When starting my mornings I’m all about pleasant simplicities. A nice cup of coffee or tea, a good breakfast sandwich, and a half hour of quiet time are how I love to start my day. Likewise, when I’m getting ready for the morning I like products that are easy and effective, but also little indulgences.

The Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash was a pleasant surprise, and is a great addition to my morning routine.

Loaded with essential oils like cedar, spearmint, lime, rosemary, vetiver, and lavender, the first thing you’ll notice is the smell of the product. It’s earthy and clean, invigorating, and has a fragrance reminiscent of tequila. Yes. Tequila. Although unusual, I’m really all about it. The earthiness of the cedar hits with the vibrancy of the spearmint, and I think when those two pair with the lime and lavender, the effect is decidedly: tequila. Which is fine by me, as my usual Friday night go to is a tequila ginger.

But I digress!

This face wash has an alpha/beta hydroxy acid complex to dissolve dead surface skin, and I think it lives up to its claims. My face looked cleaner and refreshed, and due to the high aloe content, it also felt soothed and relaxed.

It’s a low-lather product, which might be new for some of you used to super foamy cleansers, but the low-lather is actually a sign of high quality ingredients, and a tell-tale sign of an absence of any chemical nasties. Just be sure to apply a bit in your palm and work it together for a second before applying to your face.

The directions say you can leave it on for 30-60 seconds for a deep cleaning effect, and I think that’s a great idea. After the first cleanse I felt like maybe I hadn’t used enough — but that could also just be due to the fact I’m used to other cleansers.