The health benefits of sage essential oil can be attributed to its potential properties as an antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antibacterial, cholagogic and choleretic, cicatrizant, depurative, digestive, disinfectant, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, laxative, and a stimulating substance.
Sage, or Salvia officinalis, as it is known in the botanical nomenclature system, is a well-known and frequently heard name in the world of cosmetics, particularly in the field of skincare. 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 aesculetin, alpha-humulene, alpha thujene, alpha-thujone, alpha-terpineol, alpha terpenes, alpha-pinene, alpha maaliene, aromadendrene, beta-pinene, beta copaene, beta-thujone, borneol, camphor, cineole, caryophyllene oxide, camphene, delta cadinenes, linalool, limonene, myrcene, ocimene, octanol, paracymene, para cymenol, salviol, terpineol, thujanol, and terpinolene. [1]
Health Benefits of Sage Essential Oil
This oil has a number of non-cosmetic medicinal uses which are listed below.
Possibly Antifungal
The presence of camphor and camphene in this essential oil gives it a potential antifungal property. This oil is possibly 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 skincare products.
Potentially Antimicrobial
The components in sage essential oil which may give protection against fungal infections can also provide protection against microbial infections too. Therefore, you can protect small wounds or cuts from developing irritating or potentially dangerous infections, as confirmed by a report published in the African Journal of Biotechnology. [2] [3]
Possibly Antibacterial
This oil is known to be equally useful at countering bacterial infections since it kills bacteria and may inhibit 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.
Can Act As An 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. According to a study published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, sage gets its potent antioxidant power from rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid. Antioxidants, as the name suggests, act against oxidants or free radicals in the body, which are the main causes of aging. These antioxidants slow down aging and prevent symptoms 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.
