Atlas Chamomile (Blue Tansy) Oil in Jojoba Oil

Atlas chamomile is not a chamomile, and blue tansy is not common tansy. Tanacetum annuum is an annual of the daisy family from Morocco and the western Mediterranean. Common tansy, Tanacetum vulgare, is a different plant with a thujone-rich oil. The shared names cause regular confusion in the trade.

01 · Composition

A ready dilution of 3% Atlas chamomile essential oil in organic jojoba. The essential oil is steam-distilled from the yellow flowering tops of Tanacetum annuum. Jojoba, Simmondsia chinensis, is a desert shrub of the Sonoran region of North America, and its seed gives the carrier.

02 · Chemistry

The colour comes from chamazulene, which is not present in the living plant. It forms during distillation from precursor compounds in the flower, the same process that turns German chamomile oil blue. Jojoba is chemically a liquid wax, composed of long-chain wax esters rather than the triglycerides of most carrier oils. It resists oxidation well, which suits a dilution intended for repeated use.

03 · In Practice

Sweet, herbaceous and faintly fruity, carried on a nearly odourless base. A soft blue in the bottle. Prepared for facial oils, skincare formulation and massage, and as a base to which other oils may be added. Blends with lavender, Roman chamomile, rose, helichrysum, neroli and sandalwood.

General information: For external use only. Dilute before applying to skin. Keep away from heat and sunlight. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.