Clary Sage Oil While Breastfeeding: What to Know First

If you are nursing and curious about clary sage oil, you have probably noticed that nobody gives a straight answer. There is a reason for that, and it is not that people are being coy: the standard reference for substances and breastfeeding has no entry for clary sage. What it does have is entries for two relatives, and they tell a useful story.

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The reference nursing clinicians use

LactMed, from the US National Library of Medicine, is the database lactation consultants and pharmacists turn to when a parent asks about a herb or medicine. It covers sage and lavender, which are the nearest neighbors to clary sage in two different ways. Neither entry covers clary sage, so neither can be borrowed as a verdict.

Sage: same genus, different chemistry

The LactMed entry for common sage (Salvia officinalis) notes that sage and a related species are traditionally said to reduce milk supply and have been used to help with weaning, but that no scientific studies could be located on its effect on milk supply, and no data exist on its safety in nursing mothers or infants (LactMed, Sage).

It is easy to hear "sage" and think "clary sage", but common sage's oil is known for thujone and camphor, while clary sage oil is built mainly from linalyl acetate and linalool. They share a genus and a name, and not much else. We lay out the differences in our sage comparison. The practical point is that "sage dries up milk" is a traditional belief about a different plant, and it is untested for clary sage in either direction.

Lavender: shares the main molecules

Lavender is the closer match in chemistry, since its oil also contains linalyl acetate and linalool. The LactMed lavender entry says no data exist on lavender's safety in nursing mothers or infants, and states that lavender oil has estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity, so topical application around the breast should be avoided (LactMed, Lavender).

That caution is about lavender, and nobody has tested clary sage the same way. Still, reasoning from the shared molecules, a sensible habit follows: keep any scented oil away from the breast and nipple area, where a baby's mouth will be. Whether clary sage has hormone-like activity at all is its own question, which we look at in our estrogen post.

Skin and air matter more than milk

Because our oil is for aroma and diluted skin use and never for swallowing, the realistic routes for a nursing parent are the skin and the air. Two things follow from that, and they are reasoning rather than findings:

We also advise avoiding clary sage oil during pregnancy, and that applies to anyone who has just given birth and is still unsure of their health picture. When in doubt, wait.

Questions worth taking to your appointment

A specific question gets a better answer than "is it okay?". You might ask:

  1. I am thinking of using clary sage oil diluted to 0.5% to 2% on my own skin, away from my chest. Is any part of that a concern for my baby's age and health?
  2. Should I wait until feeding is established, or until weaning?
  3. If my baby is in a room with a diffuser, is there a reason to avoid it for this child?

Bring the bottle's label and, if useful, the Certificate of Analysis we publish for one batch, so your pharmacist can see what you have. If you have questions about milk supply specifically, an IBCLC (a board-certified lactation consultant) is the best first call, and your baby's pediatrician should hear about anything involving a premature baby, eczema or a reactive airway.

It is a lovely scent, and there is no hurry: it will still be there when you and your clinician agree the time is right.

Clary Sage Essential Oil bottle

Clary Sage Essential Oil

Clary Sage Essential Oil from our own shop, in sizes from 0.5 oz to bulk.

From $19.99

Shop Now →

Sources & Further Reading