Health Benefits of Sage Essential Oil

This oil has a number of non-cosmetic medicinal uses which are enlisted below:

• Anti Fungal: The presence of Camphor and Camphene in this oil gives it an anti fungal property. This oil is capable of inhibiting fungal infections internally and externally and gives relief from fungal infections like dysentery, skin diseases, athlete’s foot, dermatitis etc. This property is one of the causes behind its use in skin care products.
• Anti Microbial: Just as it can be used against fungus, it can be used against microbes too. The components in it which gives protection against fungal infection, gives protection against microbial infections too.
• Anti Bacterial: This oil is equally useful in countering bacterial infections, as it kills bacteria and inhibits their growth. This property can be used to heal ailments like bacterial infections in ears, nose and throat, eyes, genitals, urethra, colon, intestines as well as on the skin and in wounds.
• Anti Oxidant: This is perhaps the ace card of this oil and the reason behind its so extensive use in anti ageing and skin treatment products. Anti oxidants, as the name suggests, acts against the oxidants or the free radicals in the body, which are the main causes behind aging. These anti oxidants slow down aging and prevent symptoms of aging like wrinkles, shagging skin and muscles, reduction in vision and hearing capabilities, malfunctioning of brain, memory loss, degeneration of tissues, macular degeneration and nervous disorders.
• Anti Septic: Since it has anti microbial, anti bacterial and anti fungal properties, it serves as an anti septic for wounds, surgical incisions, post natal injuries, ulcers, sores etc.
• Anti Inflammatory: It reduces inflammations on skin, inflammations due to fever, entry of poisonous stuff in the blood stream, excessive use of intoxicants and narcotics, ingestion of excessive salty or spicy food, influence of very hot winds etc. It helps cure inflammations in stomach, intestines and excretory tracts too.
• Anti Spasmodic: This property of Sage Essential Oil is useful in treating all problems arising out of spasm, such as pain in stomach, chest and intestines; coughs; convulsions and cramps.
• Cholagogue & Choleretic: Both of these properties mean the same, that is, the property which promotes discharge of bile. This helps in digestion, soothing the stomach and the whole digestive system against inflammations caused by excessive acids, neutralizing acids in the stomach and blood stream and thereby giving relief from acidity and acidosis, which in turn protects us from peptic ulcers due to acidity, as well as from boils, eruptions and skin diseases which are caused when acid level rises in the blood.
• Cicatrisant: This is yet another property due to which it has made so strong a place in the world of cosmetics as a key ingredient of anti-marks and anti-spots cream. This property helps vanishing the scars, fat cracks, post natal abdominal crack marks and after-spots left by boils, pox, sores etc. This also helps quick healing of wounds and incisions.
• Depurative: It speeds up removal of toxins from the blood through excretion or through sweating and thus purifies blood, acting as a depurative.
• Digestive: It acts as a digestive medicine in case of indigestion or otherwise, by facilitating decomposition of food by promoting secretion of bile and gastric juices and by inhibiting microbial growth in the digestive system which interferes with the digestion.
• Disinfectant: The anti bacterial, anti fungal, anti microbial and anti septic properties of Essential Oil of Sage make it an effective disinfectant, as it gives sound protection from internal and external infections.
• Emenagogue: Regularizes menstrual cycles and helps resume obstructed menses. This oil activates certain hormones such as estrogen which helps bring about clear menstruations and gives relief from problems like headache, nausea, weakness and fatigue, depression etc. which happen during periods.
• Expectorant: Gives relief from cough and cold and infections in chest and respiratory tracts. Also gives relief from congestion resulting from cold.
• Febrifuge: Reduces fever by fighting infections and gives relief from inflammation of fever.
• Laxative: It facilitates excretion and gives relief from constipation by promoting discharge of certain fluids as well as stimulating the intestines.
• Stimulant: If all the properties of this Essential Oil are to be described with a single term, then ‘Stimulant’ would be the appropriate word. Most of the properties it displays are the different expressions of this stimulating property of Sage Essential Oil. It stimulates brain, nervous system, liver, spleen, circulation and excretion, thereby activating them.
• Other Benefits: It helps heal dermatitis, herpes, psoriasis, sinusitis, asthma and bronchitis, accumulation of phlegm, cerebral palsy, sciatica and lumbago and induces mental stability, alertness and cures depression.

Few Words of Caution: Being a nervous stimulant, those with epilepsy or hysteria or having history of them, should avoid using it. Further, since it contains camphor and camphene, which are toxic in nature, it should be avoided during pregnancy.

Blending: Essential Oil of Sage blends well with essential oils of Clary Sage, Geranium, Ginger, Lavender, Orange, Vetiver, Neroli, Rosemary and Tea Tree.

This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee