Clary sage oil is a steam distilled extract of the petals and leaves of the purple coloured clary sage plant, native to the Mediterranean, a relative of the common garden sage herb. It has been used in European perfumery for centuries, but is mysterious and promising in many other ways.
While clary sage (Salvia sclarea) essential oil has never been tested on acne directly, it is rich in the antibacterial alpha-terpineol, a monoterpene alcohol which was can suppress propionibacterium acnes colonies and is partially why tea tree oil ends acne so well. The predominant compounds of clary sage oil are linalyl acetate and linalool, identically to lavender oil, and lavender essential oil can increase collagen formation in wounds and suppress pro-inflammatory chemicals behind acne called neutrophils on the skin’s surface.
In fact, clary sage oil has some particularly strange and unpredictable abilities; one study found that inhaling its scent lowered bloodstream levels of the stress hormone cortisol in menopausal woman. It even made the women happier, increasing the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. In an animal study, meanwhile, clary sage oil significantly lowered stress levels in rats forced to undergo a strenuous swim test.
But which is the best brand? That’s what we’ll find out today. Synthetic products are lurking, since clary sage oil is more expensive than average, meaning that if you’re here for this oil’s unique herbaceous, floral and woody smell, it’s particularly important to avoid a mass-produced chemical substitute.
Also remember to never ingest clary sage oil orally; inhaling the scent is the limit. Test a patch of skin on your arm before applying it topically, to guarantee that you won’t have a reaction.
Let’s get started:
One – Plant Therapy
Quite possibly the best clary sage oil in the world today. Plant Therapy leaves no stone unturned in their endless pursuit of purity.
The bottle contains just one ingredient: clary sage essential oil. Plant Therapy never uses hexane or other harsh chemical solvents to extract the oil from the leaves, instead opting for the steam distillation method, which is both safer and preserves more of the clary sage plant’s compounds.
Plant Therapy tests every batch for purity and uses the strictest quality controls. Better yet, Plant Therapy has been tested in a laboratory by world renowned essential oil expert Dr Robert Tisserand, and he said that it had a “beautiful musky-sweet-herbal odor profile“, with the key compounds being present. Plant Therapy is therefore confirmed to be authentic and not a chemically synthesised substitute. A GC/MS lab report is available on Plant Therapy’s website for anyone to view.
The smell is properly natural, having a fruity, earthy and floral aroma which is both herbaceous and nutty according to the company. Plant Therapy also comes in a dark, amber glass bottle, which is vital for sunlight protection. The clary sage flowers originate from France, with the oil extracted from the leaves and flowering tops as it should be.
Finally, Plant Therapy contains the correct subspecies, Salvia sclarea. There’s countless different members of the sage family, all with varying nutritional profiles, so always look for the small-print on the bottle.
Are you making a clary sage-flavoured perfume, or experimenting with its skincare powers? Then Plant Therapy is unbeatable.
Amazon link: Plant Therapy Clary Sage Essential Oil.
Two – Rocky Mountain Oils
Rocky Mountain Oils is another expertly formulated clary sage oil. Their ingredients list simply reads “100% Pure Clary Sage Essential Oil“, which is extracted from the plant’s flowers and leaves. Like Plant Therapy, Rocky Mountain is steam-distilled, essentially a process where the leaves and flowers are boiled to produce vapour, which then condenses separately into a dense liquid.
A quick glance will reveal that Rocky Mountain Oils uses a dark, amber bottle, to prevent damage from the sun’s rays. Dark amber is the colour which keeps the most wavelengths of UV radiation out, while plastic tends to melt in the sunlight and leech chemicals, meaning that glass is preferable. In fact, defenses against sunlight are particularly vital with clary sage oil, because like lavender oil, it’s rich in linalyl acetate, a fragile molecule which turns from good to evil quickly when oxidised.
Yet another advantage is Rocky Mountain’s trustworthy reputation, also selling some of the purest eucalyptus and lavender oils. Every batch is tested for purity, with GC/MS lab reports available on their website, while it’s from the correct Salvia sclarea species. The scent is described as sweet, herbal and slightly flora, and despite its high quality, Rocky Mountain Oils is also fairly affordable.
Rocky Mountain Oils is among the most reliable and trustworthy clary sage oils available.
Amazon link: Rocky Mountain Oils Clary Sage Oil.
Three – Simply Earth
Simply Earth is non-diluted, featuring only pure clary sage oil. According to their website, the oil has a shelf life of 4 years if stored in correct conditions. Simply Earth uses the Turkestanica variation of the clary sage flower, which stands 1 metre tall and has small, bluish-purple flowers with large hair leaves.
Simply Earth comes in a 15ml bottle. It’s affordable, but not too cheap; cheapness is a sign of synthesised, mass-produced chemical substitutes which the manufacturers are using to cash in quickly. True clary sage is always one of the more expensive essential oils, compared to lavender oil or tea tree oil. Simply Earth also features the classic dark amber glass bottle, which is superior to blue or light yellow.
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In terms of its features, Simply Earth is equally as great as Plant Therapy and Rocky Mountain Oils, featuring the usual GC/MS lab report on their website which anyone can view. According to reviews, the smell fells like walking through a grassy meadow, a sure sign that this clary sage oil is expertly produced. There are no reports of odd chemical smells like with poorer brands. Last but not least, Simply Earth is the correct Salvia sclarea species, and the source flowers are grown in France.
Link: buy it from their website.
Four – Artisan Aromatics
Artisan Aromatics is steam-distilled, sourced from Salvia sclarea, and comes in a 1oz bottle, for easily adding drops to perfumes, carrier oils, bathtubs, or whatever you want. It originates from France rather than China or Russia, and the bottle has the usual protective dark amber colour.
Artisan Aromatics is also an excellent oil company who sells one of the purest and most natural lavender oils (promising for boosting collagen). Several other companies have been exposed for selling synthetic products, whether deliberately or through accidentally using a dodgy supplier themselves, but like with this list’s remaining 4 oils, Artisan Aromatics is verified with GC/MS testing. There’s no adulteration, only transparency. Once again, you can view the full report on their website.
This oil is described as “sweet and floral, nutty and herbaceous“. Artisan Aromatics is reasonably affordable, without being suspiciously cheap.
Artisan Aromatics is a reliable clary sage oil brand which sacrifices no potency whatsoever.
Link: buy it on their website.
Five – Eden’s Garden
Eden’s Garden is another pure brand, with just one ingredient. There are no synthetic chemicals and fragrances in sight. The oil is extracted from the plant’s leaves and flowers, using the optimal steam distillation method.
Like Plant Therapy, Eden’s Garden originates in France, although the top exporter of clary sage worldwide is actually the warm plains of Southern Russia. According to Eden’s Garden, their clary sage oil smells like Earl Grey tea, sweet, herbaceous, and clean.
The botanical name is correct – Salvia sclarea. Their website has an independent GC/MS report available, which guarantees freedom from adulteration, and concluded that Eden’s Garden “meets the expected chemical profile for authentic essential oil of Salvia sclarea“.
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Eden’s Garden also features a dark, amber bottle for UV radiation protection, but they then take it to the next level, storing all clary sage oils in their own temperature controlled rooms with minimal light, to keep the beneficial compounds intact. The reviewers also give Eden’s Garden a particularly great smell report, describing it as “like wildflowers” and “earthy“.
Eden’s Garden is a flawless clary sage oil brand.
Amazon link: Eden’s Garden Clary Sage Essential Oil.
Conclusion
You might have deduced that fraudulent dealers are trying to wiggle their way into the clary sage oil market, just like with all other essential oils. There are many products which are synthesised in a laboratory floating around, or products containing a mixture of real and fake oils.
The rule is to avoid weirdly cheap products, and to simply read the user reviews. With carrier oils like rosehip seed oil, you might occasionally see stories of a rancid batch in the reviews, but that doesn’t mean that the whole product is dodgy; it could have simply been a one-off faulty delivery service. It could have been a phenomenon as simple as the grapeseed oil or rosehip oil having been stored and delivered during a heatwave, and the lorry driver leaving the back door open for too long…
…whereas with essential oils like tea tree oil and clary sage oil, an unpleasant chemical smell is something that only the manufacturer could have created, so it’s a much clearer indication to avoid the brand. Every brand here is trustworthy and reliable.
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Thanks for reading!