This oil, of French origin, is extremely useful and very difficult to substitute with anything else (see also however the Absolute produced from the same plant).
Arctander tells us that “Clary Sage Oil is a colorless to pale yellow or pale olive-colored liquid, sweet-herbaceous, tenacious in odor, soft and somewhat reminiscent of ambra in its bitter-sweet undertone. Apart from the initial Iinalylacetate—linalool notes, there is a very characteristic note in the odor of clary sage oil. The note remains in the dryout odor on a perfume blotter. Some perfumers describe it as tobacco-like, others as balsamic or tea-like. It also has something in common with the odor of Cistus Oil and Moroccan Chamomile”
He goes on to describe the uses of the oil: “Clary Sage Oil is used in perfumery as an individual body or as a modifier for bergamot oil, lavender, etc. and for ambra notes with labdanum extracts, cistus oil, olibanum resinoid, cinnamic alcohol, nitromusks or synthetic ambergris materials, etc.; in chypre bases, fougéres, Oriental and ‘tabac’-type fragrances and in modern fantasy creations with aldehydic notes or even in woody bases. In the classical type of cologne perfumes it lends unique tenacity and acts as a very fragrant fixative, particularly in combination with labdanum products and musks. It blends beautifully with coriander, cardamom, citrus oils, lavandin and lavender, geranium oil, sandalwood oil, eugenol and derivatives, cedarwood derivatives, methylionones, phenylethyl alcohol, etc.”.
Of the 26 potential allergens that the EU requires to be declared, this oil contains Geraniol 2.2%