I love essential oils. You can literally find at least 100 uses for them from reducing anxiety to cleaning your carpet to relieving scalp ailments. They are nature’s amazing liquid gold. Essential oils have been used for thousands of years for cosmetic, medicinal, spiritually and emotional uplifting properties. They are extracted from leaves, stems, flowers, bark, and roots of plants. They can be extracted through careful steam distillation along with cold pressing, and the purest of essential oils are far more potent than their botanical parents. Not the same as carrier oils, perfume, or fragrance, essential oils have a chemical composition that provides valuable psychological and physical therapeutic benefits. Because they are so potent they are often diluted with a carrier oil prior to applying to the skin for absorption.
One oil on my to-do list would be the little known clary sage essential oil. Its botanical name is Salvia sclarea and it is most commonly steam distilled. The clary sage plant is a dramatic plant growing to 2-3 ft. with tall flower spikes that rise above big hairy purple-green leaves and small blue-violet or white flowers. The benefits attributed to this essential oil are antidepressant, anticonvulsive, antispasmodic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, deodorant, digestive, emenagogue, euphoric, hypotensive, nervine, sedative, stomachic, and uterine substance. Extracted from the buds and leaves of the plant, this herb has been praised as a medicinal plant throughout history and is a close relative of the common garden sage but with a slightly different organic makeup, according to Organic Facts.
Benefits of Clary Sage
Clary sage has an ester called linalyl acetate, which reduces skin and scalp inflammations and heals rashes while regulating the production of natural oils in the skin. There is a reduction of oily and dry skin and can be used directly on the skin and scalp or diluted with a carrier oil such as almond oil. It also helps with hair loss caused by natural aging process and may prevent thickening in the membrane tissue around the hair follicle that can cause hair loss. It is also believed to actually strengthen the hair follicles, which also staves off hair loss. Besides combatting hair loss, clary sage is also believed to stimulate hair growth while limiting sebum production and treating scalp ailments like dandruff.
Essential oils are great alone or even better when added to other essential oils and/or carrier oils. Many curlies love mixing them and creating amazing hair recipes so here are a couple of DIY pre-poo concoctions worth giving a try.
Pre-poo Treatment
- 8 drops clary sage essential oil
- 3 drops of wheat germ oil
- 2 tbsp. grape seed oil
Mix and store in a dark bottle. Prior to shampooing, briskly rub a little of the mixture into your scalp and roots for a few minutes. Cover hair for an hour or longer and then shampoo as usual.
Scalp-stimulating Pre-poo
- 3 drops of clary sage
- 2 drops of white fir
- 1 oz. of coconut oil
- 1 drop of rosemary
Mix gently before applying mixture to scalp. Leave on for 30 min. or overnight and then shampoo as usual.
Product Recommendations
Or if you prefer to buy ready-made hair products that contain clary sage, then try one of these products:
- Nature’s Gate Organics Shampoo, Lemongrass & Clary Sage
- Nature’s Gate Herbal Blend Volumizing Conditioner, Lemongrass & Clary Sage
- Lulu Organics® Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder
- Everyone Hair Sulfate-Free Shampoo, Balance
- Everyone Sulfate-Free Hair Conditioner, Balance
So curlies…have you given clary sage a try?
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