Product Review

I had the honor of testing out the Ursa Major skincare line. I was excited to give them a try because they’re a clean beauty brand. That means they focus on using effective, natural ingredients and exclude a lot of chemicals. Some chemicals you’ll never find in their products are: petrochemicals, SLS, SLES, parabens, synthetic fragrances or color, glycols, silicones, or PEGs. They are also cruelty-free!

Ursa Major is based in Vermont, which is special to me because I went to college there. I’m so thankful that Alisha sent me their best sellers kit. I used all these products until they were empty, so I have a great grasp on how they perform. Let’s get into the review!

Fantastic Face Wash

$12-$28

The Fantastic Face Wash is, well… fantastic! I don’t always find water cleansers that I go back to, but this one has definitely made the list. It contains aloe vera leaf juice, rice seed extract, white tea leaf extract, sugar cane extract, citrus extracts, black spruce needle oil, and the list of natural ingredients goes on and on and on. It smells like a beautiful herbal garden.

This cleanser is very gentle and only lathers up a tiny bit. I’d categorize it as a gel cleanser. My skin felt so soft and squeaky clean with out the squeak when I was using this. It’s very refreshing. The cleanser also really helped heal and prevent breakouts. It comes in either 2 oz. or 8 oz. I only tried the sample size but it lasted me at least 2 to 3 weeks. I’m sure the full sizes will last a decent amount of time. With all the quality ingredients in here, I think the price point is very affordable as well. I highly recommend this cleanser! Check it out on Ursa Major’s website.

4-in-1 Essential Face Tonic

$14-$27

I enjoyed using this tonic, but I did go through it very quickly due to the size. This 4-in-1 tonic is great for cleansing, exfoliating, soothing, and hydrating. I used this product as a toner, but I can see it being used as a refresher throughout the day as well. Some ingredients are aloe vera leaf juice, witch hazel, willow bark extract, rosemary leaf water, hyaluronic acid, and so much more. This product has a clean, floral scent and really hydrates and revives the skin.

It was a decent product, however I felt indifferent about it. It felt nice on my skin and didn’t cause any problems, but it didn’t do anything that really wowed me. You can get purchase 1.7 oz. or 8 oz. Either way, I think the price point is a little high for a toner-like product, but there are a lot of great ingredients in here so I can understand the reasoning. While I don’t think it’s a necessity, it was a nice product and if you want to try it, I say go for it.

Fortifying Face Balm

$14-$36

This should be renamed, “The Fortifying Face Bomb.” It’s a unique moisturizer and I loved it! Ingredients include aloe vera leaf juice, witch hazel water, sunflower seed oil, willow bark extract, kendi seed oil, carrot seed oil, olive leaf extract, birch sap, and more. All of these ingredients are extremely nourishing and smell like a fresh herbal, carrot juice. I was especially intrigued by the carrot extract because it’s contains vitamin A, and helps with cell turnover.

This balm has the texture of a watery lotion. It smooths across the skin so nicely, and provides instant moisture. A little goes a long way with this, which is great because the price point is a tad bit high. Again, I believe this is a result of the quality ingredients in the product. I was amazed at how great this balm was. It was sufficiently moisturizing, left me dewy, kept me matte throughout the day, and helped brighten my complexion. It’s lightweight enough that it would be great for the summertime too. It’s definitely worth a try!

Hoppin’ Fresh Deodorant

$12.50-$18

My journey of searching for a natural, non-toxic deodorant is quite the saga. I don’t purchase mainstream brands like Dove or Secret because they contain aluminum, which is linked to breast cancer. I’ve tried brands like Schmidt’s, Primal Pit Paste, Tom’s, and Crystal. The first two caused irritation because they included baking soda. The third just didn’t last throughout the day, and the last one used to work but stopped after a couple of years. It’s crazy how our body adapts and reacts to products over time!

I’ve also tried making my own deodorant for a year or so, but that ended up getting too messy. The oils I used would stain my clothes, and I could never get the ratio of ingredients right. So I caved and started using Old Spice deodorant (not to be confused with antiperspirant which has aluminum). It worked great, but there were still some ingredients I questioned. Cue Hoppin’ Fresh! I was so excited to try a natural deodorant that had no aluminum or baking soda.

This product contains hops extract, which neutralizes odor. Kaolin clay is helpful with absorption of moisture. Saccharomyces Ferment absorbs odor as well. The peppermint and eucalyptus oils contribute to the fresh scent, and have a cooling effect in your armpits.

This deodorant blew me away, because it lasted all day, and kept me from getting too sweaty. I was even more amazed to learn there is baking soda in this formula, because it did not cause any irritation! From wearing it all day at work, or through intense workouts, it really performed for me. It did not leave a white cast either, it just absorbed right in. The formula is smooth and lightweight, so I barely noticed it was there throughout the day. I think a quality natural deodorant is so worth a higher price, so I’d absolutely purchase this. There are other types available on Ursa Major’s website too. You have to give this a try!

4-in-1 Essential Face Wipes

$6.50-$45.60

If you want to up your face wipe game, check this out. They are another 4-in-1 product that cleans, exfoliates, soothes, and hydrates the skin. I think these are perfect for removing makeup, or a quick wipe down after a long night out if you’re really that lazy (but keep the latter to a minimum, please). These wipes are super easy to chuck in your bag for later too. Great ingredients included are aloe vera leaf juice, sugarcane extract, green tea leaf extract, willow bark extract, birch sap, and hyaluronic acid.

My only complaint would be the excessive waste. Each wipe is individually wrapped which creates more garbage. Perhaps Ursa Major could create new packaging that allows all the wipes to be in one container? Sort of like some wet wipe brands out there. Just a thought. However for a quality face wipe, I think the price is right here. It may be a bit of a splurge, but if it’s in your price range, why not try it?

I really loved testing out Ursa Major, and can’t wait to try some of their other products. I love their mission, values, and effectiveness. Have you tried anything from Ursa Major? Let me know!