Lemon Balm Salve Recipe And Its Awesome Benefits

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Let’s get to know Melissa (Lemon Balm) and her many uses for your wellness. Lemon balm is such a useful and gentle herb, which I consider essential to grow in my herb garden.

And it is such a lovely plant that is very much enjoyed by pollinators, but tends to keep the nasties away due to its strong scent. Lemon balm aromatics include citral and citronella oils, and others that are effective bug repellants.

Crush a few leaves in your hand and rub them on your skin if you’re in the garden and are pestered by biting insects. 

But lemon balm can do much more and we’ll explore its uses here, and proceed to make a super effective salve for cold sores, bug bites and other skin issues. 

Disclaimer: I want to clarify that I am not a doctor or claim to be qualified in any way to give medical advice. I am self-taught and this article reflects just my opinions, experiences with herbs, and what I’ve learned from years of studying herbalism, herbs and their uses. It is meant as an entertaining reference and to encourage interest in herbalism. It is my hope to help you get to know and appreciate herbs and their traditional uses.

And be sure to always consult with your health practitioner before using any herbs, especially if you are currently taking medication or have serious health issues, are pregnant or nursing. Allergic reactions are possible with any foods, herbs or medicine, so approach the introduction of any new foods or herbs cautiously. And always consult more than one source before you consider using herbs for your wellness.

The Benefits Of Lemon Balm

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has been used throughout recorded history and is widely accepted for its many healing properties. It has been brought to the Americas and other parts of the world from Europe in the early days. 

Lemon Balm, Your Gentle And Calming Partner

Melissa officinalis was traditionally used for anxiety relief, for its calming properties, and help with other ailments. The word ‘officinalis’, part of Melissa’s latin name, indicates that it has been used traditionally as an ‘official’ herb of apothecaries.

The name melissa refers to its ability to attract bees and is derived from the greek word melisso-phyllon. 

Lemon Balm is an important herb within the mint family. It has had many uses since the ancient days and is well regarded even today for its healing power.

One of it’s major uses includes support for the heart. And as such it is used to prevent or improve medical conditions such as heart disease, but also the emotional ones like heart-ache.

Melissa acts on the mood and is very good at relieving stress. It might help relieve agitation in people with dementia, and might calm and comfort those who suffer with anxiety and frayed nerves, insomnia, SAD and nervous tension.

Lemon Balm has helped me to get rest, to calm down and relax. It has also been used to help children with irregular sleep patterns. It can promote restful sleep in children and adults, especially when combined with valerian. (source Alchemy Of Herbs, Rosalee de la Forȇt) 

Lemon Balm In History

Melissa is frequently mentioned for depression, anxiety and nervous disorders in ancient texts. And it has been used by the ancient Greeks for “sweetening the spirit” and “chasing away melancholy”.

Paracelsus called it the “elixir of life”.  Lemon balm was also used even prior to medieval times to treat venomous insect bites and stings. (source, Medicinal Herbs, Rosemary Gladstar )

Science Confirms Tradition

Recent studies add that Melissa is calming for the nervous and digestive systems. And that it can reduce restlessness and nervousness.

As is so often the case with traditional uses for herbs, modern scientific research has largely confirmed these anecdotal uses for lemon balm, and considers it a potent but gentle remedial agent. 

Modern applications for Lemon Balm’s calming properties

If you’re suffering from grief and sadness, lemon balm blended with passionflower and a few lavender buds might help as a tea, drank 2 hours before sleep.

A helpful tea for heartache, depression and SAD is a mix of lemon balm, St. John’s wort, oats, and hawthorn (berry, flower, and leaves). (Medicinal Herbs, Rosemary Gladstar).

Lemon balm tea leaves are often combined with other calming, soothing herbs, such as valerian, chamomile, and hops, to promote relaxation and help with sleep.

For children suffering from ADHD and ADD, lemon balm, in small doses, can possibly help, as well as for recurring nightmares.

A warm chamomile bath followed by a lavender oil massage and a spoonful of lemon balm glycerin extract can be even more effective. (Medicinal Herbs, Rosemary Gladstar). 

Melissa’s medicinal properties

Active constituents in lemon balm include the volatile oils citral and citronellal, as well as flavonoids and polyphenols, such as catechin and rosmarinic acid, tannins, bitters, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and resins. 

Properties of Melissa

• Aromatic
• Relaxing nervine
• Antiviral
• Anti fungal
• Antibacterial
• Antioxidant
• Relaxing diaphoretic
• Aromatic digestant
• Antispasmodic

Traditional And Modern Uses

• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Stress
• Viral infections
• Bug bites
• Nervous digestion
• Fevers
• Coughs
• Skin irritations

Here is an important modern discovery: Some studies suggest that lemon balm can cause a marked reduction of oxidative stress and DNA damage when taken as a tea during radiation treatments and x-rays. Drink it for 30 days, twice a day, starting before an x-ray and continuing on after.

Other Uses For Lemon Balm

If you’re in the garden, use the chewed or crushed fresh lemon balm leaves to relieve the pain and swelling of bee stings and bug bites. This might also help repel more bug bits from mosquitoes for example.

For a bug repelling salve, you can make separate infusions of lemon balm, peppermint, and lavender and Basil. mix them when you make the salve. Or just blend the oils and apply the oil straight.

You can also use the same fresh herbs and steep them in witch hazel for 2-3 weeks for a non-oily bug spray. Strain before use.

With its strong antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties, Melissa is a powerful ally that has been used to combat viral and bacterial infections of all sorts as well as candida and other fungal infections.

Lemon balm is most often used as a tea, but it can be used as a culinary herb as well. When added to salads, smoothies, soups and grain dishes, it imparts a delicate lemon flavor. 

Lemon balm leaf combined with chamomile flower, dill seed and dill leaf make an effective colic remedy for little ones and it helps with any digestive issues due to nervous stress. 

Klosterfrau Melissengeist

When growing up, my Gramma would give us a sugar cube that was soaked with a common German remedy, “Klosterfrau Melissengeist” for stomach upsets. And it also helped if we were a little ‘over the top’ wound up, and when we just didn’t feel good.

Ane while it worked very well , I thought of it as super tasty and accepted it as a treat! Ha, and I just found out that you can actually get Klosterfrau on Amazon! Cool!

This remedy, which is still popular, is an herbal blend of 13 herbs, with Melissa as the main ingredient. It was developed by a German nun, who based her recipe on one that was used by French Carmelite nuns and was known as Carmelite water. You can find a recipe for Carmelite water in Rosemary Gladstar’s book Medicinal Herbs. And you can find it at Mountain Rose Herbs, written by Rosalee de la Forȇt.

Lemon Balm For Pain

If you suffer from pain, Melissa might be able to help you. It has analgesic properties that can provide pain relief when applied topically on sore muscles, skin irritations and for headaches. 

Try using a little of the salve on your temples and forehead for cooling headache relief. And used internally at the same time, it might help decrease tension in the body, which would then, in turn, help relieve a tension headache.

Lemon balm can block pain signals, reduce the perception of discomfort and improve blood circulation in the affected parts 

And you can try to massage with Lemon Balm infused oil topically for muscular aches, tension, discomfort, or cramps.

Lemon Balm For Herpes

My favorite benefits of Melissa are its strong antiviral properties and targeted affinity for the herpes virus, which results in its marked effectiveness for cold sore relief. 

Cold-sores, Fever blisters, and Shingles, Oh my!

It’s winter, you’re tired, just got another cold, you’re stressed, maybe you’ve been out skiing in full sun all day or it’s your moontime. Maybe all of the above.

Well, it’s the perfect brew of circumstances that will bring about the dreaded cold sores. Yes, on top of everything else, and always at the wrong time! Oh dear!

If you’ve ever had a cold sore, I’m quite sure you never ever want another one. And for a few fortunate people, that wish may come true, because it is possible to catch the virus, have one attack, and never another.

Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). If you catch, it will remain in your body forever. Some people carry the virus, but it stays dormant and they never even know. Most, however, will find it an unwelcome nuisance with recurrent eruptions.

Herpes can also occur in the form of Genital Herpes, a dreaded STD.

Herpes hides in the depths of our beings, waiting for that moment we let our defenses down and boom, it jumps out and tags us. And so we have to suffer through its painful and inconvenient existence and try to hide its ugly appearance from the rest of the world for a week or two.

Cold sores are extremely painful, especially when the little blisters burst open and until they crust over. And for me, it takes about 2 weeks before it heals, if left untreated.

How You Catch Herpes

This nasty plague normally makes its appearance during times of high stress, over-exposure to the sun and when your immune system is compromised.

For me that happens when I’ve been getting too little sleep and feel ‘run down’. And it almost always happens from too much sun.

It also likes to pop out just after I have a cold and sometimes when it was my moontime. Fortunately my colds have become rare since I’ve been using garlic honey and elderberry for immune support.

Cold sores are highly contagious for the whole duration. You can catch herpes simply by wiping yourself on a towel that has been used by a sufferer during an outbreak, or from using a contagious person’s utensils, or from a kiss.

Unfortunately this virus can be super dangerous for babies, so if you have an outbreak, take care to not infect your little ones, take a break from kissing and express your love in other ways. 

Ways To Prevent Herpes Eruptions

The best practice is to try and prevent a cold sore. To do that, you want to keep your immune functions working properly, get enough rest, keep the stress level down, avoid too much sun exposure, and wear sunscreen on your lips. 

How Lemon Balm Can Help

However, in reality, it’s hard to keep up with all of these preventative measures, and cold sores will most likely show up at some point if you’re carrying that virus. This is where a lemon balm salve will be most welcome to provide pain relief, speed healing, and reduce the severity of the outbreak. 

In fact it might even avert the cold sores if you can apply it when you first notice the early signs of an outbreak. Early signs include itchiness, swelling, and in my case, my lips start to get severely chapped at least a day before the outbreak.

Studies have shown that lemon balm oil can prevent the virus from replicating, which could prevent a full blown attack. Melissa has a strong affinity for herpes, as the following excerpt points out

“…Melissa oil affected the virus before adsorption, but not after penetration into the host cell, thus lemon balm oil is capable of exerting a direct antiviral effect on herpes viruses. Considering the lipophilic nature of lemon balm essential oil, which enables it to penetrate the skin, and a high selectivity index, Melissa officinalis oil might be suitable for topical treatment of herpetic infections”. (source)

Best practice is to use the salve topically at the first sign and continuing to use it throughout the outbreak. This might prevent or shorten the duration of a cold sore outbreak and speed recovery, soothe pain and itch and reduce swelling and redness.

Regular use of the salve may prevent recurring outbreaks. Drink some lemon balm tea at the same time as a support from inside.

Drink lemon balm tea during times of high stress, to A) calm you down and B) to help keep the virus from replicating.

About L-lysine for cold sores

I was told decades ago by a doctor that taking l-lysine, an amino acid, might also help. L-lysine can interfere with the absorption of arginine, another amino acid, into our intestines.

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) needs arginine to replicate, and so it follows that reducing the availability of it can hinder the virus’s ability to reproduce and spread. (source)

L-lysine is often taken internally as an ongoing supplement, but it is also available for topical use and it can possibly help when applied on the site of the outbreak.

And, that suggests that you could add crushed l-lysine powder to your salve for extra benefits (Healingharvesthomestead).

However, not much conclusive evidence is available. So do your research on lysine before you decide to take it and consult with your health practitioner.

You can also eat more foods that are high in l-lysine to keep the virus from getting the food IT needs.

Such are meat, specifically red meat, pork, and poultry, cheese, particularly parmesan, certain fish, such as cod and sardines, eggs, soy products, spirulina, fenugreek seed, brewer’s yeast, beans and other legumes, and dairy products. (source)

Melissa For Shingles

If you have ever suffered from shingles, you probably don’t want to go through it EVER again. It is excruciatingly painful.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is a form of herpes. But lemon balm might be able to offer relief.

With its affinity to pursuing the herpes virus and keeping it from reproducing, it might help ease the attack.

And its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties might help to reduce the severity of symptoms and offer some pain relief. (Here is a great article with high praises on lemon balm’s antiviral benefits)

How Melissa Can Benefit The Skin:

Lemon balm’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties might help with irritations of the skin, bee stings and scrapes, and it it is often used with acne, boils and blemishes. It might reduce redness and swelling and soothe rashes and other irritations. 

If you use lemon balm salve after surgery or on cuts, it might prevent or minimize scarring.

Lemon Balm might also help with eczema or psoriasis, where it can reduce redness and promote the healing of the skin.

Lemon balm can be a great moisturizer and toner for the skin. It is known to stimulate cell regeneration and can replace damaged or dead skin cells with healthy new ones.

There are studies that suggest that Melissa can reduce inflammation, and potentially promote collagen production.

And Lemon Balm might very possibly protect against oxidative stress, and reduce damage from UV exposure. This makes sense when you consider that it has been used to reduce damage from x-rays as well. (source)

Used regularly, lemon balm salve may help reduce the signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, resulting in smoother, more youthful-looking skin.

Lemon Balm Essential Oil vs. Infused Oil

Studies have often been done using the essential oil of lemon balm and that usually means, the concentrated, isolated form.

That oil however, is very expensive and does not have the whole herb constituents. Any time we isolate compounds, we risk that it can cause imbalance and there is a higher risk of side effects.

I don’t advise using essential oils indiscriminately. I agree that they have benefits and I like to use them in a targeted fashion on occasion. But I don’t believe that essential oils are as beneficial for our bodies as the whole herb.

In the light that it takes huge amounts of plant material to just produce 1 ounce of essential oil, I feel that it is not a sustainable choice. And from a holistic perspective, whole plants should be given preference where ever possible.

If you like, you can learn about the different ways that essential oils are created here. This should help you choose your oils if you elect to use them. Be very wary of low quality essential oils and those that are extracted with the solvent method.

How an infused oil is preferable.

You can easily make your own lemon balm oil extract in a less concentrated form by infusing a carrier oil with dried lemon balm leaves.

We’ll explore how to do that in a bit. For now I want to point out how it will still be super effective for healing, compared with essential oils. Essential oils are highly concentrated and they are actually quite toxic for that reason, if they are used undiluted. 

Essential oils need to be mixed with a carrier oil at a concentration of no more than 4% to 100% of carrier oil for topical use and should be diluted to just 1% for broad applications, to reduce irritation.

So in essence, when you make your own infused oil from the whole plant, you get the same oil-based constituents, except you don’t need to mix up and dilute a concentrate. 

But even better, you end up with more of the benefits by using the whole plant with all it’s constituents, not just the volatile oils. This is much better for your well being in the end!

Possible Side Effects of Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is known to be a very gentle if powerful herb. Side effects are not common and it is considered safe for normal use as a whole herb in teas or salves.

However, as with all herbs, there might be some individuals who are allergic and there are contraindications for using it in excessive amounts or in concentrated form (this includes essential oils).

Side effects from over-consumption or from using concentrates could include reduced alertness, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or allergic reactions. And if used on the skin, possible side effects may include: skin irritation, discoloration, or allergic reactions. (source)

Essential oils should not be used with small children, either in a salve or in a diffuser.

Parts used for medicinal preparations

We use the aerial parts of lemon balm, which can be cut during the growing season before it goes to seed. And often a second time later in the season after it starts to flower.

This is when it is the strongest medicinally, when all the plant’s energies are directed at seed production and will be concentrated in the upper parts of the plant just before it goes to seed.

So if you pick it just before it starts to make seeds, it will be highest in strength. If you wait too long, much of the energy will have been spent. 

Always use the dried herb for making infused oils, but use the fresh herb for tinctures and vinegar extracts, which we don’t cover here.

How To Dry Herbs Without A Dehydrator

When drying your herbs, choose a warmish spot with lots of airflow. I put mine on top of my seed starting wire rack in my yurt which is near my door that I keep open most of the time in summer and fall. It’s warmer up there and gets plenty of air. It takes less than a week for these to dry

Make sure they are crunchy before you put them away for storage and try not to crush the leaves when you remove them from the stems. Store them whole. This will retain more of the volatile oils for when you are ready to use them in a tea or infused oil.

If you like to start your own apothecary garden, and find out how to grow lemon balm, chamomile, lavender, St.John’s wort and many other herbs, check out my post on 25 essential herbs for your apothecary garden.

It will save you so much money in the long run, to grow and prepare your own teas, tinctures and salves from scratch.

How to make Lemon Balm Salve

Equipment:

Pint mason jar – for infusing your oil. Be sure to have a tight fitting lid. Always match your jar to your batch. Try to leave minimal airspace at the top to reduce oxidation, which is an enemy to your product quality!

A small saucepan – to use as the bottom part of a double boiler setup

A pint canning jar, glass measuring cup or a small bowl – Use one of these for melting the beeswax and mixing it with the infused oil.

Chopstick or other utensil – for stirring your oil. I love having chopsticks around for so many uses. They are great for canning too, to get air bubbles out of the food just before sealing the jars for canning.

Canning jar lifter – You can use a canning jar lifter to take your hot pint jar out of the steaming water bath and prevent burns.

Cheesecloth or fine sieve – or you can use a flour sack towel, or better an organic flour sack towel, a tight woven cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Or use the loosely woven cheesecloth from your grocery store and fold it several times. You can also use a fine sieve if you didn’t powder your herbs.

Small jars or tins for storing your salve – You could use the very small 4-oz jelly jars that are sold for canning or these 2oz glass jars. I also like to use metal tins that come in .5 oz sizes and include pretty labels. This size is perfect for lip balm. Or, for larger amounts, you can get 1 oz or 2 oz tin sizes. If you prefer to have a lip balm stick, you can get empty 5ml lip balm tubes for it.

Ingredients:

For the infused oil (Makes a pint)

Making this oil will take 4-8 weeks. The rest is quick. (If you are in a hurry, here is a source for lemon balm infused oil. (If you decide to buy it already made, you can skip the section on making the oil)

1 cup dried lemon balm leaves – If you don’t grow your own, you can get Lemon Balm here.

About 2 cups Carrier oil – Avoid vegetable oils and canola oil. Use an organic oil if at all possible. Good choices are: sweet almond oil, avocado oil, or olive oil. I especially like jojoba oil and fractionated coconut oil for this, as they do not go rancid. All these oils have beneficial properties for the skin.

I’ll be explaining this more in an upcoming post about different methods of oil infusion. Stay tuned and receive notification by subscribing for FREE!

For the salve (makes 10 oz)

½ cup of the lemon balm infused oil – See recipe to make the oil infusion.

⅛ cup Beeswax pellets – I chose beeswax pellets over a loaf to make it easier to use. This makes a fairly firm salve. You can use a little more or less if you find your salve too soft or too hard.

You can test it by placing a drop on a spoon or plate and place it into the fridge for a few minutes. But this is my favorite concentration for a firm lip balm.

I often use just a teaspoon or two less to make it softer when making a body salve. More beeswax might give you a sticky salve. For stick balm, I would increase by about a teaspoon to keep it from getting too soft in warm weather.

A side note here: One of my favorite solvents or to replace some of the beeswax in salves, is beef tallow. If you have a way to get pure grass fed beef tallow, give it a try.

It’s so good for your skin and if I use mostly tallow and a very small part beeswax, I get a nice, spreadable balm. I used it in the salve I made today since I had a little tallow from a friend that was just pure, hard, smooth, and well rendered. Thanks Katlin!

Optionals

Optional: 1 Tb Lysine powder – Use this only for cold sore applications or possibly for shingles. Take a few l-lysine tablets and crush it to a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.

Optional: 2 tsp Vitamin E oil – not necessary if you use jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil. But for all other oils it will help to prevent premature rancidity and add a bit of shelf-life. Plus vitamin E oil is good for the skin too!

Essential Oils

Optional! 80 drops max of essential oils for spot treatments, 20 drops max for broad area applications per 1/2 cup of infused oil!

You might like to add these optional essential oils but please use with caution and no more than 80 drops of essential oils per ½ cup of infused oil for adult strength and spot treatment.

For use on larger areas of the skin, such as for rashes and shingles, only add about 1 percent (about 20 drops total) to your 1/2 cup of oil. If you can’t decide, but want to add a few essential oils for your cold sores, try 20 drops of peppermint, 20 drops of tea tree oil, 20 drops of frankincense and 10 drops of clove oil.

I used peppermint oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil and clove oil in my salve that is very specifically targeted at an active eruption of a cold sore. If I had Frankincense on hand, I would have added that also.

I will not use this salve on a regular basis though to minimize my use of these highly potent essential oils. I am also highly sensitive to scents too, and need to keep exposure to a minimum.

You Can Tailor These Essential Oils To Specific Needs

Lemon balm essential oil – I don’t feel this is necessary if you make a good, strong oil infusion. But it might help with pain and increase the strength, if you add a few drops of lemon balm essential oil.

Peppermint oil – Peppermint oil is cooling and can help with the pain. You can also use Spearmint for a milder choice that has less of a menthol scent. Peppermint is also good for headache relief.

Frankincense – Frankincense is known to help with pain, inflammation and scarring.

Tea tree oil – Tee tree oil is well known for its anti-viral and anti-microbial benefits. This can help with faster healing and to keep wounds from getting infected.

Clove oil – Clove bud oil can be helpful with numbing the pain.

Rosemary oil – I like the rosemary essential oil for my cold sore salve, but otherwise, I prefer a Rosemary leaf infused oil mixed with the lemon balm oil, to help fight acne and soothe skin irritations. It also has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties. Rosemary is also regarded for its ability to relief headaches, anxiety and stress. I like it too for help with focus and memory.

A rosemary and lemon balm infused oil blend could possibly work well before an exam or other event to reduce anxiety or a case of nerves, and where one needs to be able to focus and concentrate.

Lavender – Lavender oil is known to be calming, relaxing and soothing and I think it would work great in a massage oil.

Thyme – Using thyme oil, can add more antiviral and anti-microbial benefits to your salve if you use it for cold sores, and it might also help with fungus, acne, warts and insect bites.

Other Infused Herb Choices For A Blend

Chamomile – Use the chamomile herb in combination with Lemon balm in a tea for a stress-relieving, relaxing blend. The chamomile essential oil can be added to make a calming, relaxing salve or massage oil.

Chamomile is also great for shingles, acne, psoriasis and eczema. However I would lean towards making a chamomile infused oil and mixing it with your lemon balm oil, rather than using an essential oil for such broad applications.

Calendula – A salve with calendula flower infused oil would be great to try when mixed with lemon balm oil for eczema, wounds, and baby’s chafed skin or rash.

Instructions:

How to make Lemon Balm infused oil

Fill your jar half full with the dried lemon balm leaves. You can crush the leaves for more surface area, but it’s really not necessary with a slow infusion, which is what I recommend.

I’ll describe a faster method in another post soon, but I do not normally use the fast method. 

Add The Oil Of Your Choice

Fill the jar to the very top with your carrier oil

Seal Jar And Infuse

Seal tight and shake it. Place it in a warm spot. I like to keep mine in a sunny window, or near my wood stove if it’s cold near the window.

I believe this solar exposure will also help to infuse the oil with more benefits and it is an oft used traditional method. However, remove it from sun exposure after 4 weeks. 

Shake your jar once a day or as you remember. Keep it warm and allow it to infuse for 4-8 weeks.

Strain Your Herbs 

Strain your herbs out with a cheesecloth, several layers thick, a very fine mesh sieve or a nut milk bag. I used a nut milk bag here.

Now you should have a beautiful olive-green lemon balm infused oil that can be used for making a salve, to fill a roller bottle, or to use just plain as a massage oil for skin problems. 

Make A Healing Salve With Lemon balm

This will make a great salve for cold sores, sore patches, rashes, acne, eczema, headaches and much more.

Prepare Your Double Boiler And Ingredients

Fill a few inches of water into your saucepan.

Place your saucepan on the stovetop.

Put a cloth of some kind, or a rack on the bottom of the pot to keep your mason jar or glass measuring cup from touching the bottom of the pan. If you’re using a bowl, just make sure the bowl is slightly bigger than the pot so it doesn’t touch the bottom when you suspend it. 

Measure out your beeswax and add it to the bowl or jar in your pot.

Tip: You can also use the weight method if you prefer (I do, because I’m German, lol. Everything gets weighed there). Weigh your oil and then divide by 4. This will be your wax weight. I find it easier to use the weight method when I have an odd amount of oil to use, or to scale the recipe.

Melt The Beeswax

Add the beeswax pellets and melt them slowly over medium heat. Don’t let it boil.

While your wax is melting, prepare your little salve jars, and make sure they are ready to receive the liquid salve. 

And also prepare your essential oils and the lysine if you elect to use them. Measure out the oil drops into a small measuring cup to have them ready.

Pour the lemon balm infused oil into your melting jar with the hot wax, while stirring. Some of the wax may solidify again.

Many recipes tell you to add the oil and wax at the same time, but I like to melt the wax first, It takes a while and I don’t want my oil to be heated at high temperatures for that long. So I add the oil after the wax is melted.

>> Keep the heat as low as possible so you don’t damage the more heat sensitive properties of your lemon balm.

Prepare Salve Tins Or Jars

Once it is all melted, take the bowl or jar out of the pot carefully. You can use a canning jar clamp for this if you have canning equipment.

Now carefully wipe any water off the outside of your bowl or jar. You don’t want it running into your salve containers when you go to pour the salve. Take much care to not contaminate your oil with any water at all.

If you elect to use added essential oils, you can do so now. Add your finely crushed lysine as well at this point.

Stir well for a minute. It takes a lot of stirring to truly incorporate the essential oils.

Pour Your Salve

Now don’t delay. Slowly pour your oil into the prepared jars. If you added l-lysine, fill your jars only half full at first. Stir your oils before pouring into each jar to keep the lysine suspended.

Then go back and fill the jars the rest of the way, again, stirring as you go. This is to ensure that the l-lysine doesn’t all settle to the bottom in the liquid oil. 

Let your jars cool completely before moving them. Seal the jars, label them and store them in a cool, dark place. 

Label And Store

Don’t forget to label your tins with as much information as you can fit. I make different versions of salves for specific uses and like to be clear on the ingredients if possible. I also keep notes for later reference.

Storage

This salve will stay fresh for about 6 months. If you used the jojoba or fractionated coconut oil, it might keep longer. Using vitamin E oil can also help prolong storage.

Keeping it in a cool place or the fridge might help even more. If you have some salve after 6 months, you can smell it. If it smells sweet, it should be fine to keep using. Don’t use it if it has a rancid smell.

Cleanup

Tips: Use a canning jar for melting your wax and oil and just put the lid on it after you’re done. This way you can use it again for another batch later without having to clean it. 

Otherwise, wipe your jar with a paper towel immediately after you’re done pouring to get it clean. Then wash with hot soapy water. You can use that ‘soiled’ paper towel to wipe the lemon balm salve over your skin! Or do as I did and wipe it into your wooden cutting board to keep it seasoned.

Troubleshooting:

My salve is too hard

If you feel that your salve is too hard, you can reduce the beeswax on your next batch. The amounts here are for a fairly firm salve that is still easy to spread. 

Can I use this lemon balm salve in a stick form?

Yes, you certainly can. I would increase the beeswax by another tablespoon to keep the lip balm firm, so it doesn’t melt in your bag on a warm day. It should be kept out of high heat though. 

Is it effective without the additives?

Yes, it is. If you are sensitive to essential oils, do not add them. If you use this only for cold sores, or on a bug bite, I think the essential oils and lysine can be very effective, but I wouldn’t use the additives on large areas of skin, such as for rashes or psoriasis. 

Just use it plain and you’ll get great benefits from your salve. For babies and small children, I recommend not using the essential oils. They will get relief from just the plain whole herb infused oil. 

I like to make a batch that is just plain first, and then one smaller batch to target the cold sores with those essential oils mentioned above. I just use the same container for mixing the second batch. 

Congratulations! You Made Yourself A Wonderful Lemon Balm Salve. 

Enjoy its soothing and healing properties when you need it. And here is a quick reference for the common uses for your lemon balm salve:

• Cold sores
• Shingles
• Bug bites and bee stings
• Eczema and Psoriasis
• Sunburn relief
• Reduces inflammation, redness and swelling
• Antibacterial and calming for rashes and skin irritations
• Muscle soreness, tension and cramps

I love having my lemon balm salve ready for those nasty cold sores and bug bites and I like to use it on my face too. I hope you enjoy yours very much when you try it for yourself.

Let me know in the comments section how you use lemon balm and I’d love to know if you get to make this salve. Please ask if you have any questions!

And don’t forget to share this page and subscribe to my newsletter, where you’ll get notification on new content, homesteading ideas and new recipes.

Literary Resources And Reserarch Sources:

Medicinal Herbs, Rosemary Gladstar
Alchemy Of Herbs, Rosalee de la Forȇt

Sources of studies and reports used throughout this post: NLM, NLM, NLM, NLM, NLM, Sciencedirect, Healthline, WebMD, Mt.Sinai. LLysine: NLM, NLM

More Wellness Recipes

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25 Essential Herbs To Plant – Start your home apothecary garden with these 25 powerful allies for your health. Learn their benefits, how to grow them and where to source them.

Fermented Garlic – Lacto-fermented garlic paste is kind of a special food. It’s the ultimate convenience food and health supplement. But besides that, it gets better as it ages. Just like a fine wine.

Fermented Ginger Honey – Keep this potent fermented health food on hand. Use the powers of Ginger and Honey in a tasty syrup form that you’ll love.

Fermented Ginger Paste – A convenient way to have ginger on hand when you need some, either as seasoning in cooking or baking, or to use this powerful ally in your daily health routine.

Fermented Turmeric Paste – Make this convenient fresh turmeric paste for your wellness and as a convenient seasoning for your curries and other foods. Turmeric has so many benefits, find out all about it and why fermenting it makes it even better.

Health benefits of ginger beer – Learn all about the awesomeness of ginger. Health benefits you can gain for your body when you include this versatile plant into your daily health regimen. Improve your well being get healing with many chronic issues.

Fire Cider Recipe – Get your fire cider recipe and make this tonic to be ready for cold and flu season!

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Medicinal Herbs, Rosemary Gladstar
Alchemy Of Herbs, Rosalee de la Forȇt

Whole Dried Loose Herb Sources:

Lemon balm
Passionflower
Lavender buds
Peppermint
Lemon balm leaves
Basil
St. John’s wort
Oats
Hawthorn
Valerian
Chamomile
Hops
Dill seed
Dill leaf
Calendula flower

Supplies:

Chopsticks
Canning jar lifter
Flour sack towel
flour sack towel
Nut milk bag
Two oz glass jars
Half oz size lip bam tins
One oz salve tins
Two oz Salve tins
Five ml lip balm tubes
Organic flour sack towels
Cheesecloth
Flour sack towels

Oils And Beeswax:

Sweet almond oil
Avocado oil
Olive oil
Jojoba oil
Fractionated coconut oil
Beeswax pellets

Optional Ingredients and Essential Oils:

L-lysine
Vitamin E oil
Lemon balm essential oil
Peppermint essential oil
Spearmint essential oil
Frankincense essential oil
Rosemary essential oil
Tee tree essential oil
Clove bud essential oil
Lavender essential oil
Thyme essential oil
Chamomile essential oil

German Herbal Blend Tincture:

Klosterfrau Melissengeist