Green beauty and the notion of farm to face are probably not new to most people and if you are a fan, then you most likely know about the brand Tata Harper, the luxury 100% natural and organic skincare line with Tata herself known as the Queen of Green.
I have a soft spot for this category even though I know natural does not necessarily mean it’s better, in fact, it can be irritating for sensitive skin. Nevertheless, I was curious about the brand after seeing many raved about it and couldn’t wait to test it out myself.
We formulate, manufacture and package our products by hand right here on our farm in Vermont
Tata Harper website
What fascinated me the most was, the majority of the ingredients are homegrown on Tata Harper’s farm, and the formulations developed and produced in small batches in Tata’s Vermont laboratory. They don’t outsource or use others’ pre-made formulations, they own every step of the production process to ensure its highest quality standard. Every formulation is free of parabens, sulfates, toxins, fillers, artificial colours, artificial fragrances, all synthetic chemicals, and genetically modified organisms.
The range of products Tata Harper is fairly vast and they don’t come cheap. So, I couldn’t be more excited to purchase the Daily Essentials kit. I love when companies come out with trial and travel size pack, it’s a great way to learn about the line and try out the products before committing to a full size.
In this Daily Essentials kit, you have six products (and a small sachet of eye cream) that take you through a step-by-step skin care regimen for 10 – 12 days and they are:
- Regenerating Cleanser (15ml)
- Resurfacing Mask (7.5ml),
- Hydrating Floral Essence (15ml)
- Rejuvenating Serum (10ml)
- Repairative Moisturizer (10ml)
- Retinoic Nutrient Face Oil (4ml)
Let’s go through the product in each step briefly and whether they are a hit or miss for me, then I’ll wrap up with my overall thoughts and experience. Before I start, please do bear in mind that my skin type (see side panel notes) and my expectations can be very different to yours. So, what works/doesn’t work for me, it’s not necessarily going to be the same for you.
Step 1: Regenerating Cleanser
“A daily cleansing & exfoliating treatment that buffs and polishes for radiant, healthy-looking skin. Best for dull, uneven, or congested skin.” It’s essentially a physical exfoliator with a tad of BHA from white willow bark. It feels very creamy, non-abrasive and skin doesn’t feel dry afterwards. While it comes across gentle, it’s quite active, those with very sensitive or reactive skin may have to be careful because the apricot seed powder which acts as a micro-exfoliant can irritate. It has a scent of herbal with a hint of sweetness. For me, I don’t need physical exfoliation daily especially I do have a mild sensitive skin, I’d opt to use this like 2-3 times per week instead.
Hit or miss? This one is a hit and I’d purchase a full size.
Step 2: Resurfacing Mask
“A glow-giving treatment that instantly restores radiance to skin. Best for blocked pores, dull, or rough skin.” It contains pink clay to draw impurities from the skin. It’s a gentle but effective exfoliant that you can use once a week. This mask’s colour and texture resemble to marmalade, very spreadable so you don’t need much. It dries out clear and there’s no uncomfortable tightness. The scent with this mask is the least prominent from the set but you do still get the floral and citrus notes.
This 15-mask gives an immediate result, skin feels more glowing and radiance afterwards. This is a good one for a quick pick-me-up before an event.
Hit or miss? This one is a hit and I’d purchase a full size.
Step 3: Hydrating Floral Essence
“A hydrating essence that moisturizes and plumps with hyaluronic acid and natural humectants.” This is recommended to be used after cleansing but can be used as often as needed to boost hydration, including over makeup.
Looking at the ingredients list, it’s no surprise that this essence has a very distinct floral scent from a host of floral water including neroli, lavender, rose and other flower extracts. The scent is very pronounced, kind of like you’ve been transported to a full bloom garden. If your skin is super sensitive, it’s a good idea to choose products without fragrant floral waters.
Hit or miss? It’s a miss on this one. While my skin feels hydrated afterwards, I’d prefer one without floral scent.
Step 4: Rejuvenating Serum
“A youth-preserving serum with natural neuropeptides for early signs of aging.” The key ingredients aside from the botanical extracts are glycerin and two forms of hyaluronic acids which seem to be the main sources for proving the benefits of minimising the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and hydration.
The texture is more like a lightweight lotion than conventional serums. It absorbs into the skin immediately. The scent, however, lingers much longer. There are quite a lot of perfuming ingredients such as Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Helichrysum Italicum Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Leaf Oil, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Geraniol, Eugenol, they can be problematic for those with sensitive skin.
Hit or miss? It’s a miss on this one. The overwhelming list of perfuming ingredients do concern me a bit.
Step 5: Repairative Moisturiser
“A silky, ultra-hydrating moisturiser to leave skin with a dewy finish. Best for winter or dry climates as well as dry, dull, or mature skin.” This moisturiser is rich in vitamins and antioxidants to protect, nourish and repair signs of environmental damage to the skin. It feels lightweight and quick to absorb into the skin, the texture is very similar to the serum, perhaps a little thicker but only marginally. Skin feels soft and comforted afterwards without any greasiness.
The scent is almost identical to the serum due to a lot of the same ingredients used in both formulations.
Hit or miss? It’s a miss on this one. Same reason as the serum above.
Step 6: Retinoic Nutrient Face Oil
“Hydrates dull, lacklustre skin for a brighter, more radiant appearance.” This product is designed to tone and smooth the skin, in particular, treat redness and irritation on sensitive areas. The ingredients list is fairly short on this oil, the majority of the goodness comes from Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Aroma**, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Leaf Extract and Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, the rest of the ingredients are predominantly the perfuming ones as mentioned in the previous two products which explain the similar scent. This product comes in a small roller ball application, while it’s convenient to apply directly it’s hard to gauge the amount of oil comes up. I’d also imagine this makes it less hygienic.
Hit or miss? It’s a miss on this one.
Final thoughts
While all of the products are listed as safe for sensitive skin types, with so many active natural botanical ingredients, you do need to proceed with caution especially if you are on the more reactive side. I’ve heard that there’s a natural ‘purge’ state of the skin as it’s adjusting to new natural and organic ingredients, however, sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s just a purge or skin irritations.
When I first got this kit, I was diving right in and used the kit with all the products mentioned. I tried that for 3 days. Then my skin freaked out, it got irritated that I had to stop. This was probably my fault to introduce everything new at the same time. Lessons learnt. Once I stopped for a while and let my skin recovered, I re-visited the products but only one by one and I used them cautiously and sparingly. My skin hasn’t reacted to the products with this approach.
I think my hits are ones a lot of people are already raving about and I agree, they are very good, very effective. I also like that the scent and perfuming ingredients are not as overwhelming as the other products. Since they don’t stay on the skin for too long, this is less of a concern for me in irritations. On the other hand, I’m only using the serum, moisturiser and oil sparingly to avoid any potential skin irritations and this explains why those are misses for me.
I think if you have very resilient skin and do not mind the strong floral grassy smell, then you will enjoy the whole set. Nonetheless, this is a good introductory kit to test products out before getting anything full size.
Available: UK £65 (CultBeauty)