One of the most expensive clean beauty brands that comes to mind Tata Harper Skincare.
This ECOCERT COSMOS Certified Natural brand is know for their beautiful green bottles, farm grown beauty complex, and pricey skincare products. In fact, their most expensive product is $475.
But their average moisturizers range from $95-120. So naturally, one of the first questions that comes to mind is “Are they worth it?”
As someone with oily skin, finding a clean moisturizer that doesn’t break out my skin, clog my pores, or compromise my wellness with toxins and fragrance can be quite challenging. So I’ve been on a mission for quite some time.
Although I was hesitant to purchase a $120 moisturizer that may or may not work well with my skin was a bit painful, I won’t lie (the mini travel size would have been useful then).
But I was eager to try out this brand and possibly discover a new favourite line of products.
When judging a skincare product, I check a few things.
1. what are the Certifications?
Words like natural, organic, and clean in beauty carry no real meaning. They’ve been so watered down, there is no real need to even bother searching “natural” skincare. Some of the most toxic, greenwashed skincare will come up. To read about the Top 10 Green-Washed Beauty Brands, click here.
Of course, this is a short list and by no means extensive.
2. Ingredients. It’s all about the ingredients, obviously.
This goes without saying, but the ingredients are the #1 determining factor in choosing skincare, despite the fact I listed them as #2 (suspense felt necessary).
You could hand me a product full of certified organic ingredients, but if that list ended with “fragrance” or “parfum,” I will be immediately throwing it in the trash.
Because I heal and treat my hypothyroidism, auto-immune disease, and leaky gut holistically, I have quite strict standards for my everyday skincare routine. The last thing I want is hidden toxins building up with daily use.
Certifications
Tata Harper is ECOCERT COSMOS Certified Natural. Other than the ECOCERT COSMOS Certified Organic standard, this is best certification our there.
The Natural Cosmos Certification requires products be absence of petrochemical ingredient ( except for authorized preservatives): parabens, phenoxyethanol, perfumes, GMOs and synthetic colorants.
Environmentally friendly production and processing processes respecting also human and environmental health.
Recyclable packaging and responsible use of natural sources is also required.
In this particular product, 100% of the ingredients are from natural origin and 63% of ingredients are from organic farming.
Ingredients
sage
Organic Sage is the next ingredient in this face mask. Sage works wonders
for the skin and is the second key ingredient in this product.
Sage is a natural astringent, which means it dries out excess oil and
cleanses the skin. Which makes it a perfect ingredient in any blemish/break-out
treatment.
Synthetic, toxic astringents are usually too harsh and make acne worse. So, ensuring you have a natural, gentle
astringent in your product is a must.
Lactobacillus Ferment
This ingredient is also great for eliminating blemishes, irritation, & dryness. It is antimicrobial, which means it stops the growth of bacteria & fungi, which accounts for its anti-blemish properties.
Lactobacillus Ferment also helps calm red, inflamed, itchy skin.
The fermentation adds hydration & antioxidants, that help fortify the skin, leaving it with a healthier, more radiant appearance.
This is a great ingredient to have in any of your skincare products if you have oily/blemish-prone skin.
related: the ultimate natural, non-toxic overnight blemish treatment
apple seed oil
Apple Seed Oil is a great addition to any lightweight moisturizer. It provides deep, nourishing hydration without clogging pores or increasing sebum production.
It is rich in omega 6 & 9 fatty acids, which smooth, soften, and sooth the skin. Apple seed oil is also high in antioxidants which helps filter UV rays, prevent aging, promote collagen production, and skin renewal.
silver ear mushroom
Silver Ear Mushroom (or “snow fungus”) has been used for years as a “beauty mushroom.”
It provides incredible benefits to the skin such as brightening the skin’s complexion, deeply hydrating, moisturizing, and slowing the aging process.
It’s also known to stimulate the production if SOD (superoxide dismutase), which breaks down harmful molecules. It also helps regenerate and protect the skin.
Silver Ear Mushroom is a powerful bio-hyaluronic acid and contains polysaccharides.
Polysaccharides:
-Have shown incredible water-retaining properties
First Bottle Results
My general “rule of thumb” for judging the effectiveness of a skincare product: if it I don’t see results before the bottle is empty, I don’t re-purchase. Reasonable.
The promised results of this product include “Blemish & Oil control; Anti-Acne, Oil Control, Mattifying, Hydrating.”
I began using this moisturizer when my skin was at a particularly inflamed state. I’ve never really struggled with severe, cystic acne, but I have had episodes where multiple (10 or so) smaller blemishes arise at once. I was hesitant to begin a new moisturizer, considering most of them cause breakouts, but I gave it a shot.
related: the diet that transformed my skin
The consistency was lightweight and it absorbed quickly into my skin. So far, so good.
After a week using it morning a night, my skin had calmed immensely, but obviously hadn’t fully cleared.
After two week of this product, my blemishes had significantly decreased and my pores appeared less clogged.
A month had gone by, and my complexion appeared much clearer, my pores appeared less clogged, and my skin felt much smoother and softer. The hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, and redness had calmed. My skin appeared more even-toned.
By the time I emptied the bottle, my skin had dramatically improved. After having tried so many “lightweight, oil-balancing” moisturizers, I was so excited to find a toxin-free, certified natural product. It still remains one of my favourite products from Tata Harper (also one of the top products I would consider “worth the money”).
Final Thoughts
So, is the Tata Harper Clarifying Moisturizer worth it? I definitely think so. It is one of my favourite products for oily skin and the quality is phenomenal.
