Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis L.

Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae).

Synonyms: Garden sage; English sage; True sage; Dalmatian sage.

Origin: Native to the eastern Mediterranean region and southern Europe. Cultivated worldwide. Commercial cultivation mainly in eastern Europe, Asia, USA and South Africa. Dalmatian sage oil produced mainly in Yugoslavia. Smaller quantities distilled in France, Bulgaria, Germany, Turkey.

Botanical Description: Evergreen shrub, perennial up to 80-cms (2 ft) high. It has long spindle-shaped root, woody stalk with straight branches, opposite silver oval leaves and large attractive violet flowers.

Oil Extraction: Essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the partially dried leaves. The oil is clear, colorless to pale yellow mobile liquid. Yield 2 to 3.6%. Dalmatian oil is different from the Spanish sage oil which is obtained from S. lavendulaefolia Vahl and has a different oil composition

Aroma Profile: The top note is fresh, strong sweet. The body note is herbaceous-camphoraceous, a thujone aroma. The dry-out is medium tenacity, sweet-herbaceous.

Major Constituents: α-thujone (15 to 43%) β-thujone (3 to 9%), camphor (4 to 24%), 1,8-cineol (10%), camphene, α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, α-humulene, β-caryophyllene, borneol.

Adulterants: Occasionally adulterated with fractions of eucalyptus oils.

Regulatory Status: GRAS 182.20.

Aromatherapy: Warm, soothing, cheering.

Blends well with: Lavender, lavandin, rosemary, rosewood, hyssop, lemon, orange, sandalwood.

Safety Data: Moderately toxic, skin irritant. Avoid during pregnancy. Avoid if epileptic or with high blood pressure.