Refugio Gardens Botanicals
Lavender & Honey Button Sage Lotion (Made with Wild Grown Pure and Genuine Salvia mellifera essential oil)
Lavender & Honey Button Sage Lotion (Made with Wild Grown Pure and Genuine Salvia mellifera essential oil)
Couldn't load pickup availability
Lavender & Honey Button Lotion — Artisan Aromatherapy Lotion with California Native Essential Oil
A soothing blend of Honey Button Sage, Lavender & skin-revitalizing botanicals in a nourishing plant-based lotion.
Experience Black Sage & Lavender Lotion
Honey Button Sage (Black Sage - Salvia mellifera) is a unique native sage essential oil, first distilled in recorded history in 1997 by Dr. Amy Inez Hazard at Refugio Gardens. Sustainably wildharvested on private ranch land on the Gaviota Coast of Santa Barbara County and GC–MS verified for purity (99.41% identified constituents, no adulteration detected), its camphor–cineole chemotype exceeds 88% monoterpenes. Long valued in Native Californian tradition for teas, poultices, and smudges, this resinous, cooling sage meets true Lavender in an intoxicating lotion that soothes aching muscles and joints, regenerates skin, and carries the scent of Santa Barbara's trails.
The Aroma
A scent reminiscent of wild sage after coastal fog, with sharp resinous, camphoraceous top notes, a sweet herbaceous heart, and a smooth, grounding drydown. Blended with Lavender's soft floral calm, the result is a clarifying, deeply aromatic embrace — like walking the trails of the Santa Barbara coastal mountains.
The Blend
- Honey Button Black Sage (Salvia mellifera): A rare native essential oil with a camphor/1,8-cineole chemotype exceeding 88% monoterpenes, GC–MS verified with no adulteration detected. Traditionally used by Native Californians as an antiseptic, sedative, pain reliever, astringent, and tonic. Modern research includes a 2023 landmark study showing camphor — over 30% of the oil — relieves nerve pain through the body's cold-sensing TRPM8 receptor, and a 2026 review showing camphor also blocks TRPA1, a receptor that drives inflammatory pain. 1,8-Cineole has been confirmed in clinical trials as a mucolytic, bronchodilator, and anti-inflammatory agent. First artisan-distilled in 1997.
- Lavender: A classic calming companion, traditionally used to ease tension, quiet the mind, and support restful sleep. Its soft floral notes round Black Sage's resinous edge into a gentle, familiar embrace.
How to Use
Apply generously to clean skin, focusing on pulse points, neck, shoulders, or any area of tension or tired muscle. Massage in slowly and breathe deeply to receive the full aromatic benefit. Ideal as a daily moisturizer, an after-hike ritual, or a calming moment before sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Black Sage smell like?
Honey Button Black Sage has a sharp, resinous, camphoraceous-sweet aroma — cooling and clarifying, like wild sage on the coastal trails of Santa Barbara. In this lotion it is softened by Lavender's floral calm.
Is Black Sage essential oil rare?
Yes. Honey Button Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) was first distilled in recorded history in 1997 by Dr. Amy Inez Hazard at Refugio Gardens, which remains the first and only known commercial source. Each batch is GC–MS verified with no adulteration, contaminant, or diluent detected.
Can it help with muscle and joint pain?
Traditionally, yes. Many people find relief massaging diluted Black Sage into sore areas, and Native Californians long used sage poultices and sun-tea foot soaks for chronic pain. A 2023 landmark study provided the first genetic proof that camphor — over 30% of the oil — relieves nerve pain through the body's cold-sensing TRPM8 receptor, and a 2026 review showed camphor also blocks TRPA1, a key driver of inflammatory pain.
What are the benefits of Black Sage?
Black Sage was traditionally used by Native Californians as an antiseptic, sedative, pain reliever, astringent, and tonic herb — for respiratory support, muscle and joint soothing, and regenerating aged and damaged skin. Its 1,8-cineole content has been confirmed in multiple clinical trials as a mucolytic, bronchodilator, and anti-inflammatory agent for bronchitis, rhinosinusitis, and COPD.
Is Black Sage sustainable?
Yes. Our Black Sage is wildharvested from established stands on private ranch land in the Santa Barbara County coastal mountains — on the Gaviota Coast — where fog-influenced mornings, hot dry afternoons, and mineral-rich sedimentary soils shape the plant's protective chemistry. Steam-distilled by hand in small batches at Refugio Gardens.
Can I use this lotion during pregnancy?
Black Sage essential oil is not for use during pregnancy, nor for children under 10 or individuals with seizure disorders. If pregnant, nursing, or under medical care, consult a qualified practitioner before use.
Sustainability & Craftsmanship
Our Honey Button Black Sage is sustainably wildharvested from established stands on private ranch land in the coastal mountains of the Gaviota Coast, Santa Barbara County, and steam-distilled by hand in small batches at Refugio Gardens. Verified by 2023 GC–MS analysis by Laboratoire PhytoChemia (Quebec, Canada): 99.41% identified constituents with no adulteration, contaminant, or diluent detected. Every ingredient in this lotion reflects our commitment to wild California heritage and uncompromising quality.
Experience Wild California
Carry the resinous clarity of the chaparral wherever you go. This intoxicating blend captures the scent of Santa Barbara's coastal trails — fog-kissed mornings, sun-warmed sage, and the quiet of the hills. Wild California in every drop.
Want to dive deeper? Read the full therapeutic profile in our Honey Button Black Sage Blog.
Disclaimer: For external use only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Consult a qualified practitioner if pregnant, nursing, or under medical care. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.
Share
Safety & Cautions
Safety & Cautions
- Please be advised to keep essential oils out of reach of pets and children.
- Please avoid using photosensitive essential oils (Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Orange, Bergamot, Tangerine, Calm Shen Blend and any products made with these oils such as Santa Barbara Goldenbush Lotion) prior to going out in the sun or using a tanning booth as they can react to sunlight and cause something similar to a severe sunburn.
- It is advised to void continuous long term use of the same essential oils.
- Be sure to research the powerful effects of essential oils before use.
- Use diluted essential oils on the skin (Carrier oils like Jojoba are great for this in a 10% essential oil to 90% carrier base oil ratio).
- It is advised to patch test on a small portion of sensitive skin and discontinue if there is irritation or a negative reaction.
- Please know the safety data and specific warnings on an individual oil or Blend before using.
- And please use careful caution using essential oils during pregnancy. Any use should be approved by a medical provider.
- Its important to keep essential oils away from your eyes. If oil does get in your eye, do not flush it out with water. You can dilute the area immediately with vegetable or carrier oil by placing the vegetable oil on a tissue and gently wiping the eye area.
- Also essential oils are flammable so please avoid direct contact with flames such as candles.
- Please do not use essential oils internally unless properly trained and prescribed by a physician. If accidentally swallowed, call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) immediately and do not induce vomiting.
