dōTERRA Melissa Essential Oil - 5ml
dōTERRA Melissa Essential Oil - 5ml
Melissa, also known as lemon balm, is steam distilled from the leaf and flowering top of Melissa officinalis, largely produced at a dedicated doTERRA facility in Dobrich, Bulgaria. It's one of the most expensive oils on the shelf for a simple, honest reason: the plant yields very little oil relative to its size, so a large weight of leaf goes into every small bottle — by some estimates, several thousand pounds of Melissa leaf for a single pound of oil.
The aroma is delicate and lemony-herbaceous, lighter and less sharp than Lemongrass or Citronella, with a soft green depth that only becomes obvious once you compare it side by side with other lemon-scented oils. It's a genuinely subtle smell, easy to miss if you're expecting something as bold as its price tag might suggest.
Because so little oil comes from so much plant material, one drop in a diffuser is usually plenty, ideally blended with something else rather than used alone. It's sold here in a 5ml bottle rather than the usual 15ml, which is typical for oils this rare.
Why people choose it
- Delicate, lemony-herbaceous aroma, lighter than Lemongrass or Citronella
- Steam distilled from the leaf and flowering top of Melissa officinalis
- Produced at a dedicated doTERRA facility in Dobrich, Bulgaria
- One of the most expensive oils in the range, simply because so little oil comes from so much plant material
- Sold in a 5ml bottle rather than the usual 15ml, reflecting how rare it is
How it smells
Delicate and lemony-herbaceous, softer and less sharp than Lemongrass or Citronella, with a subtle green depth.
How to use it
- In a diffuser
- One drop in a diffuser is usually plenty, blended with something else rather than used alone.
- On skin
- Dilute well with a carrier oil before applying — a little goes a long way given how concentrated and rare the oil is.
- Dilution
- One drop of Melissa to four or five drops of fractionated coconut oil for topical use.
- Worth knowing
- The aroma is genuinely subtle, so don't expect it to announce itself the way a citrus or mint oil would.
Details
- Botanical name
- Melissa officinalis
- Plant part
- Leaf and flowering top
- Extraction
- Steam distillation
- Key compounds
- Citral, Beta-caryophyllene
- Size
- 5 ml
Safety
Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing or under a doctor's care, speak to your practitioner before use. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears and sensitive areas. Dilute with a carrier oil for topical use.
This information is for general use and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or nursing, speak to your GP, midwife or pharmacist.
Blends well with
Common questions
Why is Melissa so much more expensive than other oils?
The plant produces very little oil for its size, so a large amount of Melissa leaf is needed for even a small bottle — one of the highest plant-to-oil ratios doTERRA works with.
What does Melissa smell like?
Delicate and lemony-herbaceous, softer and less sharp than Lemongrass or Citronella, with a subtle green depth underneath.
Why is it sold in 5ml rather than 15ml like other oils?
Because so little oil comes from the plant, a smaller bottle keeps it more accessible than a full 15ml would be.
What does it blend well with?
A soft floral such as Lavender lets its delicate side come through, since anything too bold will easily overpower it.
Where is doTERRA's Melissa produced?
At a dedicated facility in Dobrich, Bulgaria.