Sage, Clary (organic)

Clary sage is often taken for a variant of garden sage. The two share a genus and little else. Salvia officinalis is a ketone oil built on thujone and camphor. Salvia sclarea is ester-led, closer in chemistry to lavender than to its namesake.

01 · Origin

A biennial of the mint family, native to the northern Mediterranean and western Asia. It carries broad, wrinkled leaves and tall spikes of lilac and white bracts. This oil is distilled in France from the flowering plant, grown under certified organic cultivation (DE-ÖKO-007).

02 · Chemistry

Linalyl acetate and linalool form the core, the same pairing that defines true lavender. Geranyl acetate and alpha-terpineol add a softer floral register. The sesquiterpenes germacrene-D and beta-caryophyllene supply the dry, faintly tobacco-like base that sets the oil apart from other ester-rich herbs.

03 · In Practice

Herbaceous and musky, with a sweet, hay-like warmth and a slightly bitter edge. A middle note in natural perfumery, long valued for its ambery depth. Massage blends, bath preparations, diffusion and olfactory study. Blends with bergamot, lavender, geranium, frankincense, sandalwood, cedarwood and jasmine.

General information: For external use only. Dilute before applying to skin. Keep away from heat and sunlight. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.