At our latest Wellness Wednesday on March 14, Sakaralites huddled inside our Soho HQ for a conversation between three women: our Sakara co-founders and clean beauty pioneer, Tata Harper. The trio share an unabashed love for prioritizing not only health first, but gut health first and believe you treat your skin from the inside out.
Below, find some of Tata's words of wisdom, including her tips on youthful complexion at every decade, the key organ you should be giving love to (besides your skin!), and why clean beauty really matters.
1. Do your own research, seek what hasn't been answered, and take your health into your own hands.
When Tata's stepdad was diagnosed with cancer, she accompanied him to many doctor appointments. After spending more time in conventional/ Western medical settings, she slowly began to do more research about the effect topical products have on our health, and how using products habitually, even daily, dictate the quality of our health + well-being. As Tata puts it, "Beauty was the last frontier" in which had not been upgraded— natural products felt less superior. She decided to become her own first client (much like Danielle + Whitney!) and found healing through results-oriented products.
2. A maximalist at heart, self-care is a luxury not a chore.
From Colombia, Tata grew up with dozens of cousins, surrounded by women who celebrated their beauty and honored each other and themselves through self-care. Today, she says, it's a way "to self-soothe and enjoy the little pleasures in life." And in true maximalist form, Tata's products don't center on a few hero ingredients but instead are for people who "want to do the most," and heal in a multitude of categories (not unlike the supercharged, nutrient-rich dishes of Sakara).
3. Production of your products MATTERS.
At Sakara, we entrust our health to local farmers, and organic agriculture, and move swiftly from harvest to front door. Tata believes the same should be applied to beauty. Her Vermont farm is both her headquarters and the location of her production. Nutritional and potency of the product become diluted over time during outsourcing as it can take 8-9 months before products reach stores after formulation. Tata's bottles on the other hand, are filled within 2 weeks of production and are in stores within 2 months.
4. A new decade = a new skin regimen.
In one's 20s, it's important to start focusing on protection. Pollution is more and more prevalent (especially in cities like NYC) and ages you as much as constant sun exposure as there is no 'sunscreen' for pollution. Use products for pollution to cleanse the skin. 20's need a good cleanser, a serum, and an eye cream. 30's need cleanser, moisturizer, serum, and eye creme. 40's need all of the above, plus exfoliator, essence to moisturize, and penetration enhancers.
5. Tata eats to age gracefully.
She loves glutathione as it's the most important antioxidant (found in avocado and walnuts) and omega 3's (flax seeds, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, sesame seeds), as Omega 6's lead to inflammation and are so prevalent in the Standard American Diet (vegetable oils). On a cellular level, our cells are made from cholesterol and when cell membrane is compromised of Omega 6's, it leads to chronic inflammation around the body.
6. Love your skin, of course, but love your liver too!
Tata said it is very important to think about the liver. She drinks warm lemon water each morning, loves mushroom, turmeric, milk thistle, etc... as all of these cleanse, detox, and support the liver. The liver is our body's detoxifier and needs to be unsaturated.
7. And lastly, Everything in moderation. Even Moderation:
Tata echoes one of Sakara's favorite mantras: You are what you mostly do. Our daily habits dictate our wellbeing + health, so investing in and creating rituals to make us feel good (like caring for gut, choosing organic, getting in greens, nourishing our skin with clean ingredients) will exponentially change our bodies, minds, spirit and skin more than any drastic, quick fix. In the same breath, though, go forth and bend your own rules, get rid of stale stories that don't support you and don't stress too much about perfection.
