For many of us, living an organic, holistic lifestyle seems like a lofty goal. It would be nice, sure, but it’s just not realistic. Tata Harper is on a mission to change all that. She started her eponymous skincare line after discovering her stepfather had been diagnosed with cancer. After the doctors questioned everything he was putting into his body and on it, for that matter, she vowed to create a better option for herself and others looking for alternatives as well. I had the honor of interviewing Tata during her recent trip to Neiman Marcus, as well as taking a master class with her to learn all about her approach to 100% natural, 100% nontoxic beauty. Read on to find out more:
Haute in Texas: Hi Tata! Thanks for chatting with us today! We know you have a farm in Vermont where you grow many of your ingredients for the line. Tell us why you chose Vermont?
Tata Harper: Vermont happened by accident. I grew up in Colombia, and we always had farms. So once I knew that I wanted to stay here in the US, my then boyfriend, now my husband, and I decided, let’s get a farm! But let’s get a farm not necessarily in a place where people have like second homes and it’s like a fake farm. We wanted a real agricultural farm. So we started touring around the Northeast, and when I stepped foot in Vermont I felt it was magical. I loved how the whole state is kind of frozen in time, very quaint and very protected. There’s a huge agricultural community, so we found a farm that was for sale and fell in love with the sweeping views. We were really lucky to find it, and we’ve had it now for 13 years.
Finally when my husband and I got married in 2007, I started living there full time and started the company full time. I was heavy into research and working with a lot of formulators, and the farm has given us the space to actually make our own products. A lot of companies outsource everything, but when I realized that was how the industry worked, I didn’t think it wouldn’t be a good fit for our company. I had worked for five years making formulas from scratch, so I wanted to make a product that was absolutely natural. Our products are 100% natural, and our customers expect them to be fresh.
HIT: I love that. You’ve done a great job of merging the grassroots, organic feel to your products with the luxury component. Can you talk a little about that?
TH: Well to be honest with you, this is the ultimate luxury. To not have to put the disgusting ingredients on your face that are in products just because they are cheap and fast to make. We wanted to show that you don’t have to have that terrible stuff on your face every day, twice a day. So we bring a very innovative process into mainstream products, to get these potent results without any chemicals or toxins. It really is the ultimate luxury. For me, I had no budget, I just said let’s pack it up with everything, the best in the world, and then we’ll see what it costs.
HIT: That was another thing I thought was interesting with your website was that you have a pricing philosophy to explain why your products cost what they cost. Can you talk about that?
TH: So we try to make natural products affordable to everyone, but a lot of the raw materials that we use from around the world, they cost so much more money that it’s hard to make things that are completely affordable. But we try to be as affordable as possible. With our products you’re not buying something with maybe one or two active ingredients, you’re buying an amazing product with 30-something actives that are working for your skin. It’s really hard to make products that are so high quality and inexpensive.
HIT: I also heard in one of your interviews that you’re kind of against retinol, which most people think it’s the must-have ingredient for anti-aging. Why is that?
TH: I love natural retinols, what I am against are the synthetic retinols that peel the skin. Because if you think about it, as we age, the skin becomes thinner, and if you’re encouraging it to be thinner and thinner, it’s not a good strategy for aging. If you talk to skin biologists, they are always trying to plump the skin, because the thin, semi-translucent skin is just not attractive. So with retinols or acids, yes it gives you immediate results, and maybe you could do it once a year or even twice a year. But to do it every day it’s just too harsh, it’s counterproductive.
The biggest thing that struck me about Tata, in both our interview and our master class, was that everything she says just makes sense. Why do we put chemicals on our skin? Why do we scrub and peel it away until there’s nothing left? Why don’t we question more brands and ask them why they’re not looking out for our best interests? I received quite a few samples of products after my Master Class, and I also picked up her Regenerating Cleanser, Resurfacing Mask, and the AMAING volumizing lip and cheek tint in Very Sweet. I’ve been using them all religiously for about a week now, and holy crap, you guys. My skin is just soaking in all the goodness. Every time I complete the routine of cleansing, serum, and moisturizer, I’m shocked at how dewy and glowing my skin is. Tata is also getting attention from Vogue and supermodels left and right, so if my personal recommendation isn’t enough, maybe you’ll take their word. Run, don’t walk, to the Tata Harper counter at Neiman Marcus. You won’t regret it.
XO,
A
