This Thursday I had soaps aplenty, and fresh bunches of spearmint and lemon balm for $2.
Lemon balm, also known as Melissa, is a mild and safe calming nervine, with anti-inflammatory and astringent properties from the high tannin and essential oil content, used to:
- soothe nervous tension,
- help relieve anxiety,
- lift the spirits,
- promote good sleep,
- relieve digestive disorders, such as nausea, cramps, and flatulence, especially when overanxiety causes digestive problems,
- help fight flu and colds, and the Herpes I and II viruses due to it's antiviral compounds,
- naturally repel insects, also helping to ease pain or itching from bites or stings,
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- help relieve headaches and migraine.
An infusion (freshly boiled water poured over the material and steeped, covered, for at least 10 minutes) can be made using a handful of fresh leaves (optimal), or a tablespoon or so of freshly dried leaves, crushed and steeped, covered, in 2-3 cups of freshly boiled water. You can drink this as a tea, or even pour it into a bath.
I had 3 new kinds of soap at this market:
- Calendula Armoise -
(Armoise = mugwort. A lovely plant in the Artemisia family)
- Comfrey + Tea Tree + Aloe -
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- Peppermint -
Peppermint soap with a French red clay swirl
