Ursa Major’s Mountain Glow Golden Serum is a Multitasking Staple in My Skincare Regimen
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Taking skincare to the next level — or dermis layer, so to speak — doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Once you have a baseline routine (of a cleanser, exfoliator, moisturizer, and a daily sunscreen) intact, it’s all about enhancing the effects with products that know how to multitask. Recently, for me, that’s been Ursa Major’s Mountain Glow Serum: a lightweight, heavy-lifting serum that’s become a staple in my morning regimen.
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This serum is $84, which may seem pricey, but its formula (which moisturizes, exfoliates, and reduces inflammation) nullifies the need for multiple serums — a big deal for a grooming pro like me who often has three or four in his regimen. Plus, a bottle typically lasts me three months with one to two pumps per day.
Read on to learn more about why Ursa Major’s Mountain Glow Golden Serum has become a non-negotiable in my skincare routine — and why you should consider adding it to yours.
Ursa Major Mountain Glow Golden Serum
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Ursa Major’s serum is made with 44 clean and active ingredients including vitamins A, C & E for hydration. It’s made with nature-forward ingredients like wild pansy and golden aspen bark, and is designed to be used after cleansing and before a moisturizer.
Ursa Major Mountain Glow Golden Serum: At a Glance
Pros
Replaces the need for multiple serums in a morning or evening regimen.
Gives skin a radiant finish.
Ursa Major is a friend of the environment with both B-Corp and Leaping Bunny certifications.
Cons
Its consistency is closer to a lightweight cream than a serum. It still absorbs quickly but not quite as instantaneously as more watery serums.
The oil-based product might be off-putting for acne-prone individuals and particularly those who avoid coconut oil, which is the first ingredient on the list.
How to Use Ursa Major Mountain Glow Golden Serum
You can use Mountain Glow Golden Serum in the morning, evening, or both. However, I recommend using it in the morning, since you get the immediate benefits. (After all, if you want people to notice the “glow” on your skin, applying this product only to sleep in it won’t do you much good.)
So, in the morning, wash your face to clear the canvas, so to speak, to allow for proper absorption of the ingredients into your skin. Next, apply one or two pumps of this serum and follow it with a moisturizer.
I would posit that, because of the oil and shea butter base in this product, you could also blend it into your daily moisturizer and combine them in a single step. I’m not necessarily encouraging that — the ingredients in serums are often carefully formulated to work specifically with one another — but just know that the weight and viscosity of products is often what determines the application order, and that this serum is not as watery and feather-light as others, though it still doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.
Ursa Major Mountain Glow Golden Serum: Testing the Serum
Upon first pump, I wondered if this was even a serum, since it has lightweight creamy consistency. On top of that, many of its primary ingredients are oils (including coconut, jojoba, argan, and rosehip) as well as shea butter and aloe vera. That’s a recipe for a night cream or winter moisturizer in my book. Plus, many people would argue that a product containing as many oils (if any at all) is more of a face oil than a serum.
And yet, I am aligned with the brand: This here is a serum. It doesn’t wear like an oil. It’s far too light to be a heavy-duty cold-weather shield, and its insane concentration of good-for-the-skin ingredients screams serum. Plus, it absorbs as quickly as any serum.
I brought this product into rotation for the first time when I ran out of my previous go-to vitamin C serum. And while this one contains vitamin C, it’s definitely not a standalone brightening serum like the one I had just finished. Still, I liked that its formula — which contains 44 clean, active ingredients including adaptogens, phytosterols, and vitamins A, C, and E — worked in tandem to give my complexion a smooth and youthful appearance. My skin looked instantly brighter after each use, too.
After going through nearly two bottles of this serum — which translates to nearly five months of use — I can also confirm that my skin has maintained the same grooming-editor levels of firmness and resilience as before (as much as a nearly 37-year old’s skin can be, anyway).
For my acne-prone readers resistant to trying something with coconut oil in it, I can assure you I was also reticent, as I routinely experience acne due to stress or dietary matters. But none of my blemishes stem from the products I’m using at present, which bodes very well for this one.
Ursa Major Mountain Glow Golden Serum Verdict: The Master Multitasking Serum
I’d happily endorse this serum for day and night use — and even then, you’d be saving money by being able to downgrade your night cream to a standard-fare moisturizer. (Pair it with a prescription retinol for a truly transformative result.)
That being said, if you relegate it to one part of the day, make it the morning, since its oil-based ingredients give skin instant light-catching radiance — but not the gloopy, heavy-set kind that your skin’s own sebum buildup generates. Plus, as an acne-prone and oily-skinned individual, I am especially happy to report that this one wears well on my skin. It’s a 10/10 for me.
About the Author
Adam Hurly has been covering the grooming industry for a decade, having gotten his start at Birchbox in 2013. Since becoming a freelance journalist in 2016, he has written for nearly every men’s title. In addition to SPY, Adam’s frequent clients include GQ, Men’s Journal, Robb Report, Forbes and more. He is a South Dakota native, a University of Kansas graduate, a New Yorker at heart, and has resided in Berlin for five years.
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