Normally, my skin is not its best self come January. The cold, dryness, and lack of daylight bring out a combination of redness and dullness—something I always forget is possible until I see it.

But this year, miraculously, I’ve avoided my dreaded January Skin™, and I think I have one thing to thank: blue tansy. Three of the products in my regular rotation feature the jewel-toned ingredient: the Kate McLeod Face Stone Moisturizer, Testament Beauty Sleeping Mask, and Lord Jones Sublime Pore Detox CBD Face Oil. 

Aside from the fact that I knew blue tansy A) was pretty, B) smelled nice, and C) seemed to calm my sensitive skin, I didn’t know much about the ingredient. So I reached out to Tracy Evans MD, MPH, board-certified dermatologist and the medical director of Pacific Skin and Cosmetic Dermatology, to shed some light.