Unless you use 100 percent natural everything, chances are that when you flip over your beauty and skin-care products, you have no idea what a good 75 percent of the ingredients are (or how to pronounce them, for that matter). Don’t worry—we’re right there with you, and we’re on a mission to find out what all these ingredients are and whether or not they’re actually good for your skin.
Our current focus? Blue tansy. Turns out it’s actually an essential oil, and it can turn a product bright blue. We’ve heard it touted as a miracle ingredient, so we decided to get in touch with Kristi Blustein (no pun intended) of organic skin-care line KHUS+KHUS to get the 411 on this ingredient. KHUS+KHUS uses blue tansy in a ton of their products, so we knew she would set us straight.
What is blue tansy:
“It is a Moroccan chamomile. I think people are attracted to it because of the aroma—it has a really nice, sweet, herbaceous scent. The terpenes in it make it blue. A lot of times we think that something has to be synthetic in order to make that color, but it is an actual compound that happens through the steam distillation process.”
On what it can do for you:
“It has strong antioxidant properties and is highly anti-inflammatory, so it works the same way that most chamomiles work in the body. It relaxes the nervous system, and it is very aromatic, [so it] helps regulate hormones in the endocrine system, which is super important. When our endocrine system is jacked up, it causes oxidized stress within the body, which then starts the inflammatory response within the body.
“Blue Tansy definitely has a relaxing effect, so you might want to use it at night, but I don’t see any problems using it during the day because really, what you are trying to do is relax the nervous system. I think all of us can use that any time of the day—it’s not going to make you sleepy.”
On what it can do for eczema and psoriasis:
“Eczema, as well as psoriasis, is a metabolic issue—an internal issue that is going on in the bloodstream. [Blue tansy] regenerates liver cells and assist[s] in detoxifying the body, so it is definitely going to take effect on inflammation, which is generally what eczema and psoriasis is. It is manifested inflammation within the body.”
Her favorite product from KHUS+KHUS:
“By nature, I am what people call a ‘perfectionist,’ so I wouldn’t put something out if I didn’t 100 percent stand behind the formula. Our Bleu Serum has blue tansy in it and is fantastic; it’s one of our star products. Especially during this time of year, moving into spring, we get a lot of orders for that. It’s so soothing for the skin—it really works on the texture of the skin; you can really start to see things go into balance. What we are trying to do is create formulas that take effect on the nervous system, that go through the bloodstream, the olfactory system, and assist you in creating balance.”
On who should stay away from blue tansy:
“If people are allergic to ragweed, or they have some sort of hay fever, they should definitely spot-check. A lot of people would know if they are allergic to chamomile or ragweed—they have probably already had a reaction.”
Photo: Shot on site at 6 Columbus, a Sixty Hotel; On Solveig: Rings, Baker & Black, Azlee; Hair, Angela Soto; Makeup, Andriani.