Clary Sage Oil, derived from the flowering tops and leaves of the Salvia sclarea plant, is a natural absolute known for its warm, herbaceous, and slightly sweet aroma. In perfumery, it is often used to add depth and complexity to compositions, particularly in aromatic, floral, and fougère fragrances. Clary Sage Oil can serve as a middle note, harmonizing well with other floral and woody elements, and is valued for its ability to enhance the overall character of a scent. It is commonly found in both masculine and feminine fragrances, contributing to a sense of balance and sophistication. From a safety perspective, Clary Sage Oil is subject to regulatory considerations, including IFRA guidelines, which may impose restrictions on its use in certain applications due to potential allergenic properties. As with many essential oils, it is important for formulators to be aware of these regulations and to conduct appropriate safety assessments when incorporating Clary Sage Oil into their formulations. — AI-generated summary, 2026-09-02.
Warm, herbaceous and slightly musky with a hay-like, tea-nuanced character. Opens aromatic and green with a soft ambery-tobacco facet emerging on the dryout, and a subtle boozy-nutty undertone from sclareol.AI · claude-opus-4-7
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Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, page 349.
Clary Sage Oil is a colorless to pale yellow or pale olive-colored liquid.
sweet-herbaceous, tenacious in odor, soft and somewhat reminiscent of ambra in its bitter-sweet undertone.
Clary Sage Oil is used in perfumery as an individual body or as a modifier for bergamot oil, lavender, etc. and for ambra notes with labdanum extracts, cistus oil, olibanum resinoid, cinnamic alcohol, nitromusks or synthetic ambergris materials, etc.; in chypre bases, fougères, Oriental and 'tabac'-type fragrances and in modern fantasy creations with aldehydic notes or even in woody bases.
In flavors, the coriander-like notes of clary sage oil are exploited in liqueurs, wine essences, grape flavors, etc. Furthermore, it is useful as a modifier in spice compounds.
Clary Sage Oil is steam distilled from the flowering tops and foliage of Salvia sclarea.