Formulations:

Oral: Lemon balm can be taken as an herbal tea (dried, broken-up herb infused in boiling water), as powdered dried herb, as a tincture, as a liquid extract of the dry herb, or as a dried liquid extract.

Topical: A cream or ointment formulated with liquid or dried extract can be applied directly to the skin. Alternatively, a cotton ball soaked in lemon balm tea can be applied to the skin.

Aromatherapy: Lemon balm essential oil’s odor can be inhaled, or the oil can be diluted in a carrier oil and used for aromatherapeutic massage.

Note that while lemon balm extracts are taken orally, lemon balm oil is not taken orally; animal studies suggest that it is moderately toxic.^[1]

Range of dosages studied:

Oral:

• As dried leaf, herb for tea, or extract: 700 mg to 4 grams/day.^[2]
• Standardized extracts: 400 to 600 mg daily in divided doses;^[3][4] dried extract providing 500 mg/day of rosmarinic acid;^[5][6] as a single, one-time dose, 300–1600 mg of dried ethanolic extract.^[7][8]
• Liquid extract: 60 drops/day of hydroalcoholic extract.^[9]

Topical: 1% cream or gel, applied two to five times daily.^[10][11]

Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy with lemon balm essential oil (also known as balm oil) has been used in clinical trials as follows: (a) 2–3 drops on cotton, held near the face and inhaled for 30 minutes to 2 hours;^[12][13][14] (b) diluted in a carrier oil (2–10%) and applied or massaged onto the skin twice a day.^[14]

Effective Dosages:

General:

Adults: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published the following dosage guidance for lemon balm in adults, based on traditional and community use:^[15]

Adapted from: Community herbal monograph on Melissa officinalis L., folium. European Medicines Agency, 2013.

Lemon balm extracts may be standardized on the content of one of lemon balm’s constituents, often rosmarinic acid (RA).^[12] For comparison, lemon balm herbal tea prepared with hot water contains about 11 mg of rosmarinic acid per 100 mL (about half a cup) of tea,^[16] and lemon balm leaf contains 4–86 mg of rosmarinic acid per gram of dried leaf.^[17][18]

Pregnant and lactating adults: The EMA does not recommend using lemon balm in pregnant and lactating adults due to a lack of data.^[15] However, with respect to lactation, the American National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has noted that, while there’s no data on whether or how much any components of lemon balm are expressed in breastmilk, the herb itself has been safely used in infants, and thus any (probably lesser) amounts in breastmilk are probably not harmful.^[19]

Children: The EMA does not recommend using lemon balm medicinally in children younger than 12 due to a lack of data.^[15]

Oral herpes: (Adults) Apply 1% cream five times daily to the affected areas at the first sign of a possible outbreak (tingling).^[10]

Other Considerations: Please see the cautions under What are lemon balm’s drawbacks? below.