Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil

What it is

Sage oil is distilled from the leaves of Salvia officinalis, the culinary sage. Unlike clary sage it is rich in alpha- and beta-thujone, often 20 to 50% combined, together with camphor and 1,8-cineole. Thujone is neurotoxic at high oral doses, which is why sage oil is used only at very low levels in cosmetics and why aromatherapy practice treats it as one of the oils to handle carefully.

What it does well

• Antibacterial activity in laboratory studies

  Sage oil inhibits several bacteria in vitro, and it is sometimes used in deodorant-type products. The evidence for a meaningful effect at cosmetic concentrations is thin.

  Limited evidence

Worth knowing

• High thujone and camphor content

  Thujone's known toxicity comes from ingestion and high-dose exposure, not from a few hundredths of a per cent in a rinse-off mask. Nonetheless, sage oil is one of the essential oils that formulators deliberately keep at very low levels, and it is generally avoided in products for children.

  Matters most toPeople using concentrated sage oil at home, and anyone formulating for children.

• Can irritate sensitive skin

  Its camphor and cineole content makes it one of the sharper-smelling and more irritating herb oils on compromised skin.

  Matters most toPeople with eczema, rosacea or a damaged barrier.

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