BOTANICAL EXTRACT
Sage Leaf Extract
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
An extract of garden sage leaves, rich in antioxidant phenolic compounds, used for its cleansing, skin conditioning and tonic character and a fresh, clarified feel.
Source
Leaves of common garden sage
Used for
Clarifying, fresh-feeling skin
How it works
A kitchen herb with a clean finish.
Common sage, Salvia officinalis, is the soft, grey-green herb of the kitchen garden. Its leaves are rich in phenolic compounds, almost all of them phenolic acids, which give sage extracts a strong antioxidant activity.
That antioxidant activity carries through into skincare. When ethanolic extracts of dried sage leaves were tested, they were among the most strongly antioxidant of the plants studied, and cosmetic emulsions made with them were stable and kept a high antioxidant potential.
In cosmetics sage leaf extract is listed as a cleansing, skin conditioning and tonic ingredient, the last meaning it creates a pleasant feeling on skin or hair. It is a natural fit for cleansers, toners, masks and gels, where it adds a fresh, clarified, comfortable feel, morning or night.
That antioxidant activity carries through into skincare. When ethanolic extracts of dried sage leaves were tested, they were among the most strongly antioxidant of the plants studied, and cosmetic emulsions made with them were stable and kept a high antioxidant potential.
In cosmetics sage leaf extract is listed as a cleansing, skin conditioning and tonic ingredient, the last meaning it creates a pleasant feeling on skin or hair. It is a natural fit for cleansers, toners, masks and gels, where it adds a fresh, clarified, comfortable feel, morning or night.
-
01
Rich in antioxidant phenolic compounds
-
02
Cleansing, conditioning and tonic in character
-
03
A fresh, clarified, comfortable feel
Questions
Is cosmetic sage the same plant as kitchen sage?
Yes. It is Salvia officinalis, also called common, garden or Dalmatian sage. In cosmetics the leaves are used as an extract. (COSMILE Europe)
What does sage do in skincare?
Its listed cosmetic functions are cleansing, skin conditioning and tonic, meaning it helps cleanse, keeps skin in good condition and creates a pleasant feeling on the skin. That is why it is so often found in cleansers, toners and clay masks. (COSMILE Europe)
Is sage leaf extract an antioxidant?
Yes. Ethanolic extracts of dried sage leaves showed high antioxidant activity, and cosmetic emulsions made with them were stable and kept that antioxidant potential. Organically grown sage was found to be richer still in polyphenols than conventionally grown sage. (Grzeszczak et al., 2024; Mańkowska and Dems-Rudnicka, 2025)
About the plant
Sage leaf comes from Salvia officinalis, a long-established European herb. (EMA)
Its leaves are rich in phenolic compounds, almost all of them phenolic acids, and water and ethanol extracts of the leaf carry these through with clear antioxidant activity. (Mańkowska and Dems-Rudnicka, 2025)
Its leaves are rich in phenolic compounds, almost all of them phenolic acids, and water and ethanol extracts of the leaf carry these through with clear antioxidant activity. (Mańkowska and Dems-Rudnicka, 2025)
The research
- Grzeszczak J, Wróblewska A, Klimowicz A, Gajewska S, Kucharski Ł, Koren ZC, Janda-Milczarek K. Antioxidant Activities of Ethanolic Extracts Obtained from α-Pinene-Containing Plants and Their Use in Cosmetic Emulsions. Antioxidants (Basel). 2024;13(7):811. PMID: 39061880. (opens in a new tab)
- Mańkowska D, Dems-Rudnicka K. Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Compounds in Medicinal Plants: A Comparison of Organic and Conventional Mentha piperita, Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Urtica dioica. Molecules. 2025;30(24):4812. PMID: 41471833. (opens in a new tab)
- COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe) cosmetic ingredient database: Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract (common sage, garden sage, Dalmatian sage; leaves; solvent extract; functions include cleansing, skin conditioning, tonic; origin: plant) (opens in a new tab)
- European Medicines Agency (EMA), Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Salviae officinalis folium (sage leaf; botanical name Salvia officinalis L.): European Union herbal monograph (opens in a new tab)
Found In
Type: Face Care
Lactic Acid Overnight Concentrate
30mlRegular price £38.00Sale price Regular price
NewType: Face Care
Blackberry Luminous Facial Cleanser
145mlRegular price £30.00Sale price Regular price
NewType: Face Care
Three Mineral Purifying Clay Mask
90mlRegular price £36.00Sale price Regular price
Bundle & Save
