Bee Balm Plant & Skin Disorders

Although there are plenty of plants that can cause skin conditions and irritation, such as poison ivy and poison oak, the bee balm plant has the opposite effect. Rather than cause skin disorders, bee balm helps alleviate them. Used as a topical treatment, this wild herb helps soothe infections and boils on the skin. It has other healing properties as well and is often used as an herbal tea.

What Is Bee Balm?

Bee balm is a wild herb closely related to the bergamot plant. It is often confused with the lemon balm plant, although they are not related. Bee balm is found in the wild and is characterized by its thin, brightly colored flower petals in red, pink and purple. It is a perennial wild flower and can be found in the eastern portion of North America. It is often used in gardens, although it can be found in forests and wooden areas as well.

How Bee Balm Helps Skin Disorders

The leaves of the bee balm plant have antiseptic properties. Because of these properties, the oils from the leaves inhibit the growth of microorganisms. This staves off infection and bacteria and is the main reason why so many people have used it to treat skin disorders.

How To Use Bee Balm on Skin

To adequately use the antiseptic powers of the bee balm plant, it is important to harvest fresh leaves. Crushing a few of these leaves will release the fragrant oils. These oils can then be rubbed on the infected skin. For best results, use the bee balm oils on skin disorders twice each day. Between applications, keep the skin clean and dry.

Bee Balm as a Tea

Bee balm plants can also be used as a tea. Although you can drink it recreationally, some people drink the tea because it has a diuretic property, which can help rid the body of toxins through urination. The red blossoms of the plant are dried and steeped to create the tea, which is often referred to as Oswego tea.

Other Uses for Bee Balm

Since the entire bee balm plant is edible, people have been using different parts of it in different ways. Because the flowers and leaves of the plant are highly aromatic, these parts can be dried and used as an in-home potpourri. Some even ingest the leaves of the bee balm plant to help relieve flatulence.