If there's one thing we know with certainty, it's that we can't be the only ones who have wondered what the beauty routine of a skincare mogul looks like. Especially, when that person happens to be Tata Harper – aka, skin-glowing extraordinaire. With skin equally as iconic as the vibrant green and gold packaging that has become synonymous with her namesake brand, it only makes sense to go straight to the source of the 100% natural beauty company for the answers we're desperately after.
Thankfully, Harper has ever so generously let RUSSH in on some of her most harboured practices – from how she begins her day, to the inspiration behind Tata Harper and working with platforms like NET-A-PORTER to make effective, innovative luxury beauty products accessible to all. Curious to know what her beauty non-negotiables are or her ultimate beauty hack? Harper discloses all, in our chat below.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I like to wake up early and get a headstart on the day. I used to have the habit of checking my email first thing in the morning, but now I am making an effort to meditate for about 15 minutes before I fully plug-in. I’ve found that practicing breathing exercises has really helped me feel more centred and focused throughout the day.
While the kids are still sleeping, I always try to get outside and walk the dogs. It's a nice way to get my body moving in the morning before I head to the gym. I don’t exercise to be fit, but to feel both mentally and physically strong. For me, it’s really the most effective stress reducer.
I will hop in the shower right after my workout to refresh my skin and body before I do my skincare routine. By the time I wake up the kids, I’m dressed and ready to go for the day. I make them breakfast, organise their activities, and spend some time with them outside. In the summer months, we love to walk down to the berry bushes and pick fresh fruit off the trees for their oats or yogurt.
My meetings typically start at 8:30am and I am in them back-to-back most of the day. When I have breaks in between calls, I love to check in on what’s cooking in our batch room or I'll try some of the new products our chemists are formulating in the lab. By 1pm, I am always starving for lunch! I try to have lunch with my kids whenever they aren’t in school, doing their activities, or in camp. My typical lunch is a bed of greens with a piece of fish or plant-based protein. I like to fill my salad with veggies and seeds
for the extra vitamins and nutrients because they keep me full for longer. After lunch, it’s back to meetings for the rest of the day. My calls typically wrap up at around 6pm and I’ll help the kids with their homework before we sit down for dinner.
After dinner I get the kids ready for bed and then draw myself a bath to wind down. I love to use a body scrub in the bath and I’ll read – I am loving Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza. It’s all about how the mind body connection can transform and change your life. I’ll get in bed at around 9:30pm and end the day with some meditation. I find that visual meditation helps with sleep, especially if after looking at a screen all day. I always keep my phone across the room at night to help with this – I try my best to disconnect and relax my mind... before I wake up and do it all over again in the morning!
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What is your morning beauty routine?
For my morning routine, I always start by exfoliating with Regenerating Cleanser – exfoliating daily really lets my skin breath and glow since it gets rid of any build up that accumulates overnight, it also helps products absorb better. I follow with Hydrating Floral Essence to help prep my skin for treatment and help my serums penetrate deeper. Then it’s all about layering — I use Elixir Vitae on my whole face, next I’ll use Elixir Vitae Eye Serum, and then Reparative Moisturiser.
What is your night beauty routine?
At night, I always start with double cleansing. First, I use Nourishing Oil Cleanser to get rid of that top layer of dirt and grime from the day, then I follow with the Purifying Cleanser to actually cleanse and detox my skin. Then, I use Hydrating Floral Essence. For serum, I use Elixir Vitae on my face and Boosted Contouring Serum on my neck. I like a thicker eye cream at night, so I usually use the Boosted Contouring Eye Balm. I also like a richer moisturiser at night, so I finish with Crème Riche.
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When did your love of natural beauty originate?
The catalyst to starting a green beauty line was when my stepfather was diagnosed with cancer and I became aware of the toxins and chemicals that were in all of the products we were using. I couldn’t find any natural products without synthetic chemicals that gave me the results and the luxury experience I was looking for. Looking behind the curtains of the products, I was disappointed to learn that many products used the same formulas, but the brands just added fillers to put their name on it. This inspired me to create my own line that was safe, natural, and sustainable without compromising luxury and results.
What is your main form of beauty body maintenance? What products do you use on your body?
A healthy and vibrant body and life extend far beyond the products you use. Skincare is only a piece of the puzzle and it’s important to take a holistic approach to wellness with exercise, a consistent sleep schedule, and a healthy diet. I love to nourish the skin with our Revitalising Body Oil and Redefining Body Balm. We also have a new exciting body product launching this year – so stay tuned!
How do you keep fit/healthy? Does exercise form a large part of your routine?
Exercise has always been a part of my life. When I was younger it would be sports or running and that’s evolved as I’ve gotten older. Right now I see a personal trainer at home and focus on core strengthening exercises. I don’t exercise to be fit, but to feel both mentally and physically strong. Exercise helps me relax and reduce stress and just makes me feel balanced and level headed. For me, it’s really the most effective stress reducer.
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How does The New Beauty Recharge edit on NET-A-PORTER align with your ethos?
My goal from the beginning has been to create products that would give me the results of the luxury skincare I was used to but with completely natural and nontoxic ingredients. For us, luxury is about the quality of our ingredients and the powerful performance of our products. I feel that that essence of luxury is perfectly captured in Net’s The New Beauty Recharge – it makes luxury engaging and accessible, because it’s what every consumer deserves.
What do you do when your body needs to recover?
It might sound cliché, but I believe that my skincare routine is truly an in-and-out job, making my skin beautiful on the outside, but then on the inside, it just makes me feel incredible and really helps me recover from stress. There's something so transformative about the ritual, I enter with one mindset and leave feeling like a new person. It’s the beginning of most relaxing part of the day. I leave the bathroom feeling a thousand times better.
You’re tired or rundown: what is your beauty hack?
The Glow Getter routine is one of my favourite hacks that came to fruition when I was in a time crunch and layered two of our most glow-giving products. The result? Major glow. The first step is the Regenerating Cleanser, which is a daily BHA exfoliant that polishes your skin with a deep clean. You want to apply enough so that the product creates a thin, white foam on your face by rubbing all over the skin in circular motions. Instead of washing the cleanser off, I then apply our Resurfacing Mask directly on top of the cleanser and let the products work their magic for five minutes before removing. I love it because the combo gives me results like a peel, but without the downtime.
What is the one non-negotiable in your beauty routine?
When it comes to my daily essentials, I’m a maximalist. I believe that more is more when it comes to my skincare and I use a multitude of our products everyday, twice a day.
For Tata Harper, it’s clear that sustainability is much more than just a buzzword. How have you continued to develop this commitment as your business has grown?
For us, sustainability isn’t about marketing, it’s just the way we’ve always done business. You can’t be a green company without a green product, and that means everything from ingredients to manufacturing to packaging needs to take the planet into account. We create products that enrich, not deplete, our environment and resources. We consider everything from using local ingredients and talent, to packaging, to manufacturing processes, and our respecting living creatures.
The future of sustainability for us is to end single-use products and I am proud to say that we have launched our first refillable product, the Water-Lock Moisturiser, and have some exciting new developments for refills coming this year. We’ve been working on refills behind the scenes for a while now! First, we’re doing refills for our best sellers and eventually our entire product line. I hope that this is something that other beauty brands begin to adapt because it is so crucial in reducing the industry's environmental footprint.
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What is the one Tata Harper product you recommend to anyone trying your product range for the first time?
If you’re totally new to the brand, the best starter product that really shows you the power and gives you the experience of our brand is our Resurfacing Mask. It was one of the first products we launched, it’s our best seller and our most awarded products, and one of my personal favourites. It gives you glowing skin in just 15 minute and it’s good for any skin type.
Do you have a beauty icon?
I don’t have just one beauty icon – the beauty of women everywhere inspires me and the products I create.
What is the best advice on health you’ve received?
Make time for yourself every day. Even as a busy mom and juggling a million things, it’s important to always try to have some time for myself. It helps me to reconnect and slow down so I am ready for whatever life brings.
What is the one product you can’t live without?
Elixir Vitae is seriously the product I can’t live without and it’s our most potent and powerful formula. It has 72 ingredients and works like a daily dose of injectables. It has a Quadruple Neuropeptide Complex that uses relaxing technology to minimise the look of wrinkles, Kelp Polymers that address signs of cellular ageing, and Pistachio Tree Crystal Tears that use filling technology to restore the look of volume.
