Lemon Balm Recipe

For you 90's fans...remember the phrase "surfing the web"? Well, we've been staying at home for a few weeks now and we the staff have been trying to stay in touch with you all via Facebook and other social media. So, here I am thinking "what can I share with you all"? And, I'm trying to stay in my authentic lane and share things with you that I know about, that I love, that I can speak to. I was "surfing the web" to try and help get the creative juices going...when I came upon an idea.

A few years ago, I joined Young Living Essential Oils. I joined for my health, and reduce the amount of toxic chemicals that are in my home. I have been building my oil collection and trying various recipes out. One of my favorite recipes is a skin softening balm that I make. Besides oils, I use herbs to infuse my base oil (grapeseed oil). My favorite herb is lemon balm. It has a ton of benefits that I will share with you. Young Living sells a lemon balm oil, called Melissa (part of it's latin name). This is rather pricey oil. So, I decided to grow my own.

Guys, this is an amazingly easy herb to grow...disclaimer it's in the mint family and really can take over the ground you put it in. We live in pure sand, surrounded by pine trees...I need plants like Melissa to compete for water and sunshine and to survive. I did a little research and here is what I found on this amazing herb. (Credit links are provided below).

Lemon Balm is the common name for Melissa officinalis, an aromatic, sweet herb of the Mint Family grown in the herb garden for seasoning, and also used in liqueurs and historically, as a medicine. Lemon balm grows to 2 feet tall and has small 2-lipped flowers in late summer, and leaves of a decided lemon odor and flavor.

In the Middles Ages lemon balm was used to soothe tension, to dress wounds, and as a cure for toothache, skin eruptions, mad dog bites, crooked necks, and sickness during pregnancy. It was even said to prevent baldness. As a medicinal plant, lemon balm has traditionally been employed against bronchial inflammation, earache, fever, flatulence, headaches, high blood pressure, influenza, mood disorders, palpitations, toothache and vomiting. A tea made from Lemon balm leaves is said to soothe menstrual cramps and helps relieve PMS.

Today, it is used to treat anxiety and insomnia. It reduces anxiety and stress and eases sleep disorders. Recently it produced an unexpected result in a research study: it greatly increased the ability to concentrate and perform word and picture tasks.

This herb is a powerhouse for all sorts of ailments! Interested in growing some of your own?

Lemon balm grows in clumps and spreads vegetatively as well as by seed. In mild temperate zones, the stems of the plant die off at the start of the winter, but shoot up again in spring. It can be easily grown from stem cuttings, or from seeds. Under ideal conditions, it will seed itself prolifically and can become a nuisance in gardens. Lemon balm self-sows freely; remove flowers (deadhead) if you do not want volunteer seedlings the following season. (You can also grow lemon balm in pots to slow down its spreading). Lemon balm is known to attract bees, butterflies and birds and has fragrant blossoms. Lemon balm grown outdoors prefers full sun, but is mildly shade-tolerant. In dry climates, it grows best in partial shade.

So, I mentioned that I use this herb to create a balm for softening skin. You can also put the fresh leaves in your ice tea or water.

Here is my recipe for making the skin softening balm: ok, disclaimer...I am one of those people who don't follow the recipe when cooking. If I had this recipe written down, I have long since lost it. So, this is a general guideline for making balm...

I start with grapeseed oil...about 16 oz. you could use a little bigger bottle 20 or 24 oz. I take a mason jar and stuff it with whatever herbs are growing well for me and are ready for a trim. Herbs that I've planted for this operation include: lavender, oregano, lemon balm, rosemary and thyme. After the jar is full, I pour in the grapeseed oil. If I don't have enough oil to cover the herbs or fill the jar, I have added almond oil and/or fractionated coconut oil (stays liquid at room temperature) to top it off. Place jar in a warm, sunny spot for 2-3 weeks and let the herbs infuse into your oil.

When you're oil is ready, you want to sieve the herbs out of the oil. So, you can use a colander or cheesecloth. With the cheesecloth you can squeeze the last bits of oil from your herbs.

Using a double boiler, warm the oil with a 1/2 cup or so of coconut oil (the kind that is solid at room temperature). An 1/8 cup of shea nut oil and a couple tablespoons of beeswax. The more beeswax you add the harder your balm gets, but if you don’t add enough your balm will have a more liquid consistency. It will work the same for softening skin, it just depends on your preference. I’ve had a lot of trial and error at this.

Once everything is combined you can turn off your stove and pour your balm into glass jars. I like to use a jar that is short, with a wide opening. I would say to have at least 4-5 jars ready, again depending on size. I have not used anything larger than an 8 oz. jar. Store them in a cool, dark place. Before I put the caps on my jars I add a few drops of vitamin E oil, and several essential oils. You can add whatever essential oils you like. They have their own added benefits.