Is Clary Sage Oil safe during pregnancy?
Often linked with labor in aromatherapy circles. Evidence is very limited, so ask your clinician before using it in pregnancy.
PregnancyAsk your clinician
BreastfeedingAsk your clinician
EvidenceLimited
What the sources say
Clary sage oil has been studied as an inhaled scent at term (38–40 weeks) in a small pilot that measured oxytocin; no contractions were seen, but the study was tiny and not designed to show safety. No other pregnancy or breastfeeding data were found. FDA cautions that plant-derived oils can still be irritating or toxic. Because evidence is so thin, ask your clinician, especially before term.
Also listed as
clary sage, salvia sclarea (clary) oil, salvia sclarea extract, salvia sclarea oil
Sources
- NIH PubMed (peer-reviewed study): Changes in salivary oxytocin after inhalation of clary sage essential oil scent in term-pregnant women: a feasibility pilot study (BMC Res Notes, 2017)
- FDA: Aromatherapy
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.