Simplicity is key with Ursa Major!

For someone who’s fond of moon and stars, how could I not be eager to try Ursa Major. The name itself comes from one of the most famous and conspicuous constellations.
Based in Vermont – just like Tata Harper – Ursa Major distinguishes itself for its simplicity. Despite its easy breezy look, Ursa Major is not just skincare for adventurers and active explorers, it’s a fantastic unisex brand with a great cocktail of ingredients.  The products are made with highest-grade natural, organic ingredients and sourced from family-owned, sustainable growers.
I had the opportunity to test out their travel sizes, I’m going to start with the essential face wipe. I use face wipes once in a blue moon, but boy do they come in handy sometimes.
Especially that time when I felt like I put on too much makeup (I probably went a bit overboard with face powder haha), but since I was in a hurry, I grabbed the face wipe, which removed everything in the blink of an eye. The essential face wipe cleanses and tones at the same time (aloe and witch hazel have become trusted friends in my skincare routine, both do wonders on my skin). As you can tell from the ingredient list below, the wipes are soaked with other botanical goodness, such as rosemary, willow bark, apple fruit, green tea leaf (aka, all the ingredients from their 4-in-1 tonic formula)
Ingredients (* denotes organic): Aloe vera leaf juice (Aloe barbadensis)*, Water/aqua/eau, Witch hazel leaf water (hamamelis virginiana), Willow bark extract (salix nigra), Rosemary leaf/flower water (rosmarinus officinalis), Leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, Sodium hyaluronate, Glycerin*, Sugar cane extract (saccharum
officinarum), Lemon extract (citrus medica limonum), Orange fruit extract (citrus aurantium dulcis), Apple fruit extract (pyrus malus), Green tea leaf extract (camellia sinensis), Rice seed extract (oryza sativa)*, Birch sap (betula alba), Lactobacillus, Bamboo ferment filtrate (arundinaria gigantea), Caprylyl/capryl wheat bran/straw glycosides, Fusel wheat bran/straw glycosides, Polyglyceryl-5 oleate, Sodium cocoyl glutamate, Glyceryl caprylate, Olive leaf extract (olea europaea), Fir needle oil (pseudotsuga menziesii), Lavender flower oil (lavandula angustifolia)*, Rosemary leaf oil (rosmarinus offinalis), Geranium leaf/flower oil (pelargonium graveolens)*, Frankincense resin extract (boswellia carterii), Alcohol denatured* Wipe Substrate: 100% bamboo fiber

The stellar shave cream is a popular product from the range, judging from the highly positive reviews, so I was very excited for my dad to try it. However, he experienced a little burning sensation after shaving. Luckily, that sensation swiftly went away without triggering any rashes. I’m assuming he might have reacted to a specific ingredient, but I still can’t pinpoint which one. Meanwhile, my sweet papa switched back to his good ol’ Weleda shave cream (for those curious about green grooming products). I do need to put emphasis on the fact that Ursa Major has a great customer service with their satisfaction guarantee: within two weeks of use, Ursa Major offers a refund or exchange! It’s always reassuring to know in case a product doens’t work out for you, after all, each skin is different.
Ingredients (*denotes organic): Aloe vera leaf juice (Aloe barbadensis)*, Water/aqua/eau, Sunflower seed oil (helianthus annuus)*, Zinc oxide powder Cetearyl alcohol, Cetearyl glucoside, Glycerin, Willow bark extract (salix nigra), Oat protein (avena sativa), Galactoarabinan, Shea nut butter (butyrospermum parkii), Birch sap (betula alba), Arachidyl alcohol, Behenyl alcohol, Arachidyl glucoside, Crithmum maritimum extract, Pink grapefruit peel oil (citrus paradisi), Ginger root oil (zingiber officinale)*, Vetivert root oil (vetiveria zizaniodes), Fir needle oil (pseudotsuga menziesii), Fir balsam oil (abies balsamea)*, Bergamot peel oil (citrus bergamia), Sandalwood wood oil (santalum spicatum), Ylang ylang flower oil (cananga odorata), Tanacetum annuum flower oil, Black spruce needle oil (picea mariana)*, Violet leaf oil (viola odorata), Spikenard root oil (nardostachys chinensis), Grand fir needle oil (abies grandis)*, Rosemary leaf extract (rosmarinus officinalis)*, Potassium sorbate, Xantham gum, Dehydroacetic acid, Benzyl alcohol, Citric acid.

The fantastic face wash, because of its content in coconut-derived surfactants, was used as body wash instead, and remained fantastic. It’s a gel texture, with a lovely herbal scent. For those encountering no issues with coconut, you might enjoy it as a face cleanser because the botanical blend is impressive.
Ingredients (* denotes organic): Aloe vera leaf juice (Aloe barbadensis)*, Lauryl glucoside, Coco-glucoside, Sodium cocoyl glutamate, Sodium lauroamphoacetate, Inulin, Glyceryl laurate, Sodium lauroyl glutamate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxlitol, Xylitol, Rice seed extract (oryza sativa)*, Sugar Cane extract (saccharum officinarum), White tea leaf extract (camellia sinensis)*, Lemon extract (citrus medica limonum), Orange fruit extract (citrus aurantium dulcis), Apple fruit extract (pyrus malus), Green tea leaf extract (camellia sinensis), Black spruce needle oil (picea mariana), Fir needle oil (pseudotsuga menziesii), Rosemary leaf/flower water (rosmarinus officinalis), Lavender flower water (lavandula angustifolia), Pink grapefruit peel oil (citrus paradisi), Lime peel oil (citrus aurantifolia), Owyhee leaf oil (artemisia ludoviciana), Cedar wood oil (juniperus virginiana),
Tanacetum anuum flower oil (tanacetum anuum)*, Spikenard root (nardostachys chinensis), Vetivert root oil (vetiveria zizanioiedes), Speramint leaf oil (mentha spicata), Sodium phytate, PCA glyceryl oleate, Citric acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium benzoate

Last but not least, the fortifying face balm which is the star product in my humble opinion. It stands out because of its innovative formula and high efficiency. It works like Dr. Alkaitis soothing gel except that this one doesn’t contain alcohol. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it’s so simple to use, yet it tackles several skin troubles all at once, because of a blend of hydrating, soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Depending on how my skin was feeling, I used it in the morning on a cleansed skin instead of a day cream/oil or as a soothing balm after a face mask. It’s so convenient for oily skin as a day cream alternative, since it’s non-clogging, cooling and heals blemishes quickly. I absolutely love it and I plan on purchasing the full-size, because gel products tend to work much better for me in warmer temperatures.
Ingredients (*denotes organic): Aloe vera leaf juice (Aloe barbadensis)* Glycerin, Hydrolyzed myrtus communis leaf extract*, Sunflower seed oil (helianthus annuus)*, Leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, Caprylic/captric triglyceride, Witch hazel leaf water (hamamelis virginiana), Willow bark extract (salix nigra), Kendi seed oil (aleurites moluccana), Opuntia fuscus-indica stem extract, Carrot seed oil (daucus carota), Hydrogenated lecithin, Birch sap (betula alba), Olive leaf extract (olea europaea), Sclerotium gum, Lavender flower oil (lavandula angustifolia)*, Lime peel oil (citrus aurantifolia), Niaouli leaf oil (melaleuca quinquenervia)*, Frankincense resin extract (boswellia carterii), Bisabolol wood oil (vanillosmopsis erythropappa), Spearmint leaf oil (mentha spicata), Carrageenan (chondrus crispus), Rosemary leaf extract (rosmarinus offinalis)*,
Maltodextrin, Spearmint leaf extract (mentha spicata), Xantham gum, P-anisic acid

Overall, it’s major love for Ursa Major. I love the concept of a small collection of skin and bodycare products that would please both men and women. The choice of ingredients are well-thought, and kudos to them for selling tavel sizes as well. While Ursa Major is the fitting brand for those frequently on the move/and having an active lifestyle, I’d definitely recommend the face wipes, tonic and balm to everyone interested in green beauty because they perform amazingly well.

Have you tried Ursa Major?

Take care,

Liz