Uses for Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a beautiful and flavorful perennial herb that has many great uses in your home, garden, and kitchen making it well worth getting to know this hearty and useful plant.
Lemon balm is part of the mint family and will quickly spread unchecked making it a great option for growing in pots to help control the spread.
Lemon balm grows well both indoors and out when provided with plenty of light. If you war debating growing this plant or adding it to your herb collection you may find these uses for lemon balm interesting.
Uses for lemon balm around the home
While lemon balm is a great addition to the kitchen it has plenty of uses that can make it a great addition to your home. Growing lemon balm is easy and is a great way to enjoy this fresh herb for everything from making your skin look its best to keeping bugs at bay.
Repel mosquitoes
Lemon balm being a member of the mint family naturally repels mosquitoes. You can grow lemon balm as a wonderful edging around your entertainment paces in your backyard or in pots to take advantage of this useful property or lemon balm in the live plant.
Make a strong lemon balm tea to use as a natural spray on bug repellent. Mixing in lavender and mint to this can make a wonderful smelling mist and skin cooling mist.
Use 30 drops Melissa Lemon Balm Essential oil mixed with teaspoons of witch hazel in a 4 oz spray bottle. Fill with water and shake well to make a simple homemade essential oil bug spray.
Treat bug bites with lemon balm
It is easy to treat bug bites with lemon balm to help speed healing and calm itching. Lemon balm naturally draws toxins out of the skin and reduces inflammation. When out in the garden or in a pinch you can crush fresh lemon balm to rub into your but bites.
At home when you have more time mix crushed lemon balm with bentonite clay to make a paste that will help pull out the toxins and release itching of annoying bug bites.
Use lemon balm to help treat acne
Clogged pores are no fun and acne can really kill your self-esteem. Have a spa day and make your own lemon balm and clay face mask. Mix 2 teaspoons bentonite clay, 1/2 teaspoon activated charcoal, 1/2 teaspoon witch hazel, and a pinch of lemon balm to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Place the mask on your face and let dry before washing away. Store any leftover lemon balm face mask in an air-tight container for use on bug bites.
Heal cold sores with lemon balm
Using a lotion or cream with lemon balm extract or even the essential oil can help speed up the healing of cold sores. This works best if applied at the early stages and can be a highly effective way to stop a developing cold sore in its tracks.
Fight stress and anxiety
Like other members of the mint family, lemon balm has been shown in studies to help reduce stress response and calm anxiety. for those that struggle with stress and anxiety, a simple cup of lemon balm tea at the end of the cay can help them relax and unwind.
Relieve insomnia
Similar to how lemon balm helps to fight stress and anxiety ou clan use lemon balm tea at the end of the day to help relax and unwind so you can fight insomnia and get a good night’s sleep. Diffusing lemon balm essential oil is a great way to help you fall asleep.
Settle your stomach
Just like with other herbs in the mind family you can use fresh mint tea to help settle your stomach and fight indigestion. Use lemon balm as a garnish to help provide your calm your stomach with your desert. In this study, they used lemon balm with sorbet. Like other mints, this can be great for nausea.
Uses for lemon balm in the kitchen
Lemon balm makes a great culinary herb that gives off a deep herbal flavor with a hint of lemon. If you want to add a bit of variety to your kitchen this is a great choice for growing.
This year we have added it to our indoor garden seeing the flooding and lack of sun has done a number on the garden we have decided to set up for summer and winter though I have hope that my potted plants will make it back outside this year for more than a day at a time.
Lemon Balm Tea
My favorite way to use lemon balm in my home with my family is in an infusion otherwise known as tea. Like other herbs in the mint family, lemon balm makes a great addition to your herbal tea collection.
This is a great option for in the evenings when I want everyone to settle down and relax. This was a great tool for helping to calm and relax my grandmother with dementia when she would start sundowning.
Lemon Balm In Salads
Salads made with a fresh lemon balm have a great springing flavor that really stands out. The deep green color and lemony flavor can mix up even our favorite salads. I love to mix in with baby spinach and strawberries. In your salads, you can use both the leaves and the blooms.
Lemon Balm Pesto
Make a new twist on pesto by blending lemon balm and oil together instead of basil. This will give you a light and lemony pesto that goes very well what poultry and fish.
Infused after with lemon balm
Infusing water is a great way to drink more water than your body needs to be healthy and strong. You can use lemon balm just like you do mint for infusing water. A great way to do this is with one of those infusing water bottles. This will give a light lemon-mint flavor to your water.
Herbed bread
Herb bread is one of my favorite ways to celebrate Lammas. Use your favorite bread recipe or even cheat and buy frozen dough. If you want more of a simple idea you can make herb topped cookies.
