Lemon balm Melissa officinalis and Organic Melissa Water Hydrolina

Lemon balm: benefits for the skin and why its oil is among the most expensive

Lemon balm Melissa officinalis and Organic Melissa Water Hydrolina
A herb whose essential oil is among the most expensive in the world, while its hydrolat comes from the same distillation. Here is why.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) smells of lemon but is not a citrus. Its scent comes from citral and citronellal, joined by rosmarinic acid, among the most studied plant antioxidants. In cosmetics it is used for reactive skin that gets upset after sun, wind or over-active skincare. In our range it goes in as a pure hydrolat, in the cleansing face foam and in Hydrobiotic together with chamomile.
In this article

What lemon balm is and where its name comes from

Fresh leaves of lemon balm Melissa officinalis

Lemon balm is a perennial plant of the mint family, Lamiaceae, the same one lavender, peppermint and clary sage belong to. It grows as a bush up to about ninety centimetres, with square stems and opposite, heart-shaped, serrated leaves that give off a clear lemon scent when rubbed.

The Latin name Melissa comes from the Greek word for honey bee, and the explanation is literal: bees love its flowers so much that beekeepers traditionally rubbed new hives with lemon balm. The Bulgarian name, matochina, also comes from the beehive, from the queen bee.

The flowers are small, white to pale yellow, and appear in summer. The cosmetic value, however, is in the leaves, not in the flower.

How we grow and harvest lemon balm

Lemon balm field Melissa officinalis at sunset

Lemon balm is planted and stays in one place for years.

It is scythed before flowering, when the leaves are juiciest and the scent is clearest. Over the season the plant gives two, sometimes three cuts, and the quality of the first is usually the highest.

When it is scythed
Before flowering, early in the morning. After flowering the leaves coarsen and the scent weakens.
Which part
The leaves and the young tips. The glands with the essential oil are in them.
Two to three cuts
The plant recovers quickly. The first cut usually gives the best quality.
No waiting
The leaves blacken and overheat within hours. Distillation begins on the day of scything.

The actives in lemon balm and what they do

Lemon balm leaf Melissa officinalis close up
The glands with the essential oil sit on the surface of the leaf, not in the flower.

The lemon scent comes from citral, which is actually a mixture of two compounds: geranial and neral. Beside them stands citronellal, which adds the softer, grassy note.

Beyond the aromatic part, the most interesting is rosmarinic acid. It is a polyphenol common to the whole mint family and among the most studied plant antioxidants in cosmetics. Caffeic acid is present too.

Citral
A mixture of geranial and neral. The carrier of the lemon scent, without the plant being a citrus.
Citronellal
Adds a softer, grassy note to the aromatic profile.
Rosmarinic acid
A polyphenol with strongly studied antioxidant action.
Geraniol
A terpene alcohol also found in rose oil. Part of the sweet note.

The benefits of lemon balm for reactive skin

Smiling woman with the Natural Cleansing Foam with lemon balmApplying the cleansing foam with lemon balm to the face
Lemon balm has to cleanse without tightening. Hence its place in the foam.

The benefits of lemon balm are felt on skin that overreacts. This is not about dry skin and not about oily skin: it is about skin that flares up for no clear reason and calms down slowly.

The hydrolat is applied neat, on a clean face. It also works well in combination with chamomile, which is the reason the two sit together in one product.

Because of its gentle action, lemon balm is also suited to cleansing care, where the task is to cleanse without tightening.

See all products with lemon balm from our family

Lemon balm after sun

The second use is seasonal and is among the most sought-after in summer. After a long day in the sun the skin needs something cool and simple, not a rich cream.

A practice that works: keep the bottle in the fridge from June to September. Cold lemon balm hydrolat is among the most pleasant after-beach care, and applying it with a cotton pad is gentler than rubbing with the palm.

Oil and hydrolat from one and the same distillation

The column of the still, where the steam separates the essential oil

Lemon balm contains very little essential oil, well under one per cent of the fresh mass. During steam distillation the steam carries off the volatile compounds, and on cooling the oil separates on top as a thin layer. A large harvest is needed for a little oil, which is why true lemon balm oil is among the most expensive in the world and is often found on the market diluted or replaced with lemongrass.

The hydrolat is the other product of the same distillation. The water fraction comes out in a much larger quantity than the oil and carries the water-soluble part of the plant's volatile compounds. Organic Melissa Water - Hydrolina is precisely this water: from the same raw material, with nothing added and without dilution.

1
Scything. Before flowering, early in the morning.
2
Loading. The fresh mass goes into the still the same day.
3
Steam distillation. The steam carries the volatile compounds off the leaves.
4
Separation. The little oil is separated from the much larger water fraction.
5
Bottling. The hydrolat goes into the bottle, without preservatives and without dilution.
1
ingredient: Melissa Officinalis Flower Water
0
preservatives, colourants and fragrances
90
days shelf life after opening

Our products with lemon balm

Organic Melissa Water Hydrolina held in a hand
One ingredient on the label: Melissa Officinalis Flower Water.

Lemon balm goes into three stand-alone products and two long-term routines. In Hydrobiotic Chamomile, Melissa & Aloe Vera the two hydrolats are combined with a postbiotic complex from aloe vera. The fermented component is the added complex, not the product itself.

Free mystery giftFree mystery gift$0.00

See the whole range

Over 60 products from 11 plants, grown and distilled by us. Creams, shampoos, soaps, salts, essential oils and hydrolats.

See all productsHydrolats only

How to use lemon balm every day

1
Morning. On a clean face, morning and evening. Do not rinse.
2
For redness. Soak a cotton pad and hold it on the area for a minute.
3
Evening. With pronounced reactivity, add Hydrobiotic with chamomile before sleep.
4
In summer. Keep the bottle in the fridge and use it as after-sun care.

Benefits and precautions: who should take care

Patch test
Apply a small amount to the forearm and wait 24 hours before the first use on the face.
Take care with citral
Citral is among the allergens that are declared on the label. If you know you react to it, proceed with caution.
Hydrolat, not oil
The hydrolat is used neat. Lemon balm essential oil is always diluted in a carrier base.
Shelf life after opening
No preservatives. Store in a cool, dark place and use within 90 days of opening.

Herbal cosmetics are care, not treatment. With a skin condition that does not go away, consult a dermatologist.

Frequently asked questions

The InaEssentials family in the flowering field
Our family in the lavender field. Ask us: we answer every question about the herbs we grow ourselves.
Why does lemon balm smell of lemon if it is not a citrus?
The scent comes from citral, a mixture of geranial and neral, the same compounds present in citrus peel. The plant, however, belongs to the mint family, a relative of peppermint and lavender, not of the lemon.
Why is lemon balm essential oil so expensive?
Because the plant contains very little oil relative to its fresh mass. A large harvest is needed for a small amount of oil, which multiplies the price. The hydrolat comes from the same distillation, but the water fraction comes out in a much larger volume and carries the water-soluble part of the volatile compounds.
What is the difference between lemon balm and chamomile for sensitive skin?
The two complement each other. Chamomile is the classic choice for redness and itching, while lemon balm works more for skin that tires and reacts to external factors. That is why in Hydrobiotic they sit together, not one instead of the other.
Related articles
About the InaEssentials family
The InaEssentials family among the wild chamomile

InaEssentials is a Bulgarian family brand for natural and organic cosmetics. The family has over 25 years of experience in growing essential-oil crops on its own fields, and its products combine centuries-old tradition with the modern and the innovative. A closed production cycle is used - the family controls the whole process, from planting to production and bottling, to ensure the highest quality.

You can find more about the family's journey and the farm on the About us page.

Important information and sources
  • European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products, monograph on Melissa officinalis.
  • Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament on cosmetic products.
  • Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products.
  • Ingredients and prices are as shown on the InaEssentials product pages as of September 2026.

This article was prepared with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the InaEssentials team.

The information in this article is educational and does not constitute medical advice. InaEssentials products are cosmetics, not medicines, and are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. For a skin or any other health complaint, consult a doctor. During pregnancy, breastfeeding and for children, consult a specialist before introducing a new cosmetic product.

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