Clary Sage Essential Oil

Clary Sage has a wide variety of medicinal properties including antibacterial, antispasmodic, astringent, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also an effective nerve tonic and sedative which may help treat a variety of emotional issues like stress, depression and insomnia.

Recent research has found that it is especially helpful for women to deal with the symptoms of menstruation like cramps and hot flashes.
Other uses of Clary Sage are: Labour pain and to induce labour, to balance hormones, for circulation and blood pressure, stress, insomnia, infections, leukaemia, skin health, hair and eye health...

HOW TO USE:

For menstrual cramps and pain, dilute 4 or 5 drops of clary sage with an appropriate amount of a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba oil then massage it into the affected area.
For your skin care needs, again you should dilute the clary sage oil with a suitable carrier oil and apply it to the areas of skin that need your attention.
For your hair, add a few drops of essential oil to your normal shampoo and wash as usual. Alternatively add a few drops to an equal amount of coconut oil and massage it into your hair several times a week.
For stress and depression, you can try inhaling the oil directly from a handkerchief or via a diffuser machine. For insomnia try diffusing clary sage near your bed before you turn in for the night.
4 or 5 drops of clary sage essential oil added to a tub of hot water can help relieve tension, ease joint and muscle pain and may even be helpful in inducing labor.

SIDE EFFECTS AND PRECAUTIONS
Clary sage essential oil should be used with caution especially during the early stages of pregnancy. Because it has an emmenagogue effect, it may cause bleeding and in extreme circumstances increase the risk of miscarriage.
Clary sage oil should not be used on very young children and nursing mothers should also avoid it.
Always dilute it well and test for skin sensitivity before using an essential oil topically.
Although clary sage is sometimes recommended for eye health, there have not been any studies done and you should speak to your ophthalmologist before applying it near the eyes.
Clary sage essential oil has a mild sedative effect and should not be used with certain medications because it could increase the effects of the medication. These include barbiturates like hexobarbital.
The compound sclareol may interfere with hormone replacement therapy by increasing estradiol levels and you should talk to your doctor before using clary sage if you are undergoing hormone replacement