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Lemon balm is one of those herbs that's easy to overlook until you get to know it. It’s a member of the mint family, and if you rub one of its crinkly green leaves between your fingers, you’ll see why it’s called lemon balm. The smell is distinctly lemony. Once you notice it, you’ll start spotting it everywhere.
It grows like crazy once it gets going, especially in garden beds, along fences, or even popping up in sunny spots. You’ll usually see it starting to leaf out in the spring, and by early summer it’s going strong. The best time to harvest is just before it flowers, usually late spring or early summer, when the leaves are the most fragrant and flavorful.
What I love about lemon balm is how versatile it is. It’s not just good for cooking, although it does add a lovely lemony flavor to teas, desserts, and salads. It also has a long history as a calming herb that supports sleep, digestion, and stress relief. Some people even use it for minor skin irritations and bug bites.
In this post, I’ll walk you through 11 ways to use lemon balm for health and first aid, along with simple recipes and ideas you can try right away.
1. Calming Anxiety and Nervous Tension
Lemon balm is one of my go-to herbs when life feels a little too chaotic. Whether you're dealing with everyday stress, emotional ups and downs, or just that wired-but-tired feeling, lemon balm has a gentle way of taking the edge off. It doesn’t knock you out or dull your senses. Instead, it just helps you breathe a little easier and feel more grounded.
The easiest way to use it is as a tea. Drinking a warm cup during a stressful moment can make a noticeable difference, especially if you take a few minutes to sit quietly and slow down while you sip.
Simple Lemon Balm Tea Recipe
- 1 tablespoon dried lemon balm (or a small handful of fresh leaves)
- 1 cup hot water
- Optional: a bit of honey or lemon for taste
Place the lemon balm in a mug or teapot and pour hot water over it. Cover and let steep for 10–15 minutes, then strain and enjoy. You can drink it once or twice a day when you're feeling tense, or keep some in the fridge as a calming iced tea during busy days.
2. Promoting Better Sleep
If you struggle with falling asleep or wake up at 2 a.m. with your brain racing, lemon balm might become your new herb. It’s been used for centuries to help people unwind and ease into restful sleep. What makes it special is that it calms the nervous system without leaving you groggy the next morning.
You can drink lemon balm tea about 30 to 60 minutes before bed, or combine it with other sleep-friendly herbs like chamomile, lavender, or passionflower. If you don’t feel like sipping a warm drink at night, lemon balm tincture is another easy option. Just a dropperful under the tongue or in a bit of water.
Bedtime Lemon Balm Tea Blend
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- 1 teaspoon dried chamomile
- ½ teaspoon dried lavender (optional)
- 1 cup hot water
Steep everything together for about 10–15 minutes, strain, and drink about an hour before bedtime. The lemon balm helps calm your thoughts, chamomile relaxes your body, and lavender adds a nice floral note and helps you unwind.
3. Soothing Digestive Issues
Lemon balm is one of those herbs that’s just as good for your belly as it is for your mind. If you’ve ever had that uncomfortable bloated, gassy, or crampy feeling after a meal, a warm cup of lemon balm tea can help calm things down. It works by relaxing the muscles in the digestive tract, which can ease spasms and help things move more smoothly.
It’s also a nice remedy for occasional nausea or an upset stomach, especially when paired with peppermint or ginger. I like to keep a little jar of dried lemon balm in the kitchen for those just-in-case moments after dinner.
After-Meal Tummy Tea
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- 1 teaspoon dried peppermint
- 1 slice of fresh ginger (or a pinch of dried)
- 1 cup hot water
Steep the herbs and ginger in hot water for 10 minutes, then strain and sip slowly. You can drink this after meals to prevent bloating or anytime your stomach feels off.
4. Supporting Focus and Mental Clarity
Believe it or not, lemon balm it can also help you think more clearly. That’s one of the reasons I love it. It takes the mental “static” down a notch so you can focus without feeling jittery like you might with coffee. Some people even find it helps with memory, especially when used regularly.
It pairs especially well with green tea or rosemary if you’re looking for a gentle mental boost without the crash. I like to make a morning blend when I need to focus on work or writing, especially during stressful days when my brain is all over the place.
Focus Tea Blend
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or a small sprig of fresh)
- 1 green tea bag (optional for a little caffeine)
- 1 cup hot water
Steep everything together for 5–7 minutes. If you’re using green tea, don’t steep too long or it’ll get bitter. This blend helps clear the mental fog and gives you a calm kind of focus. You won't feel wired, just sharp and steady.
5. Easing Headaches and Tension
When a headache starts creeping in, especially the kind caused by stress or tension, lemon balm can be a gentle, natural way to get some relief. It works by calming the nervous system and helping to relax tight muscles, which can ease the pressure that's building in your head or neck.
For mild headaches, sipping lemon balm tea might be enough on its own. You can also combine it with other herbs like feverfew or peppermint if you need something a little stronger. And if you prefer topical remedies, a cooled lemon balm tea bag or compress on your forehead can feel amazing.
Headache-Soothing Tea
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- 1 teaspoon dried peppermint
- ½ teaspoon dried feverfew (optional, but effective)
- 1 cup hot water
Steep for 10–15 minutes, then strain and sip slowly in a quiet, dim space. If you can, lie down with a cool cloth or an herbal compress across your forehead while you drink. It makes a big difference.
6. Cold Sore Relief
While lemon balm is great in tea, it also works wonders as a topical remedy, especially for cold sores. It has natural antiviral properties, particularly against the herpes simplex virus (which causes cold sores), and can help speed up healing while reducing pain and redness.
You can dab cooled lemon balm tea directly on a cold sore using a cotton ball, or make a simple balm or salve to keep on hand for flare-ups. The key is to apply it as early as possible, ideally right when you feel that first tingle.
Simple Lemon Balm Cold Sore Balm
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup dried lemon balm
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon beeswax pellets
Instructions:
- Gently warm the lemon balm and olive oil in a double boiler for about 30–60 minutes, keeping the heat low.
- Strain out the herbs and return the infused oil to the pot.
- Add beeswax and stir until melted.
- Pour into a small tin or jar and let it cool.
Apply a little bit directly to the cold sore several times a day. It’s gentle, effective, and totally natural.
7. Immune System Support
While lemon balm isn’t the first herb that comes to mind for fighting off colds, it does have some light antiviral properties that can give your immune system a helpful nudge. It's especially useful if you're feeling run-down or like you're coming down with something, and it pairs nicely with stronger immune herbs like elderflower, echinacea, or yarrow.
What makes lemon balm stand out is that it supports your immune response without being overly stimulating. It’s gentle enough to sip throughout the day and can help calm inflammation and soothe the body while your immune system does its thing.
Immune-Boosting Lemon Balm Tea
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- 1 teaspoon dried elderflower
- ½ teaspoon dried yarrow (optional)
- 1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
- 1 cup hot water
Steep everything (except the honey) for 10–15 minutes. Strain and stir in honey if you like. You can drink this a couple of times a day during cold season or when everyone around you is getting sick.
8. Soothing Bug Bites and Skin Irritations
Lemon balm is a lifesaver during bug season. Its natural anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties make it great for calming itchy bites, minor rashes, or irritated skin. If you’ve been out in the garden or hiking through the woods and come back scratched up or bitten, lemon balm can help take the sting out.
You can apply a strong tea as a compress, or make a simple salve to keep in your first aid kit. It's especially helpful for mosquito bites, mild poison ivy, or any spot that needs a little soothing.
Lemon Balm Bite Soother (Compress)
- 2 tablespoons dried lemon balm
- 1 cup hot water
Steep the lemon balm for 15–20 minutes to make a strong infusion. Let it cool, then soak a clean cloth or cotton pad in the tea and apply it to the irritated area for 10–15 minutes. You can repeat a few times a day as needed.
9. Supporting Liver Health
Your liver does a lot of behind-the-scenes work like filtering toxins, processing hormones, and keeping your whole system in balance. While lemon balm isn’t the most powerful liver herb out there, it does offer gentle support thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It may help protect liver cells and support overall function, especially when combined with other liver-loving herbs like dandelion root or milk thistle.
This isn’t a quick fix for serious liver issues, but if you’re looking to give your body a gentle reset, maybe after a period of stress, poor sleep, or too much junk food, a lemon balm tea or infusion can be part of that routine.
Liver-Friendly Lemon Balm Blend
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- 1 teaspoon dried dandelion root (roasted or raw)
- ½ teaspoon dried milk thistle seed (lightly crushed)
- 1½ cups hot water
Steep the herbs for 15–20 minutes, then strain and sip. You can drink this blend once a day for a week or two to help support your system. Add a little lemon juice if you want to boost the detox support even more.
10. Supporting Thyroid Health (With Caution)
Lemon balm has traditionally been used to help calm an overactive thyroid, especially in cases of mild hyperthyroidism or Graves’ disease. Some herbalists believe it works by gently slowing down the thyroid’s activity and calming symptoms like anxiety, heart palpitations, and nervous energy. That said, this is one of those uses where it’s important to be cautious and not go it alone if you’re dealing with a thyroid condition.
If you have an overactive thyroid and are working with a practitioner, lemon balm might be one of several herbs they recommend as part of your routine. But if you have hypothyroidism or a sluggish thyroid, it’s best to avoid using it in large or consistent amounts, since it could make things worse.
Lemon Balm Tea for Thyroid Support (if appropriate)
- 1 teaspoon dried lemon balm
- ½ teaspoon dried bugleweed (optional, another traditional herb for overactive thyroid)
- 1 cup hot water
Steep for 10–15 minutes, then strain and drink. This blend may help calm some of the nervous system symptoms tied to an overactive thyroid . But again, always check with your healthcare provider first.
11. Natural Stress Relief During the Day
Some herbs are great for knocking you out at night, but lemon balm shines during the day, especially when life feels like a nonstop to-do list. It helps you feel calm and collected without making you sleepy, which makes it perfect for daytime stress relief.
You can brew a big batch of tea in the morning and keep it in the fridge for a refreshing iced version, or just sip it warm in quiet moments. I like to think of it as herbal emotional support.
Chill-Out Lemon Balm Iced Tea
- 2 tablespoons dried lemon balm (or a handful of fresh)
- 3 cups hot water
- A few slices of lemon or cucumber (optional)
- Raw honey to taste
Steep the lemon balm in hot water for 15–20 minutes, then strain and chill. Add lemon or cucumber slices if you like, and sweeten to taste. Keep it in the fridge and drink throughout the day for a steady, calming effect.
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