Father’s Day is around the corner – do you know what you’re getting your dad (or your baby-daddy) yet?  I have one, solid suggestion; products so good, I steal them from my husband and he steals them right back.  Ursa Major has been a staple brand in our home for over a year.  The products are shareable (unisex), effective and well-priced.  I love that if we go out of town and have to pack super-light, we only need one set of toiletries for the two of us (they make travel sizes of everything).  Ursa Major is based in Vermont (I have a serious love for that state), and the people behind the brand are so genuine and wholesome.  Scroll down for an Ursa Major GWP from Ayla Beauty.

Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash really is fantastic.  This 8 oz (!!) gel cleanser is large enough to share.  It lathers well, removes dirt, oil, SPF, makeup, you name it, without stripping the skin.  The (spearmint, lemon, rosemary, cedar, verbena, and owyhee) scent is invigorating, and leaves you feeling so fresh and so clean.  My husband loves it, and so do I.  (Best for normal, balanced and oily skin.)

Ursa Major  Fortifying Face Balm is really nothing like a balm.  It is a moisturizing aloe vera-based-gel-serum, and it is amazing.  If you live in a hot, humid climate, have oily skin, are breakout prone, or just dislike heavy moisturizers, this product is for you.  The ingredients are fabulous.  Prickly pear cactus stem extract, Kendi seed oil, carrot seed oil, and olive leaf extract don’t just hydrate skin, they’re also powerful anti-aging agents.  It also smells light and fresh (lavender, lime, spearmint, and rosemary).  This moisturizer is a great value.

One of the last “dirty” products left in our bathroom is Richard’s Barbasol shaving cream.  I’ve tried to steer him towards Clean options, but he always says that nothing compares to his old stand-by.  However, a while back, he ran out of his beloved Barbasol one morning.  In a panic, he asked if I had anything that he could substitue.  Well, of course, my love!  (I always speak to him like a 1950’s housewife.)  Ursa Major Stellar Shave Cream came to the rescue.  And, even though his legs weren’t broken and his car worked just fine, he never did go to that dreaded CVS (can’t tell you the last time I was in one) to stock up on his old shaving cream.  That’s right, he finished the whole damn tube.  Also, Esquire Magazine named it the Best Shave Cream, and you know they’re sent package after package to try out.  I think what Richard really likes about it is the smell (A coniferous blend with hints of ginger, grapefruit, vetiver and bergamot, imparting a sense of clarity and confidence), and that it’s thick and creamy, but rinses clean.

I told you a while back that the Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes saved us from the dust and heat when we went to the Coachella Music Festival in April.   These are my favorite travel wipes, period (and Gwyneth’s, too).  These are so great for after a workout, or a long, hot day.  Richard is in and out of his car all day in the Charleston heat, and these live in his briefcase.  These individually wrapped wipes have also become a permanent staple in my purse, as I don’t have to lug a 40-pack of wipes in order to be prepared for a minor disaster.  Oh, and they have other benefits; they cleanse, exfoliate, heal, hydrate and have a 100% natural, uplifting scent.  This is a no-brainer, folks.

Ursa Major’s Hoppin’ Fresh Deodorant is the only Clean deodorant that contains baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) that doesn’t irritate my skin (even after shaving) and still works well.  I’m mystified….  I have tried dozens of nontoxic deodorants that don’t work for me, but this one is just so good.  The fresh scent of eucalyptus, ginger, rosemary, grapefruit, chamomile, and lemon is perfect for both girls and guys, and while it is not an antiperspirant (there’s no such thing as a nontoxic antiperspirant), it does absorb moisture and keeps me feeling fresh all day.  Also, it’s a non-staining formula, hooray!  This is a must-try, people.

Ursa Major Citrus Riot Body Wash has been a nice step-up for my husband who wanted something that “smells nicer than Dr. Bronner’s” (no offense to Dr. Bronner’s – we do love you).  This body wash lathers and cleanses well without drying out the skin, and it smells zing-y (lime, cedar, ginger, frankincense, grand fir).  It’s a great way to wake up in the morning.

I’m very picky when it comes to body lotion.  It needs to be light enough that I don’t suffocate in the Charleston heat, but hydrating enough to sufficiently moisturize my skin for 24 hours at a time.  Ursa Major Perfect Zen Body Lotion is one of those rare, perfect formulas that does the job, and does it well, all year long.  The orange, bergamot, cedar and sandalwood scent is both uplifting and calming.  It smells like a very tasteful, rustic, exotic island vacation.  Love this lotion!

While supplies last, every $50+ order at Ayla Beauty will ship free and receive a complementary travel size Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash.  I’ll let you determine which one of you gets to use it.

What’s your guy’s favorite grooming product that he won’t switch out for a Clean alternative?

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