When I first began covering beauty, I’d never heard the name “Tata Harper.” And then, as I interviewed influencers across the country, she was everywhere. Everyone from beauty blogger Annie Atkinson to Gwyneth Paltrow sung her praises and I knew I had to meet the firecracker Colombian behind skincare's farm-to-face movement.
Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Harper now lives and works on a 1,200 acre farm in Vermont. The idea for her line was conceived after her stepfather was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2005. His doctors continuously urged them to read all the product labels for things used at home, on the hunt for something called toxic additives.
“I thought he just used typical guy stuff,” Harper said with a shrug. “'But as these doctors talked about synthetic chemicals in things like deodorant and cleaning supplies, I began to realize what an impact they have on our health.”
Harper’s beauty closet began to feel like, “an atomic bomb of chemicals.” But the only place to buy organic beauty products in the early 2000’s was the supermarket — somewhere Harper knew wouldn't work.
“I was used to buying $500 serums... suddenly I’m at Whole Foods trying to find a natural equivalent,” she explained. “Nothing was going to deliver the results I was used to. I stared at this 100% olive oil product and thought, ‘This will never do.’”
Skincare was the final frontier of the green movement — one that still has a long way to go. And even though major brands have cried natural for years, their products are actually quite toxic.
“Once I learned what to avoid, I realized even products labeled as natural are terrible for you.” Harper remembered. “I would turn around the box for a ‘natural’ cream, and find synthetic chemicals from the auto industry.”
Yes, the auto industry. Harper quickly learned that some of the most common ingredients in skincare include tire lubricants, antifreeze and simethicone. They aren't even active ingredients, but are used to prolong the product's lifespan or increase texture.
“We don’t know how bad they are because we don’t know their names,” she continued. “But once you realize you’re putting antifreeze on your skin, you won’t want to continue.”
Harper decided to be the change she wanted to see in the world. This meant creating a line of 100% natural, nontoxic products that would be as effective as La Mer mixed with Botox — a lofty dream to say the least.
As she started her line, Harper realized just how low quality concerns were in the beauty industry. Skincare labs are known to encourage entrepreneurs to use cookiecutter formulas, then make a few minor tweaks to differentiate their lines. It's no shock many of these formulas include synthetics.
“I decided to do things the complete opposite way,” Harper explained with pride. “I live in Vermont — a place with so many amazing natural ingredients. Why not take the time to build a line of all natural formulas from scratch?”
She compiled a team of scientists willing to experiment with different raw materials — like gum from trees in Senegal, or the wax in olives and sugar. Most mega-brands had deemed the ingredients either too expensive or ineffective, but Harper was sure they could revolutionize our skin.
“It took eight chemists five years to help concept the products,” Harper said. “But I can proudly say there isn’t one synthetic in the entire line.”
To replace toxic additives, Harper had to find natural ingredients that mimicked the most expensive products on the market. Take Harper’s beloved Rejuvenating Serum, which was designed to naturally stimulates collagen and maintain the appearance of youthful skin.
“We use a raw material in that product called liposomes,” she said. “They don’t work on the outside of your skin, they work on the hypoderm... where you store all your fat cells. They go into that layer and make fat cells fatter, reinvigorating the fat pack that gets eroded as we age. It’s a completely natural way to get back the youthful cushion.”
If you’re wondering whether her products work as well as retinol or injections, just take a look at the numbers: In the past year, Harper’s business has grown 600%. She’s carried in major retailers like Neiman Marcus and Sephora, and recently expanded across Europe. Her line has grown from 12 to 38 products in five years, and is coveted by celebrities like Jessica Alba and Lake Bell.
“Tata Harper is one of my favorite beauty lines," Bell told Forbes. "And she just came out with these amazing little lipsticks... They're small, pretty and have enough color to use on cheeks in a pinch."
Gwyneth Paltrow summed it up even better: "Pretty much everything I use is Tata Harper."
So what’s on the Queen of Green's agenda for 2015? "We’re focusing on two things: Expanding the SuperNatural Collection and adding more makeup products,” she explained with excitement.
Stay tuned for future launches, and — in the meantime — you can try Harper's beloved Elixir Vitae. Her Resurfacing Mask is a great place to start for those with younger skin seeking an instant glow.
