Sage oil (Salvia officinalis) has a long history of use in traditional medicine for managing menopausal symptoms, particularly hot flashes and night sweats. Historical herbal texts and folk remedies cite sage as a plant used by women to alleviate excessive sweating and support hormonal balance during menopause. The belief stems from observations that sage can have an astringent and cooling effect, which some thought might counteract the vasomotor symptoms of menopause.

Scientific evidence for sage oil’s effectiveness in menopause is limited and generally of low quality. Most research focuses on sage leaf extracts (not the essential oil) and is often small-scale or preliminary. For example, a few small randomized controlled trials have suggested that sage tablet or tea may reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes, but these studies do not use sage oil and often combine sage with other herbs. There is little to no high-quality clinical research directly supporting the use of sage essential oil (aromatherapy or oral) for menopause. Furthermore, the mechanism by which sage might influence menopausal symptoms is largely speculative, involving possible estrogenic effects or acetylcholinesterase inhibition, but these are not well established in humans.

In summary, while sage oil is used traditionally for menopausal symptoms, and there is some weak evidence for sage extracts in general, robust scientific validation for sage essential oil in this context is lacking.