We talk often about the farm-to-table movement, so why not farm-to-face?
When a Tata Harper Skincare product touches your skin, you have the luxury of knowing exactly where it came from: Harper’s family farm. Located on 1,200 acres in Vermont, the farm is the official Tata Harper headquarters—where products are envisioned, grown, mixed, and packaged. “I believe that running a business this way is the only way it should be done,” says Harper, the glowing face behind her eponymous brand. “I see it as the business model of the future, really. I don’t think there should be any mysteries about skin care; truth and authenticity are so important to us.” Born in Colombia, Harper lives on the Champlain Valley farm with her family, and it is certainly an idyllic place to call home and office. Harper is striking in person, her golden hair in perfect waves and her skin—well, it must be predictable—flawless.
Having such a vertically-integrated business model allows for true transparency. Tata Harper products are non-toxic, acknowledged by the American Vegetarian Association as being 100 per cent vegetarian, are Certified Vermont Made, and are certified natural by EcoCert; blends are not tested on animals, and almost all of them are organic. Consumers can even plug in the number code from the bottom of their bottle on the brand’s website and find out when that specific product was made. “My husband has a great analogy for this: he says, ‘Men know so much about the cars that they love and spend their money on; they understand the engine and why it sounds this way or goes this fast’—I want consumers to have the same sort of experience with skin care, too,” Harper explains. “Being able to give people a glimpse into our world where products are hand-crafted with the latest natural technology is so special, and I love that about what we’re doing.” Some ingredients are outsourced so that the company can use the best in the world when it comes to this herb or that flower; but cultivating even a portion of it themselves lessens their carbon footprint and gives the team the foundational knowledge about growth from the ground up.
As with many entrepreneurs, Harper’s jolt of inspiration came from personal experience. After her stepfather was diagnosed with cancer, she began to read the ingredient lists on the products she was using in her daily routine and was mortified by the harmful, often carcinogenic chemicals she was applying to her skin. Thus, an idea: an all-natural skin care company that did not compromise on quality, or results. Aside from smelling amazing (though not by using any synthetics), Tata Harper products divulge true high-end pampering for the skin: the Hydrating Floral Essence offers a perfect dose of moisture; the Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint leaves lips soft and plump with subtle colour. The entire product line offers a vast range of helpful tools, from anti-aging, to exfoliators, to aromatherapy. And now only at BeautyMark in Yaletown (the only place in all of Western Canada), guests can book either a Tata Harper pedicure or curated facial.
At BeautyMark’s Varnish Nail Lounge, the brand’s Smoothing Body Scrub is used for a delightful foot exfoliant, followed by a massage with the Redefining Body Balm. At the boutique’s Collective Skin Care, there are five different facials to choose from, all using a unique lineup of Tata Harper products. “Expanding into treatments happened really organically,” Harper says. “It started when we realized that the benefits of going through a whole routine went so much further than what’s visible on the surface of the skin. Using our products has a calming, lifting, balancing, and pampering effect on people, so we had spas actually asking us to create professional products. Plus, using the entire product range at once is the most effective way to see immediate results—so offering full facial protocols allows people to get the maximum product experience that our line offers.” As a bonus, you’ll leave feeling calm, rightfully spoiled, and smelling fresh as a field daisy, waving happily in the crisp day’s air.
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