Anyone having success w/ clary sage inhibiting hair growth?
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Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:57 pm

I [think] I read here about using Clary Sage EO to inhibit hair growth. I've been using it for about three weeks and have noticed some reduction of hair on my legs and upper lip.

I plan to continue using it. Has anyone else had good results?

free skin care · Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:56 pm

I've been using it in the cleansing oil I use morning and night for about 2 months, and I've noticed I have to pluck my eyebrows about half as often, and the regrowth is much finer.

What method do you use to apply it to your legs?

Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:04 pm

I mix a couple of drops with my body lotion.

free skin care · Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:12 am

clary sage promotes hair growth. i haven't read anywhere else that it inhibits it other than on this board.

free skin care · Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:11 am

I use to mix up a body oil and rub on my legs. It did work; in fact, evne though I've stopped using it, the hair still doesn't grow in very copiously on my legs. I stopped using it because no matter what I tried, everything started smelling like clary sage oil. My pants, my towels... I still use it, though, in my ACV rinses. I massage it into my scalp. I have also read that it promotes hair growth, yet I have seen the fact that it inhibits it on my legs.

I have no idea what's going on.

free skin care · Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:35 pm

violetanne--i am curious, can you tell me what you used in your blend? i am thinking maybe it's another ingredient that's retarding the hair growth. anyhow, i think if clary sage retards/promotes hair growth, it isn't very strong. thank you for experimenting though!

free skin care · Fri Jan 18, 2008 10:02 pm

I did a test on myself my putting lotion with clary sage on one leg, and the same lotion, without the oil on the other. I can go 2-3 days longer between shaving the leg I put clary sage on than the other, so in my experience the oil does inhibit hair growth.

free skin care · Sat Jan 19, 2008 12:50 am

This is just so weird. Like Kris, I too have read that it both inhibits and promotes hair growth. I wonder if the enzymes/bugs/cells/aliens that make head-hair follicles grow more are just fundamentally different from the ones that make body hair grow longer, and so the different parts respond accordingly?

That, or it's all in our heads, or it's a giant coincidence, or some people have the "growth-promote" gene and some the "growth-retard" gene, like how certain people can't eat cilantro without tasting soap.

Don't you think I'd make a GREAT biologist? Laughing

Really scientific.

Anyhow, I've been wanting to buy this and add it to my shave minimizing oil (that contains mostly unrefined soybean oil), but now I'm freaked out both by the potential for hair growth, and by the alleged smell. Violetanne, do you have any way of describing what it smells like? Is it like normal sage? (I can't seem to find this at normal health food stores, and I keep forgetting to smell it when I go to Zenith, the local massage/etc. supply store.)

Thanks!

free skin care · Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:56 am

Hi Everyone--

Skincareaddicted, all I really used in my oil was a mixture of carrier oils (I've used avocado, sesame, sweet almond... avocado and sesame are the best) and clary sage. And some scented oils to try to mask the clary sage smell.

Ginnielizz, clary sage doesn't really stink, it's just very herbal and doesn't seem to blend well with other scents. Let's just say, it's not something I want to smell like, you know? Even though the scent would fade, it was starting to stick to my clothes.

HTH!

free skin care · Sat May 14, 2011 5:53 pm

I think the reason you all have read that it both promotes and inhibits hair growth is because clary sage balances hormones in women. So by doing that, it inhibits hair growth on the body (in places where hair growth is hormonal) and promotes it on the head!

free skin care · Sat May 14, 2011 5:58 pm

Wow I have never heard of this before... does anyone have more information on this or other herbs that inhibit hair growth?

free skin care · Mon May 16, 2011 1:42 pm

I've read licorice extract can reduce hair growth. Never tried it though.

When looking for ways to remove unwanted hair from legs, arms or faces, most people turn to the traditional methods: shaving, waxing, tweezing or depilatory creams. But perhaps turning to the ingredients in food will serve as a proficient hair removal tactic. Glycyrrhizic Acid, a key ingredient in licorice, has recently been linked to hair removal. Apparently, this natural compound inhibits hair growth through a topical application with little to no irritation or burning. So does this ingredient really work?
How Does Licorice Extract Remove Hair?

According to a recent study, Glycyrrhizic Acid has been shown to break down the hair cuticle, which anchors the hair shaft to the skin, completely detaching the hair from the follicular wall. Test subjects experienced a decrease in hair growth after the first couple days of treatment, and there was virtually no hair after two weeks. Scientists did say that hair began to grow again at the end of each treatment session, but the hair shafts were thinner, hair density per skin area decreased and there was a permanent reduction in hair quantity by more than 50 percent.
How Does it Compare to Other Hair Removal Treatments?

As Glycyrrhizic Acid was tested, it not only significantly decreased hair regrowth, but it also caused no abnormalities on the skin’s surface. Many current epilation therapies cause unwanted side effects like irritation, redness, pain and bruising. With the introduction of this natural licorice extract, there is promise for future epilation treatments that could rival current ones that have been known to cause problems. This is a quick and painless method for hair removal and could possibly become a candidate in the development of new drugs.

In recent years, laser hair removal has become a prominent solution in removing hair, and more and more people are turning to this hair removal treatment. However, not everyone’s skin tone or hair type is suited for this treatment, and those hopeful patients could take advantage Glycyrrhizic Acid and it’s effective results. Also, laser hair removal can be painful and cause skin irritation, while this sweet compound has displayed no real side effects.
Is Licorice the Answer?

For now, Glycyrrhizic Acid is still in the early testing phase, but this element shows promise in the ever-advancing research of hair removal. It is unknown when it will be readily available in hair removal creams or epilating drugs, but scientists believe that with further testing, Glycyrrhizic Acid could develop into the newest hair removal treatment option. Currently, the only way to permanently reduce hair growth is through professional laser hair removal treatments. Even with the introduction of other treatments, laser hair removal is one of the most effective ways to get rid of unwanted body hair.

free skin care · Tue May 17, 2011 12:04 am

mur wrote:

...because clary sage balances hormones in women.

I'm wondering whether this is why I'm so severely repulsed by clary sage. I can't think of another smell that puts me off in anywhere near the same way, even in small amounts mixed with other scents. It feels like it could set me on the verge of a migraine type headache, and the only time I've ever had those was when I went back on the pill & had developed an intolerance for progesterone.

Does anyone else have this same reaction? I'm wondering whether its something important I should know about & keep in mind as I get older.

free skin care · Tue May 24, 2011 1:47 pm

LoriA wrote:

mur wrote:

...because clary sage balances hormones in women.

I'm wondering whether this is why I'm so severely repulsed by clary sage. I can't think of another smell that puts me off in anywhere near the same way, even in small amounts mixed with other scents. It feels like it could set me on the verge of a migraine type headache, and the only time I've ever had those was when I went back on the pill & had developed an intolerance for progesterone.

Does anyone else have this same reaction? I'm wondering whether its something important I should know about & keep in mind as I get older.

I couldn't say for sure, Lori, but I know that I sometimes have a pretty visceral reaction to clary sage (though in the end I do tolerate it). I too have an aversion/imbalance with certain hormones which stemmed from switching around between too many different hormonal birth control methods. I'm now on a hormone-free method but I wonder if clary sage "gah!" I still get is related. Interesting. Smile

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