Do you struggle with painful periods, hot flashes, depression or skin issues? Maybe you’re deep in the throes of menopause, or struggling with perimenopause, or trying to get pregnant.
Clary sage essential oil is well-known for its ability to help regulate hormones, boost your mood, clear up your skin, and so much more. Both topical application and aromatherapy allow you to take advantage of the numerous clary sage benefits.
Are you ready to uncover how clary sage benefits your hormones? Let’s take a closer look at what science has to say about this.
What Causes Hormonal Imbalances?
In your high school health class, you probably learned that your body is flooded with hormones. Your endocrine system produces these chemicals and tasks them with delivering messages throughout the body.
The specific levels of hormones in your bloodstream will naturally fluctuate at different times in your life. For women, these fluctuations typically occur during four critical time periods:
Puberty
Menstruation
Pregnancy
Menopause
Everyone has times where their hormones are out of balance. While these four time periods cause quite a bit of turmoil for your hormones, there are other conditions that can affect your levels. Living with stress, thyroid issues, poor diet, and certain medical conditions can all affect your endocrine system and its production of the necessary hormones.
When your hormones lose their delicate sense of balance, your body can start to feel uncomfortable.
Symptoms of hormonal imbalance include:
Irregular or painful periods (dysmenorrhea)
Hot flashes
Depression
Skin irritation or acne
Frequent urination
At first, many women who experience these symptoms may seek the help of their primary care physician or an OB/GYN. These specialists can help to prescribe medications and treatments to correct your hormonal imbalances. However, more and more individuals are turning to proven natural remedies such as essential oils.
Certain oils, including clary sage essential oil, have been heavily researched and shown to help alleviate the symptoms and the underlying hormonal imbalance that causes them. When you understand just how clary sage essential oil works, you may be surprised at all of the potential benefits it can offer you.
Clary Sage Benefits
Cut Back on Hot Flashes and Menopause
Menopause can be a difficult time for women. This is the period of time that officially marks the end of your menstrual cycles. Your ovaries have begun to show their age, and there can be a sharp decline in the hormones they produce. Unfortunately, this decrease in estrogen levels can result in common symptoms such as:
Irregular periods
Difficulty sleeping
Mood changes
Weight gain
Hot flashes
Your body is transitioning, and you might feel helpless about all of the changes coming your way. Living with menopause can be extremely challenging and uncomfortable. Fortunately, clary sage essential oil benefits can help.
Using clary sage oil for menopause is relatively simple. Many of the symptoms that women experience during menopause relfate to lower estrogen levels. Researchers are looking at natural ways to elevate estrogen levels in this population of women. According to one study that looked at the effects of essential oils on estrogen levels in saliva, aromatherapy can help. (1) Ten different essential oils were tested, including clary sage. It was found that olfactory exposure to these oils can increase the salivary concentration of estrogen.
With more estrogen in your system, it may reduce the symptoms you experience related to your menopause. In particular, the hot flashes that plague menopausal women may fade with the excess estrogen produced through exposure to clary sage oil. Essential oils for hot flashes can be an extremely powerful tool to alleviate these sudden attacks.
Prevent Overactive Bladder Syndrome
Do you find yourself running back and forth to the bathroom all day long? If you are attempting to cut back on your liquid intake simply because of frequent urination, clary sage essential oil may be able to help.
For many individuals, frequent urination can be a sign of stress. A 2013 study demonstrated the efficacy of clary sage essential oil at combating stress in female patients with urinary incontinence. (2) Many people mistakenly believe that lavender essential oil is the ultimate oil to use for relaxation. However, the research shows us something different.
Scientists found that inhaling the clary sage was more effective than aromatherapy with lavender essential oil and almond oil. (2) It was found to deliver a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as a decreased respiratory rate. This reduction in the physical symptoms of stress could result in a decline of your trips to the bathroom throughout the day.
Reduce or Banish Depression
Do you have a hard time getting out of bed every day because you feel tired, hopeless, and depressed? Your depression goes beyond mere sadness and permeates every aspect of your life. You have lost the spark you used to have. Hobbies and interests no longer bring joy to your heart or a smile to your face. Depression can be an extremely dark and miserable place to be, but there is hope on the horizon.
Using essential oils for depression can boost your mood and give you the energy that you need to get up and moving for the day. Research points to the fact that clary sage essential oil does have anxiolytic effects that can banish your anxiety and depression. (3)
Scientists have taken a closer look at how well clary sage essential oil affects depression on a group of rats. Out of all the essential oils tested (lavender, rosemary, chamomile, and clary sage), clary sage had the strongest anti-stressor effect. (4) It also had the potential to be used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of depression.
Reduce PMS Symptoms and Painful Periods
Many women still suffer from extreme cramps that don’t fade away, even with the use of over-the-counter painkillers. According to recent studies, clary sage essential oil promises some natural relief for these ladies.
In one study, researchers looked at dysmenorrhea (the technical term for painful periods) in college students to determine if aromatherapy would have any effect on their menstrual cramps. All participants rated their usual pain at a six or higher on a ten-point scale. The women were split into three groups: a control group, a group who received aromatherapy treatment, and a group who received only almond oil. The aromatherapy treatment consisted of two drops of lavender oil, one drop of clary sage oil, and one drop of rose oil applied topically to the abdomen.
The results of the study were clear. The menstrual cramps were significantly lower in those who received the clary sage aromatherapy treatment compared to the other two groups. (5)
A second study performed six years later took a similar approach, comparing the aromatherapy treatment to the efficacy of acetaminophen. The women who received the aromatherapy and essential oil treatment with clary sage had a greater reduction in their pain compared to those who only received the painkiller. (6)
Next time you experience the excruciating symptoms associated with PMS, reach for a bottle of clary sage essential oil instead of a bottle of painkillers. Topical aromatherapy can be a great way to promote relaxation and reduce the pain from your menstrual cramps.
Regulate Periods
Do you wish your menstrual cycle were more regular? Women often spend hundreds of dollars on medications and treatments to help make their monthly cycle more predictable. If this describes you, it might be time to try a natural alternative. Clary sage oil for PMS can help to regulate your cycle without the risks or negative side effects involved in some modern medical treatments.
Understanding the reason behind your irregular periods can be an important first step. Many women cycle irregularly due to extreme stress. Whether you are worried about a situation at home or a problem at work, this can negatively affect your menses. Other women cycle irregularly due to a hormonal imbalance. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to help regulate your periods regardless of the underlying cause.
Clary sage essential oil is well-known for its healing properties, particularly when it comes to anxiety and depression. (7) It is an excellent oil to use to help relieve some of your chronic stress. When you can reduce your stress levels, it may also regulate your menstrual cycle.
Even if stress is not the underlying cause of your random periods, clary sage can help promote estrogen and other hormones associated with your period. Aromatherapy and topical massage of clary sage to your abdomen may help regulate your hormones and produce a more regular monthly cycle.
Clear Up Your Skin
This powerful essential oil is great for hormonal imbalances, but what about the acne and skin issues? Many women long for clearer skin that looks rejuvenated and youthful. The clary sage benefits for skin can be quite powerful if you want to combat red or irritated skin.
Clary sage essential oil contains two primary ingredients known as linalyl acetate and linalool, which are well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties. (8) When applied to the face or body with a carrier oil such as jojoba oil, it can reduce the redness and irritation of your skin and help heal rashes.
Unlike many popular facial creams, this essential oil is naturally designed for every skin type from dry to oily. Your days of reading the labels on pricey cosmetic products that promise clearer skin are over. Clary sage essential oil for skin is the ideal addition to your morning and evening beauty routine.
To get more help for balancing and properly clearing hormones, grab my Five-Day DIY Detox Guide and get some spring back in your step, naturally!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.