Melissa hydrolat

Box 7.25 shows the analysis of two samples of melissa hydrolat. Both samples are from reputable producers and illustrate variations in composition. These can be due to a variety of factors including the nature of the plant material used, the distillation parameters and the operating systems of the analytical method. 

Melissa officialis or lemon balm has a hydrolat with a lemony scent with a wide variety of both internal and external uses. Its culinary applications are widespread and other uses include skincare, insect bites, digestive disorders and menstrual problems. 

Melissa essential oil is expensive and difficult to distill as it contains many hydrophilic (water loving) molecules. This means that the correctly produced hydrolat has many of these molecules in its aqueous solution and its properties are similar to that of the essential oil. 

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