Balm plant" generally refers to either lemon balm or bee balm, both of which are versatile herbs with culinary, medicinal, and aromatic uses. To use lemon balm, you can make soothing tea for digestion and stress, add fresh leaves to salads and desserts for a citrus flavor, or use it topically for insect bites and cold sores. For bee balm, you can also make tea or use petals as a garnish, but it's known for its antimicrobial properties, helping with infections, or as a poultice for burns and skin issues. How to Use Lemon Balm
- Tea:Steep fresh or dried, crushed leaves in hot water for 5-10 minutes to create a calming tea for anxiety, sleep, or an upset stomach.
- Culinary:
- Add chopped fresh leaves to salads, pesto, or fruit dishes for a lemony flavor. You can also infuse it into syrups or cocktails.
- Aromatherapy:
- Gently bruise and inhale the leaves to relieve stress and tension.
- Topical:
- Apply crushed leaves to insect bites, scrapes, or cold sores for their antibacterial and soothing properties. How to Use Bee Balm
- Tea & Steam:Brew fresh or dried leaves and flowers into a tea to help with colds, flu, and respiratory infections. For steam inhalation, add leaves and flowers to hot water and breathe in the vapors. Culinary:
- Sprinkle fresh flowers or leaves in salads and desserts, or use leaves as a substitute for mint or oregano.
- Skin Soother:
- Make a poultice or balm with crushed leaves to apply to minor burns, sunburns, or eczema.
- Mouthwash:
- Infuse the plant in water to create a mouthwash due to its antibacterial and disinfectant properties.
