Along with the harsh weather changes typically comes harsh skin changes as well, at least that’s how it’s always worked for me. Around holiday season due to stress, poor dieting, and the super bitter cold my skin tends to take a turn for the worst. With my current situation (which I would describe as moderate to severe acne) I figured there was no better time than now to add a new zit zapping duo to my skincare regimen. After a few hours of skimming through reviews I stumbled upon the blue tansy clarifying mask and lapis oil from herbivore botanicals, an all natural skincare brand, which boasted almost 5 stars by hundreds of people. I immediately added the items to my cart and began diggin a lil deeper into the brand & the products .
Hervibore Botanicals
Herbivore Botanicals was originally created in a small Seattle kitchen by husband and wife Julia and Alex. Their motto is “to bring you products that are safe, non-toxic, and highly effective. We believe in tangible results you can see and feel, and we believe in the power of nature to bring these results.”
Each product is carefully curated with purposefully chosen ingredients that boast therapeutic properties. Almost every ingredient in their products is an active ingredient, meaning there are no fillers, no additives, and definitely no toxins. This results in highly effective and organic skincare that is extremely concentrated, meaning you get to use less product and see faster results which is hard to come by in skincare these days!
They have the strong belief that everything we put onto our skin is absorbed and therefor we should only be using the highest quality ingredients. Makes sense right? They also want to keep personal rejuvenation and luxury in mind, which you can clearly see from their lux packaging, logos, and carefully selected textures. It also comes to no surprise that all of their products are made by and tested on humans, never on animals.
lapis oil 5/5
According to the Herbivore Botanicals Website:
“Lapis Lazuli, a favorite stone of ancient Egypt, is known for its gorgeous deep blue color. Lapis Facial Oil is named for the precious blue oil it contains, Blue Tansy. This oil holds a component called Azulene which acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial that aids in reducing redness and clarifying the complexion. Formulated for combination, oily, and blemish-prone skin types or any skin in need of relief from inflammation.”
Major Key Ingredients (pulled from herbivorebotanicals.com) :
Blue Tansy: High in Azulene content giving them a deep, inky-blue color naturally. Azulene is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antibacterial that aids in reducing redness and clarifying the complexion. Additionally, blue oils are excellent at balancing oily skin without drying.
Kukui Nut Oil: High in linoleic acid to balance sebum and oil production in oilier and blemish-prone skin types. Absorbs into skin for hydration and nourishment at a deep level.
Jojoba Oil: Amazing moisturizing capabilities due to the similarities in structure to our skin's own natural sebum. Helps other oils absorb more deeply into skin.
Squalane: Our Squalane is derived from a vegetable source — olives to be specific. Vegetable-derived Squalane has excellent emollient properties and acts as a light protective barrier to keep moisture in the skin. It also protects the skin against hyper-pigmentation and premature aging.
Jasmine Sambac Oil: Comes from the night blooming variety of Jasmine. It is a sweet and exquisite oil that has been used in skincare and perfumery for centuries with good reason — the scent is intoxicating and the oil itself works to increase the skin's moisture content and increase its elasticity.
Full List of Ingredients: Amaranthus Squalane Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Capric Triglycerides (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Aleurites Moluccana (Kukui) Nut Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Tanacetum annuum (Blue Tansy) Leaf Oil, Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Absolute, Rosa Damascena (Moroccan Rose) Absolute
my experience
Looks amazing, works amazing, smells even more amazing. As soon as I ripped open the package I was already completely in love with this oil. I’m a huge fan of facial oils and this one just seemed SO luxe. The delicate glass bottle and simple graphic design make me want to reach for it at bed time because it feels chic and sophisticated, like I’m taking time to do do some extra pampering for myself.
Don’t get me wrong it’s not all about the design, but also the deep rich blue intoxicating color and smell. It’s sweet and a bit earthy and just well- pretty darn amazing. Though, I did read several reviews where people complained about it smelling unpleasant or like sulphur, I did not experience this at allllll.
Last, but definitely not least, the effectiveness. So, let’s get down to it. Not only does the lapis oil smell and look awesome, but it actually works too. I was lucky enough (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) to be suffering a pretty big breakout to test out the lapis oil on. I used two drops every single day for about 2 weeks and noticed significant changes in my skin tone and acne.
The several spots I had shrunk in size and the hyper-pigmentation faded drastically. The oil didn’t cause me to purge or create any acne issues for that matter, if anything it only continued to look better. If you’re someone who struggles more with the marks left behind than the actual acne itself, this oil is for you. The one major thing I took away from the whole experience was that the lapis oil (and the Clarifying mask) are awesome at fading post acne marks, if not for acne I would definitely recommend trying both for this sole reason.
blue tansy aha & bha clarifying mask 5/5
Again, the Herbivore Botanicals website claims:
“Blue Tansy AHA + BHA Resurfacing Clarity Mask is a truly natural clarifying and cooling gel mask that gently exfoliates, smooths, and resurfaces skin.”
Major key Ingredients (pulled from HerbivoreBotanicals.com):
White Willow Bark: A natural beta hydroxy (BHA), it is high in salicylic acid which works by gently shedding the top layer of skin in order to decongest and unclog pores.
Fruit Enzymes: Natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), including papaya and pineapple, work to gently exfoliate and rid skin of dead cells to leave the complexion smoother, softer, and fresher.
Blue Tansy Oil: Naturally high in Azulene, which in addition to giving the oil its beautiful blue color works as a powerful anti-inflammatory to reduce redness and soothe irritated skin.
Aloe Leaf: Naturally contains salicylic acid and works to gently unclog pores and soothe the complexion.
Full list of ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose (Plant Derived), Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Tanacetum Annuum (Blue Tansy) Flower Oil, Ananas Sativus (Organic Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Organic Papaya) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Organic Papaya) Leaf Extract, Jasminum Sambac (Jasmine) Flower Oil, Leucidal (Radish Root ferment)
my experience
Another triple whammy! The mask comes in amazing packaging with a similar graphic, the look being fairly similar to that of the oil. Due to the high content of azulene, it also carries that similar deep rich blue color that really sticks out in a whole cabinet full of brown and pink mud masks.
The packaging is amazing, again it is clear glass with a small diamond shaped logo that allows most of the products natural color to shine through. The smell is okay, I wouldn’t say it’s a great as the oil but considering the lapis oil is one of the main ingredients, it’s pretty similar.
One thing I was expecting, at all actually, is the texture. Most masks I opt for are usually scrubs, mud like, or pretty thick in consistency. This mask is actually a gel formula, meaning its pretty thin, a bit runny, but surprisingly easy to work with. At first the consistency through me for a loop, as I would pile on the mask fairly thick it began running down my face.
Probably about the third or fourth time is when I finally got the hang of it. I began applying a super thin layer and wala! Problem solved. It’s easier to remove than mud masks, with no harsh scrubbing and it doesn’t feel like it’s sucking out every inch of hydration from your skin. Now I honestly prefer this formula and wish more of my masks had these same qualities.
I used the mask as instructed every other day for five days and began seeing HUGE improvements. I had these weird little under the skin bumps that weren’t really going away with exfoliation or moisturizing (like dry skin bumps often do) BUT this mask took them right out after the second use. I was, and still am, genuinely impressed. It worked to shrink the size of my cystic spots AND, like the lapis oil, it definitely definitely definitely helped in terms of hyper pigmentation.
final thoughts
I’m so impressed with my whole experience that these two items have been officially added to my skincare routine, and with how finicky my skin is, that’s a hard thing for me to say. I will definitely be repurchasing these two items once they expire or when I run out, whichever comes first. If you struggle with hyper pigmentation like me- I would highly recommend either product, though preferably both if you can, as I’ve found they work amazingly together. I can’t even say I’d recommend one over the other as I’ve found them to be equals and sort of lean on each other in the healing process. The Lapis Oil and Blue Tansy mask might just be two new HG (holy grail) items in my bathroom cabinet.
* Though I purchased the products separately they do come together (in smaller sizes) in a bundle called the True Blue Skin Clarifying Duo.
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