Health Benefits of Sage Essential Oil and Safety Tips

The health benefits of Sage Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties as an antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antibacterial, cholagogue and choleretic, cicatrisant, depurative, digestive, disinfectant, emenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, laxative and stimulating substance.

Sage, or Salvia Officinalis, as it is known in botanical nomenclature system, is a well known and frequently heard name in the world of cosmetics, particularly in the field of skin care. Innumerable beauty treatment products claim that they contain the oil of sage, which is actually sage essential oil.

This essential oil is extracted by steam distillation of sage leaves and is constituted mainly of Aesculetinen, Alpha Humulene, Alpha Thujene, Alpha Thujone, Alpha Terpineol, Alpha Terpenines, Alpha Pinene, Alpha Maaliene, Aromadendrene, Beta Pinene, Beta Copaene, Beta Thujone, Borneol, Camphor, Cineole, Caryophyllene Oxide, Camphene, Delta Cadinenes, Linalool, Limonene, Myrcene, Ocimenes, Octenol, Paracymene, Para Cymenol, Salviol, Terpinenol, Thujanol and Terpinolene.

Health Benefits of Sage Essential Oil

This oil has a number of non-cosmetic medicinal uses which are listed below.

Antifungal: The presence of camphor and camphene in this essential oil gives it an antifungal property. This oil is capable of inhibiting fungal infections both internally and externally, and gives relief from fungal infections like dysentery, skin diseases, Athlete’s Foot, or dermatitis. This property is one of the causes behind its use in skin care products.

Antimicrobial: The components in sage essential oil which give protection against fungal infections also provide protection against microbial infections too. Therefore, you can protect small wounds or cuts from developing irritating or potentially dangerous infections.

Antibacterial: This oil is equally useful at countering bacterial infections, since it kills bacteria and inhibits their growth in the body. This property can also be used to heal ailments like bacterial infections in the ears, nose, throat, eyes, genitals, urethra, colon, intestines as well as on the skin and in wounds.

Antioxidant: This is perhaps the most valuable aspect of this essential oil and the reason behind its extensive use in anti-aging and skin treatment products. Antioxidants, as the name suggests, act against the oxidants or free radicals in the body, which are the main causes behind aging. These antioxidants slow down aging and prevent symptoms of aging like wrinkles, sagging skin and muscles, reduction in vision and hearing capabilities, malfunctioning of the brain, memory loss, degeneration of tissues, macular degeneration and nervous disorders.

Antiseptic: Since it has antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties, it serves as an antiseptic for wounds, surgical incisions, post natal injuries, ulcers, and sores.

Anti-inflammatory: It reduces inflammations on the skin, inflammations due to fever, and the entry of poisonous material in the blood stream. It also reduces the effects of excessive intoxicants and narcotics, ingestion of excessive salty or spicy food, influence of very hot winds etc. It helps cure inflammations in stomach, intestines and excretory tracts too.

Antispasmodic: This property of sage essential oil is useful in treating all problems that arise from spasms, including pain in the stomach, chest and intestines, as well as coughs, convulsions, and cramps.

Cholagogue & Choleretic: Both of these properties mean the same thing, which is a substance having that promotes the discharge of bile. This helps in digestion, soothing the stomach and improving the functionality of the whole digestive system against inflammations caused by excessive acids. It also neutralizes acids in the stomach and the blood stream, thereby providing relief from acidity and acidosis, which in turn protects us from peptic ulcers due to acidity, as well as from boils, eruptions and skin diseases that occur when acid levels rise in the blood.

Cicatrisant: This is yet another property which has made a strong place in the world of cosmetics as a key ingredient of anti-mark and anti-spot cream. This property helps eliminate scars, fat cracks, post-natal abdominal crack marks and after-spots left by boils, pox, and sores. This also helps in quick healing of wounds and incisions.

Depurative: Sage essential oil speeds up the removal of toxins from the blood through excretion or through sweating and thus purifies the blood, acting as a depurative.

Digestive: It acts as a digestive medicine in case of indigestion by facilitating the decomposition of food by promoting secretion of bile and gastric juices and by inhibiting microbial growth in the digestive system, which interferes with the digestive process.

Disinfectant: The antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiseptic properties of essential oil of sage make it an effective disinfectant, as it gives sound protection from both internal and external infections.

Emenagogue: This essential oil regularizes menstrual cycles and helps to relieve obstructed menses. This oil activates certain hormones, such as estrogen, which helps bring about clear menstruation and gives relief from problems like headaches, nausea, weakness, fatigue, depression, mood swings and other associated symptoms of periods.

Expectorant: It can give you relief from coughs, colds, and infections in your chest and respiratory tracts. It also provides relief from congestion that results from the common cold.

ebrifuge: Sage essential oil reduces fevers by fighting infections and reducing inflammation from fevers.

Laxative: It facilitates excretion and eliminates constipation by promoting the discharge of certain fluids, as well as stimulating the intestines.

Stimulant: If all the properties of this Essential Oil are to be described with a single term, then ‘Stimulant’ would be the appropriate one. Most of the properties it displays are different expressions of this property. It stimulates the brain, nervous system, liver, spleen, circulatory and excretory systems, thereby activating and optimizing them.

Other Benefits: Sage essential oil helps to manage dermatitis, herpes, psoriasis, sinusitis, asthma and bronchitis, accumulation of phlegm, cerebral palsy, depression, sciatica and lumbago as well as inducing mental stability, alertness.

A Few Words of Caution: Being a nervous stimulant, those with epilepsy, hysteria, or a history of either, should avoid using it. Furthermore, since it contains camphor and camphene, which are toxic in nature, it should be avoided during pregnancy.

Blending: Essential Oil of Sage blends well with the essential oils of Clary Sage, Geranium, Ginger, Lavender, Orange, Vetiver, Neroli, Rosemary and Tea Tree.

Is Sage Oil Safe?

Sage oil is dangerous only when used in high concentrations. Its thujone content, which is considered hazardous when isolated, does not pose any problem for its users if the oil is used moderately. Among other herbs that contain this chemical compound, sage is considered the most commonly used and safest. However, it is because of thujone that it shouldn't be used by people with sensitivities, or by children of all ages.

People who drink alcohol should avoid using sage oil, as it can heighten their intoxication. Pregnant women (the oil can cause uterine contractions) and nursing women (it can slow down breast milk production) should also avoid using it. Because it works as a stimulant, people with epilepsy or hysteria should also avoid using this essential oil.

To check if you are a good candidate to benefit from this essential oil, I suggest consulting a qualified aromatherapy practitioner or physician first.

Side Effects of Sage Oil

Sage oil should not be used or applied topically on the skin of individuals with skin problems because of potential irritations. Other reported side effects include inflammation of lips and lining of the mouth, kidney problems, rapid heartbeat, seizures, tremors, vertigo, vomiting and wheezing. To avoid the potential skin problems, I suggest using clary sage oil, which possesses similar beneficial properties but is milder.