Sage for hair: properties, benefits

Despite the fact that the cosmetology industry has covered all the problems related to hair, women still occasionally resort to natural folk recipes for their health and good condition, because healthy thick hair is their real decoration. Decoctions and infusions of various medicinal herbs are used, sage is especially popular.

The genus Salvia, commonly known as sage, is the largest member of the Lamiacea or mint family, containing over 900 species worldwide. The plants are mostly perennial with flowers. Many species of Salvia, including Salvia officinalis (common sage), are native to the Mediterranean region, and some species of Salvia are used worldwide as aromatic spices and as traditional herbal medicines.[ 1 ]

Sage tea is traditionally used to treat digestive and circulatory disorders, bronchitis, cough, asthma, angina, inflammation of the mouth and throat, depression, excessive sweating, skin diseases and many other ailments. Sage oil is used to treat a wide range of diseases of the nervous system, heart and circulation, respiratory system, digestive system, as well as metabolic and endocrine diseases. In addition, sage essential oil has carminative, antispasmodic, antiseptic and astringent properties. [ 2 ], [ 3 ]

Indications sage

The pharmacological properties of the herb are determined by its chemical composition: essential and fatty oil, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, ursolic and oleanolic acids, vitamins A, E, macro- and microelements.

A total of 28 components have been identified in S. officinalis, present in varying concentrations: 1,8-cineole, camphor, borneol, bornyl acetate, camphene, α- and β-thujone, linalool, α- and β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, α- and β-pinene, viridiflorol, pimaradiene, salvianolic acid, rosmarinic acid, carnosolic acid, ursolic acid, etc. [ 4 ] Sage essential oil contains about 20% camphor, and as the leaves grow, the camphor content increases. [ 5 ]

Sage is also a natural source of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds (e.g., carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, and caffeic acid) that have strong antioxidant, radical scavenging, and antibacterial effects.[ 6 ],[ 7 ] Most of the phenolic acids in sage are derivatives of caffeic acid, which is a building block for a variety of plant metabolites. Caffeic acid plays a central role in the biochemistry of Lamiaceae plants and occurs primarily in the dimeric form as rosmarinic acid. Carnosic and rosmarinic acids, which are present in high concentrations in sage plant extract, have shown strong antioxidant properties. Ursolic acid, also a component of sage, has strong anti-inflammatory properties and is considered a quality control measure for the anti-inflammatory effects of various solutions in sage preparations.[ 8 ]

Sage water extract has significant antibacterial activity and is most effective against Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus subtilis, Enterobacter cloacae and Proteus sp. has made sage essential oil a good alternative to traditional antibiotics as well as food preservatives. Topical application of Sage leaf extract (Salvia officinalis) improves wound healing, [ 9 ] is effective in treating inflammatory skin diseases. [ 10 ], [ 11 ]

What are the benefits of sage for hair? It is used as a rinse:

• for hair growth (heals microcracks, increases blood flow in the epidermis, activates the appearance of new hair follicles); [ 12 ], [ 13 ]
• against hair loss and to strengthen follicles; [ 14 ]
• from gray hair (gives shades to hair, depending on the use of one or another part of the plant, options for preparing decoctions, combination with other plant components).

Dosing and administration

There are different ways to use the hair remedy, depending on what effect you want to achieve.

• To dye your hair with sage, you need to prepare a rinse using the following recipe: pour 5 tablespoons of dry grass into a glass of hot water and let it brew for a while. Pour the prepared infusion into warm water and rinse the already washed locks. Repeat the procedure after each wash, preparing a fresh one each time. Over time, the hair will acquire a darker color. This is facilitated by the alkaloids and nicotinic acid of the plant. Blondes who do not want this effect are best off using chamomile or other hair lightening products.
• Sage essential oil will serve as an effective means for hair growth and strengthening of their bulbs. When in direct contact with the skin, it causes irritation, as a result of which there is a rush of blood to its surface, metabolic processes are activated, and cell regeneration is accelerated. In its pure form, it can cause burns, so it is best to add a few drops to shampoo. For dry hair, it is combined with fatty oils, and then rubbed into the hair roots.
• Spray conditioner for hair with sage is a good product for those who do not want to bother with making it themselves. Its natural formula, in addition to sage, includes extracts of hops, raspberries, dandelion, and oats. Easy to use (spray onto clean and dried hair from a distance of 20-30 cm before styling), can be used daily. It helps restore dry curls, moisturizes, nourishes, protects them from damage, strengthens the roots, blocks the inflammatory process, and promotes intensive hair growth.
• Sage decoction for hair - it is very easy to prepare at home, it will not entail large expenses and will bring a lot of benefits. It can be made more concentrated and diluted with water, or less, immediately using. The greatest value as raw material for decoctions and infusions have the leaves of the plant. How to collect them correctly, at what stage of growth, how to dry - a real science, so it is best to buy them at a pharmacy.

For those who live in close proximity to nature, the plant world in the summer, you can use fresh leaves (it is recommended to pick them at the stage of budding of the grass). For a liter of water, take 50 g of fresh raw materials or 4 tablespoons of dry. Bring the liquid to a boil and keep it in a water bath for another quarter of an hour. After cooling, wash your hair or use it in masks with other components. Infusions are prepared even more simply: pour hot water over the raw materials and insist.

• Sage extract, obtained by extracting the plant, is widely used in commercial hair care products. It can even be found in children's hair cosmetics, which indicates its effectiveness and safety.

Contraindications

There are no contraindications for external use of sage. The only possible complication may be an allergic reaction, although this is unlikely. [ 15 ] When consuming S. officinalis in excessive quantities, adverse effects may occur, which may be caused by the high content of thujone, [ 16 ] which was considered the hallucinogenic component of absinthe and the cause of absintheism. [ 17 ]

Reviews

Women who use sage as a hair health remedy are pleased with the results. According to their reviews, it relieves skin irritation, reduces dandruff, provides a healthy look and shine, adds volume to the hair, reduces hair loss, protects well from ultraviolet rays, due to the presence of sclareol, [ 18 ], [ 19 ] normalizes the functioning of the sebaceous glands.