🌿 The Science of Lemon Balm and Lip Care

🌿 The Science of Lemon Balm and Lip Care

Aimee Cosentino

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is part of the mint family, easy to grow, and instantly recognisable for its fresh lemon scent. In fact, it’s sometimes a little too easy to grow — once it’s in the garden it has a habit of spreading. In permaculture, though, that’s not a problem; it’s abundance. A patch of lemon balm means I can harvest whenever I need, and whatever I don’t use still feeds the soil, supports pollinators, and fills a niche in the garden. Nothing is wasted, everything has a role. Lemon balm is a clear example of how abundance can be beneficial when you design with nature.

That’s why I keep it. Lemon balm is hardy, multipurpose, and self-sustaining — the kind of plant that earns its place in a permaculture garden. If I’m not feeling well, I’ll throw a few leaves in with ginger, hot water, and honey to make a tea. The same plant that ends up in my mug on those days is also great in balms and salves, because its soothing nature carries over to the skin. One plant, many functions.

And it’s not just me. Lemon balm has been used this way for centuries — brewed into teas, added to tonics, and applied to the skin — and it’s still showing up today in modern teas, supplements, and skincare products. Traditionally we know lemon balm is soothing, but how soothing is it really? That’s the kind of question science can help answer.

Over the past few decades, researchers have tested lemon balm more closely, and one area they’ve focused on is its use for cold sores (herpes labialis). A handful of clinical trials have looked at standardised, water-based lemon balm creams and gels applied directly to the lips at the first sign of symptoms, to see if the soothing effect holds up under scientific testing.

 


📖 What the research shows

  • Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs):

    • A study with 66 participants tested a cream containing 1% dried lemon balm leaf extract, applied four times daily at the first sign of a cold sore. By day two, those using the lemon balm cream had less redness, swelling, and discomfort than those using a placebo 【Koytchev et al., Phytomedicine, 1999】.

    • Another RCT with just over 100 people also found improvements in symptoms and recovery with lemon balm cream compared to placebo 【Wölbling & Leonhardt, Phytomedicine, 1994】.

    • A smaller trial compared a lemon balm gel, 5% acyclovir cream, and placebo. It didn’t find faster healing overall, but participants using lemon balm reported earlier relief of discomfort 【Shakeri et al., Jundishapur J Nat Pharm Prod, 2015】.

  • Lab studies:
    Water-based extracts of lemon balm contain compounds such as rosmarinic acid, which in laboratory tests make it harder for herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) to attach to skin cells 【Astani et al., Phytomedicine, 2014】. Lemon balm has also shown activity against HSV-2 in vitro, broadening its antiviral profile 【phytomorphology.com】.
    One lab report measured a selectivity index of 875 for Melissa extract — meaning it was highly potent against the virus while remaining safe for cells 【archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de】.

  • Systematic reviews:
    Reviews of herbal medicine for cold sores note that lemon balm, along with olive leaf, propolis, and other botanicals, shows promising but preliminary results with good safety profiles 【ivysci.com】. A 2022 review of Melissa officinalis concluded that the antiviral activity is consistent in the lab, but larger, better-designed human trials are still needed 【journals.sagepub.com】.

 


⚖ The limitations

It’s important to keep this in perspective:

  • These studies were small — usually 60 to 120 people.

  • They tested standardised, water-based extracts in creams or gels — not homemade infusions, balms, or glycerites.

  • Results were encouraging but mixed. Some showed quicker symptom relief, while healing-time results weren’t consistent.

  • Reviews all agree that more research is needed before firm conclusions can be made. As Examine.com puts it: lemon balm cream may be moderately effective, but it’s not a replacement for prescription antivirals when those are needed.

 


đŸŒ± What this means for us

The research suggests lemon balm extracts may help with cold sore symptoms, though the science isn’t strong enough to call it proven. What we do know — and see every day in the garden — is that lemon balm is safe, resilient, and easy to grow in abundance.

And that loops right back to why I value it in a permaculture garden. It’s abundant and beneficial — not just for me, but for the system as a whole. I can throw a few leaves into a ginger and honey tea when I’m under the weather, or work it into a balm or salve for skin care. At the same time, the plant is feeding bees, covering soil, and adding diversity.

If you’re curious to try lemon balm in a simple, everyday way, I make a small-batch lemon balm lip balms here on the farm. It’s not a medicine, but it is a natural, plant-based lip and skin soother that fits right in with the abundance this herb brings to a permaculture garden.

That’s the strength of permaculture thinking: a single plant offering multiple yields. It doesn’t replace pharmaceutical treatments, but it shows how everyday herbs can play a role in caring for ourselves while also supporting the wider system.

 


🔍 Key References

  • Koytchev R, Alken RG, Dundarov S. (1999). Melissa officinalis extract in the treatment of herpes simplex labialis: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study. Phytomedicine, 6(4), 225–230.

  • Wölbling RH, Leonhardt K. (1994). Local therapy of herpes simplex with dried extract from Melissa officinalis leaves. Phytomedicine, 1(1), 25–31.

  • Shakeri F, et al. (2015). Comparison of Melissa gel, acyclovir cream, and placebo in the treatment of herpes labialis. Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products, 10(1), e23018.

  • Astani A, Reichling J, Schnitzler P. (2014). Melissa officinalis extract inhibits attachment of herpes simplex virus in vitro. Phytomedicine, 21(3), 366–371.

  • Herbal Medicine for Treating Herpes Labialis: A Systematic Review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020.

  • Antiviral Properties of Melissa officinalis L. SAGE Open Medicine, 2022.

  • Melissa officinalis extract against HSV: Selectivity index and in vitro potency. Heidelberg Archive.

 

 

⚠ Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Products from Cedar Springs Homestead are offered as cosmetics and self-care items, not therapeutic goods.