The first thing I love about Tata Harper skin care is the bright green and yellow packaging. It immediately makes you know that you are in good hands. I met Tata herself at a Tata Harper event a couple of years ago, which was held in a fancy Beverly Hills hotel. A blonde bombshell dressed in a stunning red frock, entered the room, and was introduced to us as “Tata”. Her skin shone, and she exuded natural sexiness. But Tata’s real power lies in her outstanding skin care philosophy, and brilliant business acumen.
Her products are pretty amazing. They are all hand-made on her in Vermont, and Tata uses Essential Botanical oils in all of her products, which smell AMAAAAZING. Many of these botanical ingredients are grown on her farm! When you open the box, the inner flap says, “Our Fragrance comes from Flowers not chemicals,” and the scent is truly perfect: fresh, invigorating, and yet not overpowering. This is “slow beauty” at it’s best: gently smooth the Repairative Moisturizer on your skin, and you’ll feel as if you’re lying in a meadow full of wildflowers in Vermont. All of Tata’ s products feel silky, and great as soon as they are applied, and they are easily absorbed. But, her formulations aren’t just a load of simple, organic oils and butters – they are scientifically constructed formulations, which have been carefully created for various skin types, and they all have very specific functions.
My 3 favorite products, which work beautifully together are: The Rejuvenating Serum, The Replenishing Nutrient Complex, and the Repairative Moisturizer. The Rejuvenating Serum is their bestseller, and I can see why: It contains a whopping 29 ingredients, many of which help to boost collagen production, and protect cells from oxidative stress.
I got the chance to catch up with Tata, and ask her some questions. I hope you enjoy our little interview:
Sophie: You personally formulate all of your products – is this something you love to do?
Tata: Our products are formulated by a team of chemists – I’m involved in every step of the way but I don’t do the entire formulation myself! But yes, I love to do it – it’s fascinating to identify a product function (like, what do we want this product to do? What skin type is it for?) and then search the globe for the most advanced natural skincare technology to include in the formulas. We’re all about delivering results without a single synthetic ingredient, so our formulas feature some really advanced natural science! The research, development and manufacturing all happens here, in Vermont. I love having it all under one roof where I can be part of it all.
Sophie: How to you combine both a scientific and a natural approach to skin care?
Tata: By staying committed to our goal of producing skincare that is scientifically- advanced, high-performance, and completely nontoxic. It hasn’t been easy – formulating the entire line took five years of hard work, and a global search for natural chemists and cutting-edge natural ingredient technology. Being committed to natural and nontoxic means being on the most advanced edge of skincare science, since research labs around the world are just now starting to invest a lot of money in developing ingredient technology that’s totally natural.
Sophie: Do you think your beauty has more to do with your genes, your lifestyle or your skin care regime (or a bit of both)?
Tata: Definitely a little bit of both! I believe that there’s no silver bullet when it comes to beauty; it’s about lifestyle (diet, stress, hydration, exercise, emotional health) and genetics as much as it is about the products you use every day. I think taking a holistic approach to beauty, and realizing that the way you feel affects the way you look, as well as taking a preventative approach to antiaging is the way to go.
Sophie: What’s a typical daily eating-plan for you?
Tata: I have a pretty healthy, balanced diet that involves a lot of smoothies, juices and salads but I don’t follow a crazy strict regimen. I make sure there’s protein and veggies with every meal, and I have a fresh juice blend every breakfast and lunch. I love eating out, and I have quite a sweet tooth, so there’s usually some chocolate for an afternoon snack.
Sophie: Do you exercise?
Tata: I don’t have the same dedicated exercise routine that I used to, and honestly I’m pretty busy so these days I don’t find time to exercise more than a few days a week. But my lifestyle is really active, I’m always moving, and I like to incorporate some restorative yoga into my morning routine. We live on a huge farm, so we take walks and hikes most weekends, which is a great way to relax too. Plus, with three little kids, I find other ways to exercise – dancing, jumping on the trampoline, or exploring the farm together.
Sophie: How to you juggle work and family life?
Tata: Luckily I have an assistant who helps me manage all of life’s details and moving pieces, and otherwise I just make a commitment to be with my kids every morning, evening and weekends. Somehow the balance just happens! Luckily, I live on the same property as our business headquarters, so I don’t have to travel far to the office.
Sophie: Finally, you are stranded on a desert island, and only allowed to take one (okay 2) Tata Harper products with you. Which would they be?
The Rejuvenating Serum! It’s an amazing collagen treatment for both tackling and preventing the signs of aging. It’s an award-winning product, and our best-seller; I’ve been using it for years and it’s worked wonders on my skin. Otherwise, the Try-Me Kit is a wonderful beauty set that we put together for people who want to try the line, it has samples of everything, so I’d probably bring that along since all of my skincare essentials are in there!