Yes, You Can Use an Anti-Aging Serum. No, It Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive
Fast Facts
- Face serums are an important part of a solid skincare routine for anybody; using a serum regularly both repairs and protects facial skin
- Most serums nowadays are going for $150 to $300 a bottle; Ursa Major’s new Mountain Glow serum is $84
Skincare, and more broadly self-care, hasn’t always been top-of-mind for guys. But skincare companies—and, more importantly, guys—are changing. Brands like Hawthorne, Blu Atlas, Apricus, New Matter, and loads more have opened up shop with either guy-focused or genderless skincare products, and Google searches for men’s skincare subject matter has increased massively in the last five years.
One subcategory of skincare’s new wave is serums, which are small bottles of highly concentrated anti-aging components like retinoids, peptides, and antioxidants. These anti-aging serums face a few problems with folks who are just starting to build a healthy skincare routine, but price is easily the largest. These tiny bottles—usually just one or two fluid ounces—are going for multiple hundreds of dollars. Just released, Ursa Major’s Mountain Glow serum, priced at $84, bucks that trend. Here’s everything you should know.
What Actually Is an Anti-Aging Serum?
Anti-aging serums repair damaged skin and slow the process of skin aging, and are most often water- or oil-based. The issues they address include sagging, wrinkling, skin lines, and skin dullness. Typically, an anti-aging serum is a combination of vitamins, adaptogens, antioxidants, retinoids, and a host of other active and inactive ingredients.
Why Are Anti-Aging Serums Expensive?
For one, there is enormous demand for these products at the moment, which has seen the price-per-bottle jump over the last few years. That said, the price—which is markedly higher than most other skincare supplements—is largely high because there’s a lot going on in these tiny bottles. Many anti-aging serums are made up of dozens of super-concentrated ingredients.
What Is Ursa Major?
A Vermont-based skincare brand that takes a “less is more” approach to its products. Ursa Major doesn’t create or market products specifically for men or women and prioritizes only natural ingredients and product components. The products don’t come with overbearing scents or aromas, and problematic stuff like parabens, silicones, and petrochemicals don’t make their way into any ingredients.
Why Should I Buy Its Anti-Aging Serum?
Cheap anti-aging serums exist, but they are just that: cheap. There isn’t a specific formula for cheap serum, but typically it will be stuffed with more do-nothing filler ingredients than the stuff that has a real effect on your skin. Ursa Major’s Mountain Glow serum isn’t cheap materially or financially. Most of the company’s products sell for $40 to $60, so it’s up there for the brand’s single most expensive item. But if you compare its ingredient list to those $35 options, then to big beauty brands selling $150 serums, you’ll find it goes toe-to-toe with products two- and three-times its cost. Apply once or twice a day after showers, when your skin is still warm and damp, and give it a couple of months to get to work.
