Making lemon balm oil at home is straightforward: you steep dried lemon balm leaves in a carrier oil for several weeks, then strain. The result is an herb-infused oil you can use on skin, in balms, or as a base for other remedies. This is different from lemon balm essential oil, which requires industrial steam distillation and roughly 5,000 pounds of plant material to produce a single pound of oil. What you’re making is an infused oil, and it captures many of the same beneficial compounds in a gentler, more practical form.
Infused Oil vs. Essential Oil
When people search for “lemon balm oil,” they usually mean one of two things. Essential oil is a highly concentrated extract produced through steam distillation. It’s potent, expensive, and not something you can make in a home kitchen. Infused oil is made by soaking plant material in a base oil like olive or jojoba, allowing the oil-soluble compounds to transfer over time. The infused version is milder but still carries meaningful amounts of the herb’s active ingredients, including rosmarinic acid and citral, the compound responsible for lemon balm’s citrusy scent.
Lemon balm leaves contain about 11% polyphenol compounds by dry weight, including roughly 4% rosmarinic acid. In oil infusions, the fat-soluble components transfer into the carrier oil, giving you a product that retains real therapeutic value without the intensity (or cost) of a distilled essential oil.
Why Dried Leaves Matter
The single most important step is starting with fully dried lemon balm. Fresh leaves contain water, and water trapped in oil creates the perfect environment for mold and bacteria. Your infused oil can spoil within days if moisture is present.
To test dryness, crumble a leaf between your fingers. If it snaps and crumbles easily, it’s ready. If the leaf bends, feels leathery, or is still flexible, it needs more drying time. You can air-dry lemon balm by hanging small bundles upside down in a warm, well-ventilated spot for about a week, or use a dehydrator on a low setting. The goal is completely brittle leaves with no residual moisture.
What You Need
- Dried lemon balm leaves: About 1/4 ounce for a half-pint jar, loosely filling it halfway.
- Carrier oil: Olive oil is the most common choice. Jojoba and sweet almond oil also work well, especially for skin applications. Pick an oil with a long shelf life.
- A glass jar with a tight-fitting lid: Mason jars work perfectly. Avoid plastic, which can leach into the oil over time.
- Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer: For filtering out the plant material when the infusion is finished.
Cold Infusion Method (Recommended)
This is the most popular approach and produces the best-quality oil. Crumble your dried lemon balm leaves and place them in the glass jar, filling it about halfway. Pour carrier oil over the leaves until they’re fully submerged, leaving as little air space at the top as possible. Air in the jar increases the chance of mold growth.
Seal the jar tightly and place it in a dark, room-temperature spot for 4 to 6 weeks. Give the jar a gentle shake every day or two to help the compounds release evenly into the oil. Some herbalists prefer a “solar infusion” variation, placing the jar in a sunny windowsill to let warmth speed the process. Solar infusion can reduce the steeping time slightly, but direct sunlight also risks degrading some of the more delicate compounds.
After the infusion period, strain the oil through cheesecloth into a clean jar, squeezing the plant material to extract as much oil as possible. Discard the spent leaves.
Quick Heat Method
If you don’t want to wait a month, a double boiler speeds up the process considerably. Place your jar of leaves and oil (or a heat-safe bowl) over a pot of simmering water. Keep the heat low enough that the oil warms gently but never reaches a boil. Maintain this for about 2 hours, checking periodically to ensure the water underneath stays at a simmer.
High heat will scorch the leaves and break down the beneficial compounds, so patience matters here. The oil should feel warm to the touch, not hot. Once finished, let it cool completely before straining through cheesecloth. The result is comparable to a cold infusion, though some herbalists feel the slow method produces a more complex final product.
Storing Your Lemon Balm Oil
Pour the strained oil into a dark glass bottle if you have one. Amber or cobalt bottles reduce light exposure, which slows the oil from going rancid. Store it in the refrigerator for the longest shelf life, roughly one month. You can also keep it in a cool, dark cabinet, but it may not last as long.
Label the bottle with the date you finished the infusion. If the oil develops an off smell, changes color dramatically, or looks cloudy, discard it. These are signs of spoilage, usually caused by residual moisture in the leaves or too much air exposure during the infusion period.
What Lemon Balm Oil Is Good For
Lemon balm has a long history of use for skin irritation and relaxation, and research supports some of these applications. The most studied topical use involves cold sores. Lemon balm oil shows strong antiviral activity against both types of herpes simplex virus. In lab studies published in Phytomedicine, lemon balm oil reduced viral plaque formation by over 97% for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 at very low concentrations. The oil appears to work by blocking the virus before it enters cells, and its fat-soluble nature helps it penetrate skin effectively.
Beyond cold sores, people commonly use lemon balm infused oil for minor skin irritation, as a calming massage oil, or as a base ingredient in homemade lip balms and salves. The rosmarinic acid in the leaves has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which is part of why lemon balm feels soothing on irritated skin.
Safety Considerations
Lemon balm oil is generally safe for topical use, though it can occasionally cause skin irritation. Test a small amount on your inner wrist before applying it to larger areas, especially if you have sensitive skin.
If you have a thyroid condition, use caution. Lemon balm may affect thyroid function, potentially lowering thyroid hormone levels and interfering with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. This applies primarily to oral consumption, but it’s worth being aware of if you plan to use the oil extensively.