skip to Main Content
Lemon Balm Featured Image

How To Use Lemon Balm For Every Part of Your Body

What if a single garden herb could calm your racing thoughts, settle your stomach, help you sleep deeper, and even speed up the healing of a cold sore? Sounds almost too good to be true, right? Yet for centuries, healers have turned to a citrus-scented plant called lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).

Once used in monasteries to soothe nerves and lift the spirit, it’s now catching the attention of modern science for its surprising impact on the brain, gut, skin, and even the heart. And the best part? These benefits aren’t folklore anymore. They’re backed by real studies.

In the next few minutes, you’ll discover exactly how this humble mint-family herb works inside your body, and simple ways you can use it at home today.

Woman picking lemon balm leaves from organic herb garden. Green

Calming Stress and Anxiety Naturally

Your mind never stops buzzing, does it? Next time it feels like too much, drop a handful of lemon balm leaves into hot water and watch the steam carry your stress away. It’s not just a nice image, it’s what the science says.

Lemon balm tones down anxious thoughts and restlessness, like pressing the brakes on an overworked nervous system. Its natural compounds help your body ease into a calmer rhythm without knocking you out.

Brew it as a tea, take a tincture, or pop a capsule. However you choose, lemon balm works like a natural exhale, helping you invite peace back into your day.

Pair it with ashwagandha to steady cortisol, reishi to quiet inflammation, and lion’s mane to keep your mind clear, and you get a blend that works in harmony with your body instead of against it.

It’s this kind of plant wisdom, combined in one tincture, that has given so many people a real sense of relief, the kind that stops stress before it spirals into sleepless nights, foggy thinking, or digestive troubles.

👉 Discover the herbal blend that brings these plants together »

Brain Boost: Memory and Cognitive Function

Calm is just the beginning. Lemon balm can also give your brain a boost. In studies, people who took it scored higher on memory and focus tests — even Alzheimer’s patients saw sharper thinking and less agitation after weeks of use.

And if you’re healthy? You can still get quick wins. Smaller trials show lemon balm can lift your concentration and recall after just one dose. Its antioxidants shield your brain cells from daily wear, while its unique chemistry helps you stay clear and sharp.

This is a rare herb that relaxes you without dulling your edge — the best of both worlds.Melissa plant in terracotta pot on table, soft focus. Growing aromatic fresh mint, lemon balm herbs at home for tea. Homegrown concept

Better Sleep and Relaxation

If you’re lying in bed staring at the ceiling, lemon balm might be the simplest fix you’ve been missing. A cup of tea in the evening can quiet your racing mind and actually help your body let go. In studies, people who took lemon balm slept deeper, woke up less during the night, and felt less anxious the next day.

Pair it with valerian and the effect is even stronger. You don’t need heavy pills or harsh sedatives. Just let this gentle herb guide you into the kind of sleep where you wake up refreshed instead of groggy.

Lemon balm alone can calm your nerves and quiet your mind before bed. But when you pair it with valerian, passionflower, and other traditional allies, the effect is far stronger, guiding your body into deep, restorative sleep without pills or side effects.

Fenced backyard garden with sitting area and apple trees.That’s exactly the kind of knowledge you’ll gain inside The Lost Remedies Academy. Nicole Apelian takes you into the field to identify the very plants that help with sleeplessness and stress, then back into the kitchen to craft tinctures, teas, and bedtime blends you can rely on.

It’s practical, hands-on learning — so you’re never left wondering which plant to use, how to prepare it, or when to take it. With remedies like these, you’ll finally have the tools to restore calm nights and refreshed mornings.

👉 Discover the sleep remedies waiting for you inside The Lost Remedies Academy »

Digestive Health and Gut Comfort

When your stomach feels tight, bloated, or crampy, lemon balm steps in quickly. This herb relaxes the muscles in your gut, which means gas moves along, spasms ease up, and discomfort fades. Science backs it: extracts of lemon balm protect your stomach lining, lower inflammation, and can even guard against ulcers.

The best part? You don’t need anything fancy. Just brew a cup of tea after a heavy meal and feel the relief as your digestion settles down naturally.High-resolution image of a female herbalist's hands displaying lemon balm leaves, top view with a background of assorted herbal preparations and earthy tones --ar 3:2 Job ID: b49a5b20-19d2-41da-a312-f888c6beb109

Support Your Skin, Starting with Cold Sores

You know that tingle before a cold sore shows up? That’s the moment to reach for lemon balm. This herb is packed with antiviral compounds that fight the herpes virus behind those painful blisters. Clinical trials prove it works: people who used a lemon balm cream healed faster, had fewer blisters, and felt less irritation than those who didn’t.

Just apply a lip balm or cream with lemon balm at the first sign, and you can stop a flare before it takes over. Beyond cold sores, you can also use lemon balm to calm bug bites or minor rashes, its soothing and anti-inflammatory touch helps take the sting out of your skin.

Support Your Heart and Beyond

Your heart loves lemon balm more than you think. Early studies show it may ease palpitations, balance cholesterol by raising the good (HDL) and lowering the bad (LDL), and even help protect your arteries. That’s because lemon balm is loaded with antioxidants that fight the daily stress your cells go through.

And here’s something fascinating: lab studies suggest its antiviral power may stretch beyond cold sores — possibly slowing down viruses like HIV and even SARS-CoV-2. While research is still early, it all points in the same direction: this little herb works overtime for your body, from your heart to your immune system.

I didn’t learn about lemon balm’s effects on the heart or its antiviral powers by accident. This kind of knowledge comes from one of the most complete herbal guides ever written: The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies II.

It’s the sequel to the original bestseller — covering over 139 new plants and 207 remedies beyond the 800 already in the first book. Together, they give you a roadmap for when pharmacies aren’t an option… or when your body finally says enough to lab-made pills.

Inside, you’ll find step-by-step instructions, photos, and recipes for plants that heal everything from the heart to the lungs, the skin to the gut. It’s simple, practical, and life-saving — the kind of reference you want on your shelf before things get worse.

👉 See the powerful plant knowledge inside The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies II »

Dry leaves of lemon balm herbs are perfect for making soothing lemon balm tea, known for its calming properties and delightful flavor. Enjoy the benefits of lemon balm tea with these dried herbs.

How You Can Use Lemon Balm at Home

The beauty of lemon balm is how simple it is to work into your daily life. You don’t need special equipment or fancy skills — just a few leaves, a little creativity, and you’re set. Here are some easy, practical ways you can start using it right away:

🧴 Topical Balms and Creams
The moment you feel that first tingle of a cold sore, grab a lemon balm balm or cream. Apply it a few times a day, and you can shorten the outbreak and calm the irritation before it gets worse. Want to make your own? Infuse dried lemon balm in warm oil for a few hours, strain it, then blend with melted beeswax for a healing salve. It’s simple, natural, and effective.

☕ Soothing Herbal Tea
Want to relax in minutes? Steep 1–2 teaspoons of dried lemon balm (or a handful of fresh leaves) in hot water for 5–10 minutes. That’s it. The citrus-mint aroma alone starts to calm you down. Sip it in the evening to melt away stress or after a heavy meal to settle your stomach. Make it part of your nighttime ritual and you’ll notice how much easier it is to slip into deep, restful sleep.Pouring aromatic lemon balm tea into cup on wooden table

💧 Tinctures and Capsules
If you prefer something stronger and more consistent, tinctures and capsules are your best bet. A standard dose is usually 300–600 mg once or twice a day (always check the label). These concentrated extracts are what many studies used when they tested lemon balm’s effect on stress and sleep. Just add a dropper of tincture to water or tea, and you’ve got an easy way to keep your mood balanced and your mind sharp.

Herbs can be brewed into tea or taken as capsules — but the most potent way to unlock their full power is through a tincture. Unlike tea, tinctures are concentrated and double-extracted, pulling out the complete spectrum of compounds your body needs. That means faster absorption, stronger effects, and consistency every single time.

If you want the highest quality option, I recommend Nicole Apelian’s Lemon Balm Tincture. It’s double-extracted, wild-harvested or organically grown, and crafted to deliver the clearest, most calming dose you’ll ever feel from this plant. With just a few drops, it’s impossible not to notice the difference.

👉 Try the most potent Lemon Balm Tincture available here »

🥗 Culinary Uses
Don’t forget — lemon balm is also delicious. Toss fresh leaves into a salad, fruit bowl, or salsa for a lemony kick. Blend it into pesto instead of basil, stir it into honey or syrups, or use it to infuse lemonade on a hot day. These little kitchen tricks not only make your food taste amazing but also sneak in the calming, digestive benefits of the herb without you even noticing.

The Takeaway

Lemon balm is small but mighty. It can calm your nerves, sharpen your mind, settle your stomach, and even speed up healing on your skin. Best of all, it’s simple to use — a tea, a capsule, a balm, or even a few fresh leaves in your food. Backed by both tradition and science, this herb makes it easy to add a touch of calm and health to your day, from head to toe.

The Holy Grail of Herbal Remedies

If lemon balm impressed you with how much it can do for stress, sleep, digestion, and skin, imagine having every recipe you’ll ever need with this plant, and hundreds more like it, all in one place.

That’s exactly what you get with The Forgotten Home Apothecary. This isn’t just another book; it’s a complete herbal medicine cabinet in your hands, packed with 250+ remedies you can make at home. Everything is organized like shelves in an apothecary, so when you need a recipe, you’ll know exactly where to find it.

Inside, you’ll discover:

Unlike pills that mask symptoms, these remedies work with your body. The recipes are simple, practical, and designed with plants you can grow, gather, or find locally. In a crisis, when pharmacies are empty or pills stop working, this book becomes more than helpful, it becomes life-saving.

That’s why so many call it their “at-home pharmacy.” It’s not just knowledge — it’s self-reliance, healing, and protection for you and your family, all in one book.

👉 Get your copy of The Forgotten Home Apothecary before it’s gone »

You may also like:

Subscribe
Notify of

0 The Lost Herbs Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Back To Top
Search