Botanical Name | Melissa officinalis |
Common Name | Balm, Erva Cidrera, Lemon Balm, Common Balm, Hashishat Al Nahil, Cytria, Kovanutu. |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Solubility | Alcohol soluble |
Specific Gravity | N/A |
Optical Rotation | -7°48'at 20°C |
Refrective Index | 1.535 –1.538 @ 20°C |
PlantPart | Flowers |
Bland With | Basil,rose, geranium, Roman chamomile, frankincense, ylang-ylang, lavender. |
CAS No | 84082-61-1 |
Flash Point | 124°F |
Extraction Method | Steam Distillation |
Known by the botanical name of 'Melissa officinalis' this highly regarded oil provides relaxing effect to the body as well as helps in uplifting the spirits and helping in dispeling melancholy. These properties also make this oil referred as the 'Elixir of Life.' It has as sweet, fresh & citrus-like smell having pale yellow color and watery viscosity.
Sometimes the humblest of herbs bear the greatest treasures. Melissa is a common garden herb and spreads so liberally that some people regard it as a weed. No showy flowers, nor pretty seeds, yet its essential oil is precious indeed. The ancients praised Melissa as 'an herb of Jupiter that gladdens the heart', the prosac of antiquity it seems, which Paracelsus thought capable of entirely restoring a man's vitality. Other writers admire its ability to strengthen the mind and memory. Melissa is a great oil for students as well as for old people whose memory begins to fade. It brings cheer to those who feel burdened. Lemon Balm is sacred to the Great Goddess and her honey bees, in fact, the name Melissa means 'bee' in Greek, and even in English Melissa is sometimes called 'bee balm'. Bee keepers rub their hives with the herb to ensure that their bees will always come back. Similarly, in times gone by, Melissa was used as a strewing herb to keep the home scented sweet and welcoming. Previously, only the herb was available to herbalist, but in recent years the essential oil has appeared on the market. Melissa may be a gentle herb, but when one considers that 7 tons are necessary to produce a single litre of oil, one begins to appreciate hits preciousness. So despite the price, a little goes a long way.
Color : dark - brown paste, characteristic citrus odor,
Aroma : Fresh, lemony, herbaceous.
Cis-ocimene, trans-ocimene, 3-octanone, cis-3-hexenol, methyl hepenone, 3-octanol, 1-octen-3-ol, citronellal, linalool, copaene, b-bourbonene, a-humulene, neral, caryophyllene, germacrene-D
As an essential oil, it has wide usage in aromatherapy applications. Helping to bring calmness to mind and at the same time having a great sedating effect, it helps in calming heartbeat & palpitation. It is further used to correct menstrual problems, while having excellent treatment properties in fighting cold sores (herpes simplex) & fungal infections to a lesser degree.