Oh Sweet Melissa!

Such a pretty flower but when distilled it becomes a potent essential oil!  What is it?  Melissa.  Another common name is Lemon Balm.  This is one of the most expensive essential oils you can buy.  It is doTERRA's most expensive oil.  

But what do you use it for?  Why would I want to spend all that money on such a tiny bottle?  Why is it so darn expensive?  Those were questions I had before I really looked into buying this oil.  

The uses as listed by everythingessential.me

• Analgesic
• Antidepressant
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antispasmodic
• Antiparasitic
• Antiviral
• Digestive
• Sedative

Around my house, we have used it successfully for it's antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.   I have had a very very busy Feburary and ended up starting my March with feeling rundown and lousy.  Along with my OnGuard + soft gels, I applied a swipe or two of Melissa to a tingly spot on my lip .  It is day two and the pain is down.  The nasty flare up that I usually got from events leaving me overstressed, overtired and exposed to every germ my kids brought home from school has not happened.  

Dr. Hill states on everything essential.me "Because it has now been confirmed that essential oils do penetrate the cells in our body and Melissa is 60% a phenylpropanoid (an organic compound associated with the structural components of the body’s cellular walls).  Therefore, Melissa, with its antiviral property can inactivate a virus before it enters a cell.  This is important since a virus needs a host cell before it can multiply and do its damage in the body.  This makes Melissa very very effective against the herpes virus that 98% of us have."

Dr. Hill also notes that Melissa is a great oil for calming and an antidepressant.  By diffusing Melissa at night you can help with depression, anger, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cognitive impairments.  Layer with Frankincense for depression and Patchoili for other cognitive disorders.  

The biggest amazement I have seen with this oil has come from one of my IPC's.  Her son is an adorable little guy but had a rough start to life.  Just 3 months old and major skin issues started then snowballed into serious health concerns.  He had eczema but there was way more to it.  He was finally diagnosed with Red Skin Syndrome (RSS) and Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW).  After doing her research she found essential oils.  His mother contacted me and asked to buy some Melissa oil from me.  Knowing the cost, I was so afraid to tell her it would be expensive.  When I told her the price, she asked when I could meet her.  I was floored.  

She then shared this article from Spririt Newspaper with me and I just melted.  Good and bad.  Good in that I might be someone who was helpful for this adorable guy and bad because I never like to hear a story about a child who is sick.  I think I am like most mothers who just want the world filled with carefree, healthy kids.

His mom is quite a rockstar in making all sorts of awesome salves to help all sorts of issues.  Feel free to check her out Etsy.   She started by using Lemongrass.  She told me, "The lemongrass is what kicked the infection that 2 round of oral antibiotics, bactroban, chlorine baths etc, would not phase!"  Now she adds Melissa to the salve for its antihistamine properties.  I am happy to report this little guy looks and feels great.  He even is starting to just have those normal toddler issues like bumps and bruises from exploring his world.  It truly gives me chills to think how he is thriving.  Completely steroid and antihistamine free!  Read her full story in her own blog.  The pictures are amazing.

So why is it so expensive?  Because it is really difficult to produce.  3.5 to7.5 tons of plant material is needed to get just 1 pound of essential oil.  

If you are out shopping and find "Melissa" or "Lemon Balm" and it is really cheap, BEWARE.  More than likely it is a blend of Cintronella & Lemongrass.  It will smell similar but it will not work the same.

Melissa oil can irritate the skin so be cautious using on pregnant women, those with sensitive skin and children.  The great thing about this oil is that even in a diluted state, it is extremely effective.