Focus on Ingredients: Sage

Sage in one form or another is found all over the world. Not only are there almost 1,000 species that have been identified, sage is a branch in another common plant family - the Mint family. They share some similar characteristics like having a strong, unique fragrance and flavor. 

Sage or Salvia is a diverse species. There are varieties that smell of pineapple, that smell floral, and others that are savory. There is a type of sage native to Central America that causes hallucinations when the leaves are chewed or brewed as tea. I just learned that Rosemary is in the sage family! There are literally too many variations to list.

The use of Sage medicinally and as seasoning goes back thousands of years. Today, we’ll talk about a few of the varieties that we incorporate in our products. Though we’ll likely talk more extensively about rosemary in a separate post.

Clary Sage is native to the Mediterranean Basin, North Africa and Central Asia. Historically, it was used to flavor beer and wine. In modern times, it is mostly grown for essential oil production. 

Image by Radfotosonn from Pixabay 

Clary Sage is featured in our essential oil selection. We have Pure Clary Sage Essential Oil and in the Balancing Blend it joins with rose geranium and lavender.

Common Sage is most known for its use in cooking. Here in the states, it often comes into  the kitchen in the fall and winter months. The scent and flavor are commonly described as being earthy and herbaceous. It can also have hints of the nose clearing effects of a menthol. 

Image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay 

In Grounding, one of our most popular blends, the earthiness of sage complements and pairs well with lavender, geranium and peppermint.

Sage enhances the menthol fragrance in our small size of the Shea & Vit E Aftershave

The last type of sage we’ll talk about today is the Salvia hispanica. This native of Mexico and Guatemala, produces Chia seeds.

Image by ivabalk from Pixabay 

Tv ads for Chia Pets first brought the seeds into popular consciousness in the 70s and 80s. Chia seeds had been used as food for thousands of years throughout Central and South America. The seed absorbs 12 times their weight in water and develops a gelatinous coating. Because of their high protein content, in recent years they rose to superfood status. New varieties have been developed so that the plant can be grown in North America. Their gelatinous texture makes them an excellent thickening ingredient in skincare products. They also smooth out the texture of the final product. 

You can find chia seed extract in our Lemon & Olive Scalp Treatment

Come into the shop and smell the wonderous variety of sage for yourself. If you like what you smell, you can create a your own custom Aromatherapy Roll-on.

Let us know your favorite type of sage and how you like to use it!