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
I've been slightly obsessive about applying and reapplying lip balm this winter, but in my defense, it was -15°C and colder pretty much all last week. Temperatures like that can really take a toll on your lips! One of the products I was test-driving during this cold spell was Balm Balm's Multi-Purpose Lip Balm. Balm Balm is a UK skincare company whose products contain only organic ingredients and are especially recommended for sensitive skin. As I mentioned in my Winter Skincare Routine, this lip balm has been on my lips a lot lately, and in the week since posting that, I've also discovered another use for this lovely product!
Product Description
Shea butter, sunflower, beeswax, jojoba & calendula, gently melted together to create a soft balm formulation to soothe, moisturise and nourish your lips or anywhere else that might need caring for.
Ingredients
Butyrospermum
parkii* (shea butter), helianthus annuus* (sunflower oil), cera alba* (beeswax),
calendula officinalis* (calendula oil), simmondsia chinensis* (jojoba oil)
*Organic
Price
£4.50 for 10 ounces
My Thoughts
This has become one of my favorite lip balms to use when I'm just hanging around the house. It's a soft
balm that, on contact, melts into a more liquid texture. With a clean finger, I'll
apply a small bead-sized amount and within a couple minutes, it will
have almost completely soaked into my lips. If you're looking for something that will hydrate your lips but not leave them feeling coated or waxy, this is the product for you! It also works great as a base for lip colours, since it moisturizes but doesn't leave any kind of barrier that might prevent the colour from sticking to your lips. I will say, with the extreme cold temperatures lately, I'll usually opt for something a little waxier and more longwearing before heading outside, but indoors, this is what I've been reaching for.
As for the multi-purpose part, I also used this on my face the other night, with great results. For whatever reason (probably the cold!), my skin was feeling stripped, sensitive, and a tad stingy, so when I reached for this for my lips, I decided to try slathering it on the rest of my face too! It didn't soak in as quickly on my face as it does on my lips, but my skin didn't feel greasy either. This was right before bed, on top of my regular nighttime routine, and I woke up to incredible, babysoft skin! It's a small tube if you do end up using it on more than just your lips, but I noticed that Balm Balm's Face Balm has identical ingredients, so I'm wondering if it's the same product, just in a larger size? (If you've tried both or have any idea about this, please let me know in the comments!)
The Score
10/10
The Bottom Line
This is a product I can definitely see myself repurchasing! It's super gentle and fantastic on the lips AND face. I chose the fragrance free version, but if that's not your jam, it's also available in rose geranium and tea tree scents.
