Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) is one of two varieties of the plant used in perfumery, the other being common or culinary sage (Salvia officinalis).
Clary Sage owes its name to its high concentration of sclareol, a potent molecule prized for its capacity to be transformed into derivatives with an ambery odor.
The United States, China and Ukraine are all major producers of cultivated Clary Sage, which is extracted to produce a concrete that serves as the basis for sclareol chemistry.
Clary Sage is also grown in Provence, but on a lesser scale than in the major producing countries.

Before being extracted, sage is most often distilled to retrieve the essential oil. The olfactory characteristics of these oils vary widely depending on their geographic origin and the freshness of the leaves used for distillation. Sage that is harvested using the "vert broyé" ("green shredded") method does not have the same profile as sage that is pre-wilted in the field before being distilled.
Sage is harvested in July. The fields are productive for two years and then have to be replanted.
Clary Sage is cultivated in France near our Valréas factory, which produces a full range of sage derivatives, including:
An absolute using hexane extraction;
Essential oils, including a certified organic grade (Ecocert EC).