Salve
Lemon balm lip balm
Lemon balm is one of the few herbs where the research agrees with your grandmother. Creams with melissa have been shown to reduce swelling and shorten an outbreak, and it works best if you catch it early.
The balm takes two weeks to make, because the oil has to steep. So make it now, while the plant is standing, and keep it in your bag for the day your throat turns scratchy and your lip starts to prickle.
That is the whole point: you cannot make it once you need it.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp dried lemon balm
- 100 ml almond oil
- 1 tbsp beeswax, grated or in pastilles
Equipment
- Airtight jar
- Cloth or coffee filter
- Small pan for a water bath
- Small tins or lip balm tubes
Method
- 1
Step 1: make an oil infusion by letting 4 tbsp dried lemon balm steep in 100 ml almond oil in an airtight jar in a sunny window for 2 weeks, shaking daily.
- 2
Step 2: strain the oil, melt 1 tbsp beeswax in a water bath, stir in the oil, and pour into a small container while liquid.
- 3
Apply at the first tingling signs, and preventively in stressful or sunny periods.
Dosage
Apply at the first prickling sign, and several times daily after that.
Use a cotton bud or a clean finger, and work one way only, from the centre outwards. That way you do not move the virus around.
Can also be used preventively in periods of stress or strong sun.
Shelf life
9-12 months, dark and cool. If the oil smells rancid, discard it.
Safety
Almond oil is a nut. If you have a nut allergy, use sunflower or olive oil instead.
Melt beeswax over a water bath, never directly on the heat. Hot oil causes nasty burns.
Do not use the same cotton bud twice, and never dip a used finger back into the jar. That moves the virus back into the balm.
If your outbreaks come very often, sit close to the eye, or last longer than two weeks, speak with your doctor. Antiviral medication exists and works.
A first-ever outbreak, high fever, or an outbreak in a small child belongs with a doctor.
How the herbs work
Lemon balm contains rosmarinic acid and other polyphenols that hinder the herpes virus from entering cells. It is one of the best-studied plants for cold sores, and melissa creams have shown both less swelling and shorter outbreaks in studies.
The effect is greatest if applied at the very first prickling sign, before the blister breaks through.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.