everyday stress
- To encourage restful, unhurried sleep
- To soothe digestive upset such as indigestion and gas
- To lift low mood and support mental clarity
Classed as a gentle nervine, lemon balm was valued less for a single strong effect than for its steadying, all-purpose character. Beekeepers rubbed it on hives to draw and calm the bees, cooks used it to lend a lemon note to dishes, and households kept it as a tea for whenever the day had been long.
How Lemon Balm Is Used Today
Most modern uses fall into four areas. This section is the map; each one has a dedicated guide that goes deeper.
For calm and sleep
The most common reason people reach for lemon balm is to take the edge off a busy mind and ease into sleep, usually as an evening tea, often blended with other calming herbs. We cover the calm-and-sleep side, including how to brew it for that purpose, in our lemon balm tea guide.
As a tea
Tea is the simplest and most popular preparation: a light, citrusy infusion that can be enjoyed warm or iced. Brewing method, steeping time and how to dry your own leaves for tea are all covered in the tea guide.
As a tincture, extract or other preparation
Beyond tea, lemon balm is taken as an alcohol-based tincture or liquid extract, and used in culinary and topical preparations. Our guide to how to use lemon balm walks through tinctures, extracts and the various forms, with a simple tincture recipe.
For the skin
Thanks to its aromatic oils and rosmarinic acid, lemon balm is a traditional ingredient in balms, creams and infused oils applied to the skin. Anyone with a sensitivity to mint-family plants should patch-test first, as with any new topical herb.
Growing Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is one of the easier herbs to grow. It thrives in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil, asks only for moderate watering, comes back from the crown each spring, and self-seeds readily once established. Leaves are best harvested before the plant flowers, when their essential oil and lemon fragrance are at their peak. For a full walk-through from seed or transplant to harvest, see our guide to how to grow lemon balm.
A Note on Safety
Lemon balm is generally well tolerated in normal culinary and tea amounts, and side effects are uncommon; the most reported is mild drowsiness. Medicinal-strength products are generally recommended for adults and children over twelve. Because it has a mild calming action, it may add to the effect of sedatives and other medications that act on the central nervous system, so space it apart from them or speak with your healthcare provider first.
Lemon balm may also influence thyroid function and could interact with thyroid medication, so anyone managing a thyroid condition should check with a professional before taking it regularly. It may lower blood sugar, an additive effect with diabetes medication, so monitor your levels and speak with your provider if you take them. As a general precaution, avoid concentrated or high-dose preparations during pregnancy and breastfeeding without medical advice.
Regulatory Status
Lemon balm is widely recognised as a safe herbal ingredient and is sold freely as a dried herb and in herbal preparations in Canada, the United States, the European Union and many other countries. In the European Union it holds a formal traditional-use monograph from the European Medicines Agency, which is the basis for the uses described above.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Balm
What is lemon balm?
Lemon balm is a lemon-scented perennial herb in the mint family, Melissa officinalis, grown for its leaves. It is used as a calming tea, as a tincture, in cooking and in skincare, and is one of the gentlest herbs in the Western tradition.
What is lemon balm good for?
Traditionally, lemon balm is used to ease mild stress and nervous tension, to help with sleep, and to settle mild digestive upset such as bloating. It is also used topically in balms and creams. These are traditional uses, supported by long safe use rather than by strong clinical evidence.
What is lemon balm used for?
Lemon balm is most often used to ease nervous tension and support restful sleep, to settle mild digestive upset, and as a pleasant lemon-scented tea. It is also used in tinctures and in skincare.
Is lemon balm good for the skin?
Lemon balm has a long traditional use in balms and creams applied to the skin, owing to its aromatic oils and antioxidant rosmarinic acid. Patch-test first if you are sensitive to mint-family plants.
Can you take lemon balm every day?
As a gentle nervine, lemon balm has traditionally been taken regularly, such as a daily cup of tea. If you take medication or have an ongoing health condition, it is sensible to check with your healthcare provider first.
How is lemon balm usually taken?
The most common form is a tea made from the dried leaves. It is also taken as an alcohol-based tincture or liquid extract, and used in culinary dishes and topical preparations.
Does lemon balm interact with any medications?
It may add to the effect of sedatives and central-nervous-system medications, may interact with thyroid medication, and may lower blood sugar alongside diabetes medication. Speak with your doctor if you take any of these.
What does lemon balm taste like?
Lemon balm has a soft, sweet, lemony flavour with a faint minty note, making for a mild and refreshing tea.
For Organic lemon balm grown and dried on our farm in Charlevoix, Québec, you can find it in our online store. We grow only a little over a dozen herbs so we can give each one our full attention, and lemon balm, with its delicate aromatic oils, is one of the more sensitive among them. We cut it in summer when those oils are at their peak and dry it gently at low heat so the scent survives into the bag.
Want to learn more? Check out our other guides on lemon balm:
- Lemon Balm Tea: How to Make It, Benefits & Drying the Leaves
- How to Grow Lemon Balm: Planting, Care & Harvest
- How to Use Lemon Balm: Tincture Recipe, Extracts & Forms
🌱 Browse our Organic herbs or Sign up for our newsletter to stay connected.