Cold sores are painful blisters that occur on the mouth. Related to the virus that causes genital herpes, it is also a recurrent condition. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a popular Ayurvedic herb clinically shown to be an effective natural remedy to treat genital herpes, has also proven to be useful in treating cold sores in clinical trials. ³⁴

In Ayurveda, lemon balm is often used in aromatherapy as a warming, clearing, and soothing herb to balance the vata dosha. ¹⁵ A study involving 66 people just beginning to develop a cold sore showed that using a cream that contained lemon balm significantly reduced symptoms (e.g., number and size of blisters and pain) compared to the participants who took the placebo. ³⁴ The study was also double-blinded, meaning that neither the study participants nor the researchers knew which patients were given the lemon balm cream and which were given the placebo until the study was finished. ³⁴