Green Skincare Guru Tata Harper Shares Recipes for Getting Gorgeous

By Jen Smith
August 22, 2011

Compelling Colombian beauty Tata Harper is the powerhouse founder and creator of an eponymous skincare line that is not just all-natural and toxin-free; it's made by hand on her Vermont farm, with many of the organic ingredients sourced on the property.

Harper, an industrial engineer by trade who was introduced to homemade skincare recipes as a child, found herself venturing officially into the beauty business when her stepfather was diagnosed with cancer in 2006. His doctors banished all his grooming products while he was going through treatment because the chemicals they were manufactured from could further his illness or interfere with his treatment. For Harper, it was a wakeup call. “I was disturbed to discover that, like millions of other women, I was putting synthetic chemicals on my face two times a day, every day, for years," she tells us. "You do this for a lifetime. Can you imagine what toll that takes on our systems?"

Tata Harper

Tata Harper on the farm in Vermont where she both lives and produces her all-natural skincare line.

Looking for something better, Harper scoured the shelves at health food stores and quickly became disillusioned. “There were so many products that were not toxin free or there were products that were 100 percent natural, but they just didn’t work. I realized I would have to create something myself."

Assembling a team of scientists, chemists and botanists from around the globe to help her with her mission, Harper launched her line a few years later. A beauty editor favorite, the products are made from infusions, macerations and essential oils derived from seeds, petals and leaves. “We use the most amazing science," she says proudly. “Our preservatives are a new technology developed from the fermentation of radish roots and our emulsifiers come from olives—so much better than battery acid and motor oil!" (Not only does Harper use all-natural ingredients, but she also uses minimal packaging, incorporates recyclable materials whenever possible and buys electricity from sustainable sources.)

Harper, whose shiny hair, luminous skin and sparkly eyes speak to her devotion to an all-natural lifestyle (she eats only organic while at home), spoke with us.

The Inside Source: What is your favorite part of designing a beauty line?

Tata Harper: Discovering new ingredients. We are launching new products soon, and I’m super excited.

The Inside Source: What is the one product you cannot live without in your own line?

Tata Harper: The serum.

Tata Harper

Tata Harper Strengthening Body Lotion ($85), Aromatic Bedtime Treatment ($60), Rejuvenating Serum ($150)

The Inside Source: Do you have another failsafe product, not from your line?

Tata Harper: I would have to say essential oil of lavender and essential oil of geranium. I use them all the time. I have to have the lavender when I travel (which I now do all the time). It kills bedbugs! I sprinkle a few drops on my pillow, and on my bedding and mattress. Even on my luggage. And the geranium is a mood enhancer. I use it on diffusers all over my farmhouse.

The Inside Source: What a great tip! Of course, we want to know what is in your medicine cabinet, Tata! Have you come across an effective natural deodorant? We’ve heard so much about the dangers of regular anti-perspirants, but so many don’t seem to work!

Tata Harper: Soapwalla deodorant. Road-testing natural deodorants can be so discouraging because so many are not effective. Sopawalla actually works! You just have to get past the weirdness that it is a paste.

The Inside Source: What about shampoo? I cannot seem to find one that doesn’t strip my hair or leave it lank.

Tata Harper: I am guilty of too much highlighting. Rahua hair products have completely restored my really dry, brittle hair. They’re on the pricey side, but the results are worth every penny.

The Inside Source: Can we peek inside your makeup kit?

Tata Harper: Yes! Now that my focus is more on keeping my skin healthy, I’ve been able to streamline my makeup. I only wear makeup when I go out. Here are my latest go-to’s:

1) RMS solar eyeshadow: “I love it because women of all ages look good in it.”

2) Burt’s Bees champagne lipgloss: “I love that I can find Burt’s Bees in any drugstore, and I love the cold sensation this leaves on my lips.”

3) Vapour blush: “The color is so naturally rosy.”

The Inside Source: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Tata Harper: Paris.

Tata Harper

The Inside Source: What is a childhood trait of yours that has carried over into adulthood?

Tata Harper: I have always had a generous spirit.

The Inside Source: You have two gorgeous children. What words of wisdom do you want to pass onto them?

Tata Harper: Life is not easy. You cannot take things for granted. And it pays to be persistent!

An enthusiastic eBay-er, Harper shared her eBay wish list with us. See it here. Then scroll down to read her secret recipes for everything from DIY beauty to breakfast.

Tata Harper's eBay Wish List

Roll over items for details

Tibi Isabella Maxi Dress

(buy it now price, $245)

Victorian Heywood Wicker Settee

(starting bid, $799.99)

Set of Four Antique “Weir Pottery” Crocks

American Junk by Mary Randolph Carter

(buy it now price, $6.98)

Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger

(buy it now price, $9.61)

Estate 14K White Gold Ruby & Diamond Dangle Earrings

(buy it now price, $3,048)

Antique Tekke Turkman Rug

(buy it now price, $4,995)

Handmade Panama Straw Hat

(buy it now price, $56.99)

Mastiff Dog Silhouette Mug

(buy it now price, $14.99)

2003 Bourget Chopper

New Night Vision Binoculars

(buy it now price, $9.80)

Secret Key Handmade Wooden Jewelry Puzzle Box

Green Skincare Guru Tata Harper Shares Recipes for Getting Gorgeous

1. Tibi Isabella Maxi Dress: Harper loves long dresses. “They’re so pretty!”

2. Victorian Heywood Wicker Settee: “I love the feminine lines of this heirloom-worthy settee,” says Harper. “I’ve furnished my farmhouse with antiques.”

3. Set of Four Antique “Weir Pottery” Crocks: “I love to re-purpose antique lidded crocks,” says Harper. “I use them to store seeds and dried herbs, and to corral odds and ends around the house.”

4. American Junk by Mary Randolph Carter: Harper loves to “junk” and has decorated her home by shopping yard sales, flea markets and eBay. “My husband grew up with author Mary Randolph Carter’s son, photographer Carter Berg. I’ve had the privilege of going junking with her!”

5. Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger: Harper wants to add this historical book (originally written in 1945) to her library because it celebrates the tradition of folk wisdom.

6. Estate 14K White Gold Ruby & Diamond Dangle Earrings: “My grandmother had a huge collection of rubies. I love continuing her tradition.”

7. Antique Tekke Turkman Rug: Harper loves to layer rugs over her farmhouse floors.

8. Mastiff Dog Silhouette Mug: Harper collects assorted dog mugs for her guest house on her farm.

9. 2003 Bourget Chopper: Harper's husband, Henry, has a serious chopper obsession, especially with Bourget handmade motorcycles. “Bourget cycles are incredible machines. I always keep an eye out for him.”

10. New Night Vision Binoculars: “I like to take my little boy on ‘expeditions’ right after nightfall,” Harper tells us. “The animals start moving around in the cool of the evening and we have so much fun watching them.”

11. Secret Key Handmade Wooden Jewelry Puzzle Box: Harper loves that a puzzle has to be solved before you can find the secret compartment in this jewelry box.

12. Handmade Panama Straw Hat: Harper is never without her hat while on the farm.

Green Beauty Guru Tata Harper's Secret Recipes

Body Scrub:

Make a paste of honey, fine brown sugar and oatmeal. Add 2 drops each of essential oil of grapefruit and essential oil of geranium. I work it all over my body, including my face. Scrub and rinse.

Hair Masque:

Mix 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 3 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and 3 drops of rosemary. I cover my head with a plastic cap for an hour and then shampoo out.

Floor Cleaner:

Add 1 cup of vinegar and eight drops of essential oil of lavender to a bucket of water. Squeeze in the juice of I lemon

Carpet freshener:

Combine baking soda, 2-3 drops of essential oil of lavender and 2-3 drops of essential oil of geranium. Shake in a sealed Ziploc bag or mix in a bowl. Sprinkle on carpet before vacuuming.

Healthy Breakfast:

Chop enough veggies for four days. (Harper likes asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, green beans, broccoli and purple cabbage.) Store them in a container in the fridge to make the morning routine go quicker. Over very low heat, saute in a skillet 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds (slivered almonds works well, too). Next add in two handfuls of the chopped veggies and gently saute until slightly softened, but still crunchy. Add a little bit of organic tamari.

Juice

Mix the following into a professional-grade juicer: apple, pear, carrot, broccoli, beets, kale. On the side, juice oranges. Blend together equal portions of the veggie/fruit juice with the fresh orange juice.

List of Must-Have Supplements:

Vitamin D, Tumeric (Harper loves New Chapter), Reservatrol, Evening Primrose Oil, Mushroom Extracts, Omega 7.

(images courtesy of Tata Harper)

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