The Facing Page

Launched a little over two years ago, Ursa Major has joined maple syrup in the list of Vermont’s greatest exports. The small and specialist skincare brand was developed by two New Yorkers, Oliver Sweatman and Emily Doyle, to “provide men with a healthy and highly effective skin care solution that’s really a pleasure to use – a robust, natural alternative to the bland, chemical-intensive and unsustainable products that pervade today’s marketplace.” The result is a tight product line crafted from natural ingredients that tends to outperform its chemically created drug store cousins. To date, Ursa Major have released a shave cream, a face balm, a face toner and a face wash with a number of other skincare options apparently in the pipeline. I’ve only tried the shave cream, but it compares well to my usual shave soap and is miles better than a typical Gillette foam option. The shave cream also happens to smell amazing, a trait I’m sure is carried throughout the line. They’re available online at the Ursa Major site, which also has a nice backstory explaining the whole line, as well as in store here in Vancouver at MASC, or in Victoria at Victory Barber and Brand.

- CK