Bright lemony-citral freshness over a green, herbal, faintly honeyed base. Less sharp than lemon oil, more complex than lemongrass. The citronellal component adds a soft, rosy-citrus quality. Like crushing a handful of lemon balm leaves in a warm garden — bright, green, gently sweet, with the hum of bees implied.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Bright lemon-citral, green herbal, honeyed
After a few hours
After a few hours
Softer, more herbal, less citrus, warm green
After a few days
After a few days
Faint herbal-green trace, mostly dissipated
Terroir & Origins
Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.
The Full Story
Melissa (Melissa officinalis, lemon balm) flower refers to the blossoming stage of this common Lamiaceae herb. The essential oil is one of perfumery's most expensive — true melissa oil costs $5,000-10,000 per kilogram because the plant yields only 0.01-0.05% oil on steam distillation, making it one of the lowest-yielding aromatic plants.
The volatile profile is dominated by citral (neral + geranial), citronellal, beta-caryophyllene, and germacrene D. The citral content gives melissa its characteristic lemon-like brightness, while the sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene, germacrene) provide herbal depth and green warmth.
Melissa officinalis is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. The name derives from the Greek for honey bee — the flowers are intensely attractive to pollinators. Due to the oil's extreme cost, most commercial melissa oil is adulterated with lemongrass or citronella — pure melissa is rare.
In perfumery, melissa provides a citrus-herbal top note that is greener, more complex, and less sharp than lemon oil. It suggests a Mediterranean herb garden.
This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
Melissa officinalis produces so little essential oil that it takes an estimated 3 to 7 tonnes of fresh herb to yield a single kilogram — making it roughly 100 times less productive than lavender per hectare.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Steam distillation of fresh Melissa officinalis herb (leaves and flowering tops). Yield: 0.01-0.05% — among the lowest of any commercial essential oil. Approximately 3,000-7,000 kg of fresh herb needed for 1 kg of oil. Due to extremely low yield, true melissa oil is a frequently adulterated essential oils, often cut with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) or citronella.
Small white to pale yellow labiate flowers on square stems; intensely lemony scent
In Perfumery
Melissa oil functions as a citrus-herbal top note — one of perfumery's most expensive naturals at $5,000-10,000/kg due to 0.01-0.05% distillation yield. Citral (neral + geranial) provides lemon brightness; beta-caryophyllene and germacrene D add herbal-green depth. Used in fine fragrances requiring a natural, complex citrus-herbal opening. Most commercial melissa oil is adulterated — true melissa is verified by sesquiterpene ratios. Works in aromatic, herbal, and Mediterranean-inspired compositions.
