Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil

What Is It?

is the sceintific name for sage. Sage-derived ingredients (Salvia Officinalis (Sage) ExtractThe mixture of substances drawn out of a material by solution, heat, or another physical or chemical process., Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Water, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Water) are obtained from the whole plant, leaves, flowers, stems and roots of the plant Salvia officinalis. In cosmetics and personal care products, the ingredients derived from Salvia officinalis are used in the formulation of a variety of products including bath products, shaving creams, fragrance products, shampoos, and cleansing products.

Why Is It Used?

The following functions have been reported for the ingredients derived from Salvia officinalis.

Fragrance ingredientSubstances that impart an odor to a product.: Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Water, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil
Oral care agentIngredients that polish the teeth, reduce oral odor, or otherwise cleanse or deodorize the teeth and mouth.: Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract
Skin conditioning agent – miscellaneous: Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Water, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Root Extract

Scientific Facts

Sage, Salvia officinalis, also called common sage, is a small evergreen plant, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. It is an herb commonly used to flavor meats and sauces.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes sage, Salvia officinalis on its list of substances considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.) for use as spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings, and on the list of GRAS essential oils, oleoresins and natural extractives. Botanical and botanically derived ingredients used in the formulation of cosmetics are generally mild and safe. Prior to marketing the finished cosmetic product, the safety of each ingredient must be substantiated in accordance with 21 CFR 740.10. Safety substantiation of cosmetic ingredients may include tests for ocular and skin irritation as well as allergenicity, phototoxicity, photoallergenicity and mutagenicity, depending on the application or intended use. There is a considerable body of information about the safety of botanical ingredients and a well established history of use. These resources are consulted to ensure the safety of these materials as they are used in cosmetics.

Link to FDA Code of Federal Regulations for sage:

Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Water, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Root Extract and Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Water may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm

In selecting plant-derived ingredients for cosmetics and personal care products, formulators rely on the extensive history of their preparation and use. Such materials have been used for a long time and, based upon this experience, extensive knowledge of their safety has been gained. In the situation of newly identified botanicals in the cosmetic industry, appropriate ocular and skin safety studies are conducted prior to release into general commerce. There are many different references that describe the isolation, use and safety of botanical preparations.

More information about botanical ingredients.

More Scientific Information

The Salvia officinalis-derived ingredients belong to a large and diverse class of materials that are not defined chemically. The majority of the materials in this class are mixtures derived from plants (herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, or seeds). In naming plants, botanists use a scientific name made up of the genus and species of the plant. For example, under this system the plant, sage is known as Salvia officinalis L., where “L” stands for Linneaus, who first described the type of plant specimen. Plants are also known by a common name that has been handed down through generations. These common names may vary from country to country. Therefore, scientific names, which are more likely to be recognized in many countries, are frequently used on the label of a product to identify an ingredient made from plants.

Resources

Cross Reference for Common Names and Latin names for Botanical ingredient: http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/botanicals-cross-reference-latin-bino…

Find out more about the history of using plants to obtain beneficial materials:

Duke University: Brief History of Beauty and Hygiene Products http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/cosmetics-history.html
National Library of Medicine: Beauty and the body: the origins of cosmetics http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&lis…
University of Maryland “Herbs by Name” http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsLookups/Herbs.html

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/