Clary Sage and Labor: Where the Rumor Comes From
Somewhere in the aromatherapy world, clary sage picked up a reputation as "the labor oil." It is a tidy story, and it is worth knowing where it actually comes from, because the research behind it is much quieter than the reputation.
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When people say clary sage and labor, they usually mean one of three different things: that the oil can start labor, that it can strengthen contractions already under way, or that its aroma can ease nerves in the delivery room. Each has been looked at differently, and none of the studies we know of tested clary sage oil on its own in a real labor.
What the hospital audit really tells us
The most-quoted paper is a British midwifery evaluation of aromatherapy on one delivery suite between 1990 and 1998, covering 8,058 mothers (Burns et al., 2000). More than half the women rated the oils as helpful and 14% did not. That is a useful picture of how a hospital offered aromatherapy and how mothers felt about it. It is not a test of whether an oil moves a cervix: the oils were offered for several reasons, the comparison group came from routine unit data, and a lot changed on that ward over eight years.
The oxytocin studies
The more direct question is whether the aroma raises oxytocin, the hormone involved in contractions. A small 2017 Japanese pilot had 11 women at 38 to 40 weeks breathe diluted clary sage oil (5 women) or a control (6 women) and then checked saliva. Oxytocin rose in 3 of the 5, and in 2 of the 6 controls. No uterine contractions were seen in either group, and the authors presented it as a feasibility study for a larger design (Tadokoro et al., 2017).
The same group followed up in 2023 with 82 low-risk women at term, using a footbath with clary sage and lavender oils, a jasmine footbath, or plain water. Oxytocin rose within the clary sage and lavender group, but the change was not significantly different from the plain-water group, and contractions and cortisol did not differ either (Tadokoro et al., 2023). Because that footbath combined two oils, nothing in it belongs to clary sage alone.
Put together, these studies are interesting early groundwork, and they do not show that a clary sage aroma starts or speeds labor.
What the wider reviews and health services say
A Cochrane review of aromatherapy for pain in labour found two randomized trials with 535 women and no difference in pain intensity, assisted birth, caesarean rate or length of labour. The authors called for more research before drawing conclusions (Smith et al., 2011).
On bringing labor on, the NHS is plain: there are no proven ways to start labour yourself at home, and it notes there is no information on the safety of herbal supplements. If you are overdue, induction is offered by 41 weeks, and a membrane sweep is usually offered after 39 weeks, both carried out by your midwife or doctor (NHS, Inducing labour).
Where we land
We sell clary sage oil for its aroma and for diluted external use, and we make no health claims. Our guidance is to avoid it during pregnancy, and we do not suggest it for labor. If your midwife or OB-GYN offers a supervised aromatherapy plan and names an oil, follow their lead and ask them about the specifics. For the wider pregnancy picture, see our pregnancy article; if you are nursing afterward, our breastfeeding article covers it, and our women's health overview ties the topics together. Skin reactions are in side effects.
A good rumor deserves a good look, and this one is mostly a story about a hospital that offered nice-smelling oils to women who appreciated the care. When labor is the question, the people to call are the ones who will be in the room.
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
- Burns EE et al., 2000. An investigation into the use of aromatherapy in intrapartum midwifery practice. J Altern Complement Med.
- Tadokoro Y et al., 2017. Salivary oxytocin after inhalation of clary sage oil in term-pregnant women: a feasibility pilot study. BMC Res Notes.
- Tadokoro Y et al., 2023. Salivary oxytocin after an aromatherapy footbath in term pregnant women. Int J Environ Res Public Health.
- Smith CA, Collins CT, Crowther CA, 2011. Aromatherapy for pain management in labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
- NHS. Inducing labour.