Clary sage oil
None of the restricted materials in IFRA's annex limits this oil in rinse-off soap.
IFRA maximum for soap
no IFRA limit in soap
Restricted constituents, at the typical levels IFRA's annex gives:
- Geraniol
- 1.2 %
Worked out from typical levels. A supplier's certificate for your lot comes first, and its figure is the one to follow.
Check a blend against its IFRA limits and list its allergens in the fragrance and allergen calculator.
How essential oils behave in soap, and how much to use: Scenting soap.
Identity and labelling
Salvia Sclarea Oil
- Botanical name
- Salvia sclarea
- CAS
- 8016-63-5, 84775-83-7
- EC
- 283-911-8
The EU does not name this oil itself as an allergen to label, but some of its constituents may be: the fragrance allergen tool works them out for a recipe.
What it is and how it behaves in soap
Clary sage oil is steam-distilled from the flowering stems of Salvia sclarea, grown mainly in France; the ISO standard has one type distilled from dried stems and one from fresh (ISO 24255). It smells sweet, herbal and musky, with a warm, ambery depth, and it is a different plant from kitchen sage.
It behaves well in cold process soap (Faiola), and Failor counts clary sage among the low notes that act as fixatives, holding lighter scents in the bar. Fisher calls it a bittersweet floral with herbal and woody sides. Faiola uses it as a small part of blends with juniper berry or litsea, at 0.8 to 1.3 % of the oils. The IFRA figure on this page is the ceiling.
Most of the oil is linalyl acetate and linalool (SCCS), and both turn into skin sensitisers as they oxidise in air, so keep the bottle cool, full and closed.
Recipes that use it
Sources
- CosIng, the cosmetic ingredient database: SALVIA SCLAREA OIL, European Commission
- ISO 24255:2025, Essential oil of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), "prewilted" French type and "chopped" French type, International Organization for Standardization (2025). Steam distillation of dried or of fresh flowering stems, grown mainly in France
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Soap Crafting, Storey Publishing (2013). Clary sage among the essential oils that are typically wonderful in cold process soap
- Catherine Failor, Making Transparent Soap, Storey Publishing (2000). Clary sage among the low notes that act as fixatives in soaps and perfumes
- David Fisher, The Complete Photo Guide to Soap Making, Creative Publishing International (2018). Clary sage: a bittersweet floral with herbaceous and woodsy characteristics
- Anne-Marie Faiola, Pure Soapmaking, Storey Publishing (2016). Clary sage in blends with juniper berry or litsea, 0.8 to 1.3 % of the oils
- Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (SCCS/1459/11), Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, European Commission (2012). Clary sage oil is mostly linalyl acetate and linalool; both autoxidise to sensitisers