‘Forest-powered’ skincare brand Ursa Major’s co-founder on her go-to products for a summer outside

“I’m definitely on the mineral-SPF train, but it’s really hard to find great mineral SPFs because they’re a little bit heavier typically and they can whiten the skin,” she says. While waiting for Ursa Major’s own SPF to be restocked, she’s been using Soleil Toujours’ formula. 

“So far, they have kept it 100% mineral, which is amazing,” she says. “It’s a beautiful product. I’ve used it in St. Barts on the beach and didn’t get a burn, which is pretty amazing. I mean, it really works. It stays on.”

If you’re looking for a body oil mineral sunscreen, Doyle also uses Solara Suncare Good Karma Energizing Body Oil Sunscreen SPF 30 when Ursa Major’s sold out of its SPF. 

“This is a dry oil SPF, which is pretty cool,” she says. “In summer, I feel like it’s a really nice option. I think a spray can be easier than a cream, [but] it’s hard to find a mineral spray that’s also kind of lightweight. So this is sort of an interesting one that I found that I really like.”

“Sunscreen is really important to me, but I also literally don’t leave the house without a hat ever,” she says. “When I’m outside, I have a hat at all times, usually a bucket hat… no one I know wears bucket hats but me. But I’ve always worn them my whole life, and I love them.”

Verloop’s crocheted accessories are made with deadstock yarn, so they have some eco-cred, too.

 “I wear this bucket hat all the time, and people literally stop me on the street and on the dog path,” Doyle says. “I wore it to this event the other night, and so many people were like, ‘Cool hat. Cool hat. Where’d you get your hat? Where’d you get your hat?’ It’s just really joyful and colorful and fun, and I feel like they’re a sustainable, really cool business.”

“A bucket hat and sunnies are like go-tos for outside,” Doyle says. “I just got these new sunglasses that I love.”

Her stylish pair has a refined rectangular shape with rounded edges is a part of a collaboration collection with Sabah. But it’s not your standard sunglasses brand: What stands out about this brand for her is the variety that accommodates different head sizes, just like hats do. 

“They come in tons of sizes for different-sized heads,” she says. “I have a small noggin!”

“These are my absolute go-to,” Doyle says. “I mean, I use these pretty much every morning.”

They’re also handy for a day outside: “They are definitely a great product in terms of going on a hike, if you’re taking a walk, you’re going out for the day outside, or you’re going to the beach,” she says. “They’re like an instant mini facial, basically. They clean your face completely. They exfoliate, they soothe, and they give you a little hydration.”

They come in convenient, individually wrapped, recyclable pouches, making them easy for Doyle to bring wherever she goes. 

“It’s literally like skincare in your pocket,” she says. “Especially on these really humid, hot days in summer, it can be lifesaving when you’re halfway through the day, and you need one. After a hike or after a morning yoga class, but you have to maybe run somewhere and meet someone or do something, they calm your skin. They take down the redness. They give you that little glow.”

“I’m definitely aware of plastic consumption and how much stuff comes in plastic and how much plastic waste there is,” says Doyle. “At Ursa Major, we moved almost everything to glass and aluminum just to get away from using so much plastic and all the microplastics that are unavoidable in our food system and everything.”

She’s especially cautious about plastic when it comes to her daughter’s food. “When Millie was tiny and I started to have to pack lunch for her, I wanted to find stainless everything,” she says. “I found this brand, LunchBots, and we use it for everything. We use it on picnics. We use it on hikes. I pack our lunch in it every day. That’s literally all I use when we take food with us anywhere. On a picnic, on a hike, on a canoe, for Millie, every single day. I’ve turned so many people onto them, and so many friends have started using them now.”

A big factor that allows Doyle to use them every single day is the range of sizes.

“They have all these different sizes,” she says. “They have different little components. They have kind of a snack one; then they have a slightly bigger one; then they have the lunch one. They have small bowls. Our pantry has like 30 of them at this point. We have a lot of them in different sizes and configurations.

“I think they’re genius. They’re just perfect little containers. I’ve had these probably for seven or eight years. They’re not huge. They’re not bulky. They fit. They’re bulletproof. They’ll kind of last forever, which is great. They’re very sustainable in that way, too. They’re not going to break or crack or anything like that.” 

If you have a picky eater in your life, they even have divider add-ons you can buy separately. 

“It has these little silicone liners you can use,” she says. “Like today, I did strawberries in our lunch, so I put the little liner in for the strawberries, but then everything else goes in there. You can kind of pop these little liners in so that you can make extra little sections. You can do a whole little snack platter, like a tackle box.”

“We spend so much time outside in Vermont,” she says. “Anytime I’m outside for any amount of time and come in after a day in the sun or after just being out in the elements at all, Golden Hour is my absolute must-have.”

It’s her own formula, sure, but it’s a favorite for a reason: “You know when your skin is either irritated or dry and you can feel it? This just instantly replenishes,” she says. “I crave it. It’s literally the first thing I want to do when I walk in the door because it just calms your skin and replenishes it.

For Doyle, calming your skin is the first goal after extended time outdoors, but the formula does more than just soothe. 

“It helps calm your skin, and it also kind of brings it back to life at the same time,” she says. 

More than a moisturizer, “it’s a recovery cream, so it absolutely helps with your barrier and reduces redness,” Doyle says. “It has all the omega fatty acids, and it’s this really amazing reset for your skin if you’ve been outside at all. It really helps with irritation, redness and inflammation. It works on all those things to calm the skin, but then also brings all the nutrients and nourishment back in.”

Despite the creamy texture, it’s not too heavy for summer. “It’s our bestseller, and it’s year-round for me, but it’s particularly lovely in summer because it has this rich but lightweight texture,” she says. “It’s kind of this Goldilocks in terms of the texture and what it does. It’s definitely instant. It absorbs immediately.

“Your skin will instantly feel pampered when you use it, but it’s not greasy or rich at all,” she says. “I love a rich cream once in a while or before bed. I’m happy to slather on something that’s a little bit richer or greasier, but this is not that at all.”