Deodorant is undoubtedly one of the most difficult products to green in your routine, but it's also one of the most vital. Conventional deodorants and antiperspirant are loaded with chemicals, heavy metals, and synthetic fragrance, and lymph nodes in the armpits readily absorb and hold onto these toxins.
Thankfully there are plenty of healthier options out there today, including Ursa Major's new-to-the-scene Hoppin' Fresh Deodorant*. I've been using Hoppin' Fresh for upwards of a month now and I'm happy to report that it's quickly become one of my favorite deodorants.
It wasn't, however, a completely smooth road to love for me and this odor fighter. My testing experience went something like this:
Days 1-3: The honeymoon stage. I smell fresh and clean all day and love everything about the deodorant.
Days 4-8: Trouble in paradise. Odor protection starts to last only 4-5 hours before wearing off. Reapplying helps for a short time, but the deodorant wears off again in another 2-3 hours.
Days 9+: Back on track. Hoppin' Fresh starts lasting again and I'm back to smelling good the entire day, sans reapplications.
Which just goes to show that, even for someone who's been exclusively using natural deodorant for years, there can still be an adjustment period when switching to something new.
Setting aside odor protection for a moment, the most unique thing about Hoppin' Fresh is just how comparable it is to conventional deodorant in both feel and application. The deodorant is a smooth, firm stick (not even a hint of crumbling here!) that glides on super easily. This perfect, almost gel-like consistency is pretty standard in mainstream deodorants, but it's something I haven't found in other natural ones - and goodness knows I've tried more than a few! It goes on clear, dries quickly, and won't stain clothes either.
The smooth texture is courtesy of a base of soothing aloe vera juice and the often vilified propanediol. Without going off on too much of a tangent, propanediol is often linked to propylene glycol due to similarities in chemical structure, but there are some notable differences. Where PG is petrochemical-based, propanediol is mainly derived from corn sugar fermentation. Manufacturing doesn't have the same environmental impact as that of a petrochemical, nor does the end product carry the same allergy or toxicity concerns.
Hoppin' Fresh isn't an antiperspirant - and really, you wouldn't want it to be! - but kaolin clay does its part absorbing moisture. I've never felt excessively wet or sweaty while using it.
When it comes to odor protection, Ursa Major has you covered with a powerful trifecta of anti-microbial and anti-bacterial hops extract, baking soda, and essential oils. I know baking soda is an issue for an increasing number of people, but even if the thought has you cringing in anticipated agony, I wouldn't write this deodorant off just yet. I've had problems using "simple" baking soda formulas for the last six months or so, but I haven't experienced any irritation from Hoppin' Fresh. I've even tested it immediately after shaving without any issues.
As I mentioned, it took a little over a week for the odor protection to fully level out for me, but since then, it's been top-notch. I only apply the deodorant once a day and I still find myself smelling fresh the following morning. Granted, it's winter here now, but judging by how well it holds up to a sweaty workout, I'm pretty confident Hoppin' Fresh will fare well in the warmer months too. Out of the tube and freshly applied, the deodorant smells minty and herbal thanks to a blend of plant extracts and peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, and grapefruit essential oils, but while the odor protection lasts, the scent wears off pretty quickly, so even if herbal scents aren't your thing, it's unlikely to bother you much or interfere with any other scents you may want to wear.
The Bottom Line
Whether you're a natural deodorant pro, or you're new and struggling, I think Hoppin' Fresh is worth a try! It applies very similarly to conventional deodorant and is simultaneously gentle on the skin and offers some of the strongest odor protection I've found in a natural deodorant.
Giveaway
I've also teamed up with Ursa Major to give one of you the chance to try Hoppin' Fresh, as well as Ursa Major's two other new releases: the Citrus Riot Body Wash and Perfect Zen Body Lotion.
The giveaway is limited to US/Canada. Follow the Rafflecopter widget, below, to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Press sample
Tomorrow marks the official start of fall, so it seems appropriate to wrap up summer today with a favorites post. These are the standout products I've especially enjoyed using over the last few months. As many of you know, I've been focused on using the products I already have this year, rather than mindlessly buy-buy-buying, so while there are a couple new things here, most are products I've written about before, although not super recently.
Gabriel Cosmetics Vibrant Pink Blush*
I used to be terrified of wearing too much blush and looking like a clown, but I've gradually worked up to being comfortable with brighter and more pigmented blushes. Vibrant Pink is a matte cool hot pink and I loved it this summer. It gives the prettiest pop of pink without looking overdone. The Gabriel blushes are quite pigmented - so a light hand is key - but they're blendable and easy to work with, even if you're fair skinned like me.
Balanced Guru Calming Masque
I've raved about this mask several times before and it really is a consistent favorite of mine. Made with a blend of detoxifying bentonite clay and sea kelp, soothing calendula, marshmallow root, echinacea, and aloe vera, and nutrient dense rosehip, sea buckthorn fruit, and gingko, it strikes a perfect balance between drawing out impurities and nourishing the skin with healthy vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The mask is actually quite detoxifying, but it comes as a powder, which allows you to easily tailor the liquid(s) you mix in to best suit your skin. I like to use water, in combination with a few drops of a face oil to prevent the mask from drying as firmly as it does with water alone. I also often mix in a drop or two of carrot seed or frankincense essential oil as an extra anti-aging boost. My skin is always left looking visibly clearer and brighter after using the Calming Masque and I feel like it's something I'll always keep stocked on my skincare shelf.
Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash*
I really enjoy a lathering cleanser, but my skin can't tolerate how drying some of them are. Happily there are products like the Fantastic Face Wash, which foams up nicely, rinses easily, and doesn't leave my skin feeling at all dry. I first used it about six months ago but gradually drifted onto new things, as we do, only to rediscover it mid-August and fall head over heels all over again. The scent is an invigorating unisex blend of spearmint and evergreen trees that's lovely and refreshing without being over the top. The cleanser offers gentle exfoliation from sugar cane and fruit extracts, and a slight tingly sensation from the mint leaves skin feeling extra clean, though never dry or stripped.
Pacifica Red Red Wine
I first saw this nail polish color in a Youtube video last fall and immediately set my sights on it. It's taken me until the summer to actually get my hands on it, as even though a nearby health food store stocks the Pacifica polishes, they've been sold out of Red Red Wine every time I've been in. The color is pretty much just what the name suggests: a classic dark red/wine color with a creme finish. I wore it in the summer, but it's really a more traditionally fall/winter shade, so I don't foresee putting it away anytime soon. The Pacifica polishes are 7-free and vegan, with a great, long-wearing formula.
Brija Cosmetics You Know Who Highlighter
I used to prefer a matte complexion, but these days I really think glowing, luminous skin is the way to go. To me, it just looks fresher, healthier, and more natural. That said, I have some larger pores on my nose and cheeks and I've struggled to find a highlighter that provides the radiance I'm looking for without emphasizing or drawing extra attention to them. But, I think I've finally found it in You Know Who, which gives a beautiful ethereal glow without any piecey shimmer or glitter. It's a light, white/cream shade, but it doesn't look chalky or frosty on the skin. It's also versatile in that it can be worn lightly for a subtle everyday look or built up to a more serious gleam for a dramatic highlight.
Ora's Amazing Herbal All Purpose Salve*
This salve is great for lots of things, but my favorite use is on bug bites. It works like nothing else on both swelling and itching. We've got a good number of spruce trees in the backyard and plenty of mosquitos as a result, so whenever I'm out there with the dog, there's a decent chance of bites. Just last week, I managed to get a bite right in the middle of my forehead, which, being in such an obvious spot, of course swelled up huge and looked like a goose egg. I used the salve twice that night and it worked like a charm. The formula has a grapeseed and coconut oil base and is packed with anti-inflammatory herbs like calendula, comfrey, chickweed, plantain, burdock, thyme, and St. John's wort. It visibly starts to take down swollen bug bites within minutes of application, and within a couple hours, even the biggest bites are nearly gone. With summer winding down, bug bites aren't as big of an issue, but I know I'll still keep this guy handy for its multitude of other uses. It works well on other skin irritations and soothes everything from cuts and scrapes to pimples, chapped lips, dry cuticles, and rashes.
Hope you had a fabulous summer and are looking forward to fall!
*Press sample
Contains affiliate links
Ursa Major first launched as skincare for men, but they've recently rebranded to include us ladies too, and now market themselves as a unisex line. The company's tagline is "super natural skincare," and under that ethos, each Ursa Major product must be effective, healthy, and sublime. The entire range is 98-100% natural, as well as gluten-free, toxin-free, cruelty-free, and vegan. I've been trying out the Fantastic Face Wash* and Fortifying Face Balm* for several weeks and I'm excited to share my thoughts on them.
Fantastic Face Wash
The green beauty world often shies away from foaming cleansers and I used to as well, but I've really come to appreciate them again these last six months or so, and the Fantastic Face Wash is a great option. With a light gel texture that foams up well, rinses away clean, and does not leave your skin feeling dry, it really is everything you could want in a foaming cleanser. I also love the scent, a blend with strong notes of black spruce, fir, cedarwood, and spearmint that has me envisioning walking through a lush, minty forest. The spearmint is just enough to leave your skin feeling very clean and refreshed, but not so much as to cause extreme tingling or discomfort. The formula also contains sugar cane and fruit extracts to clear pores and dissolve dead skin, and Ursa Major recommends letting the cleanser sit on the skin for 30-60 seconds to allow the acids time to complete this exfoliation.
Fortifying Face Balm
The Fortifying Face Balm has an impressive ingredients list that includes hydrating aloe vera and sunflower oil, purifying witch hazel and willow bark extract, and anti-aging olive leaf, carrot seed oil, and frankincense resin. In spite of its name, the Face Balm is closer to what I'd consider a gel moisturizer than a balm. Packaged in a pump bottle, it has the consistency of a thick serum and absorbs into the skin quickly and with a matte finish. My skin leans just slightly on the dry side, so while I feel moisturized right after I apply the Face Balm, my skin starts to feel a little dry towards the end of the day unless I combine it with another product. If you have more normal/combination/oily skin, I think the Face Balm would work great on its own, and if your skin is drier like mine, it layers well with either a face oil or a cream moisturizer.
In terms of scent, the Face Balm is infused with lavender, lime, spearmint, and rosemary and to me, is very reminiscent of the original Aveda line (way back in the day, before they were sold to Estée Lauder). It's an herbal scent, but still fresh, and something that could easily suit both men and women.
The Bottom Line
I love Ursa Major's commitment to using high quality, natural ingredients to create products that not only compete with conventional skincare products, but outperform them. There's also something really appealing about a small capsule collection, but the innate drawback of that is that not every skin type can always be accounted for. In Ursa Major's case, the current lineup is mainly geared towards normal/oily/combination skin, and while I do think the products could still work for anyone - except maybe the extremely dry - I'd love to see the range expanded to include products specifically for drier skinned folks too!
Have you tried Ursa Major? What's your favorite product from the line?
*Press sample
