I was literally dreaming about trying a product from the oh so desirable Tata Harper skincare range! It’s now reality with the Purifying Cleanser, a detox face cleanser.
Who is Tata Harper?
The brand Tata Harper was created by a young Colombian mother who lives in a 1200 acres farm in Vermont, USA.
The story of the creation of its namesake brand begins with a tragic event.
In 2005, Tata Harper's father in law was diagnosed with cancer. At the hospital, the doctors asked him to bring back all the products he use every day for analysis. That's how she discovers for the first time that some of your everyday products (such as creams, shampoos, lotions...) contain some toxic substances.
She became very interested in what she puts on her face and she obviously made the same observation. She liked to use luxury skincare brands creams or serums, which certainly contain highly concentrated and effective ingredients in their formulas but also many other chemicals that may be considered harmful or even carcinogenic. She begins to look for an "clean" alternative on the market but she couldn't find anything.
She also discovers that not one cosmetics brand controls its manufacturing process from A to Z. According to her, they have no idea of the origin of their ingredients, or if they are tested on animals, etc...
It was at that moment that she decided to make her own skincare range.
Her mission: to offer an alternative to the traditional cosmetic ranges, while preserving your health. With her products, she wants to prove that you can create organic active formulas much more effective than most cosmetic products on the market.
To build Tata Harper formulas, she looks for rare ingredients from around the world, and some other ones come directly from her farm in Vermont.
The products are handmade and guaranteed without toxins or fillers, artificial fragrances, synthetic ingredients, gluten...
Her laboratory (and farm) controls manufacturing products from A to Z, from production to shipping.
The Tata Harper brand willingly cultivated this rather artisan, handmade image.
But it's not because they are made in a farm that the Tata Harper products are cheap. They are the result of five years of research with famous chemists and botanists, with clinical studies.
And the brand is clearly high-end. Yes, the concept is organic but it's also a luxury brand which provides very efficient products. The price range can go up to $380.
“Pfff a face cleanser… It’s really not the best option to discover if a skincare range is good or not!”
That’s what I was thinking while swooning and browsing in front of the Tata Harper $150 creams and serums on her website. But, by frequently reading on the blog of Caroline Hirons (the British skincare guru) that the Tata Harper cleansers are amazing and with a little help from the Black Friday (Yay for discount codes!), I finally decided to purchase my very first Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser. And I already have the feeling that it won’t be my last Tata Harper product! wink
I also want to clarify one thing: if a cleanser is not going to totally transform your skin overnight, it can (if it’s inadequate or poorly used) do a lot of damage. And on the contrary, a good face cleanser and that suits your skin type won’t only preserve its beauty but also help to rebalance it. So choosing your cleanser carefully is a must! wink
Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser, presentation:
What the brand says about it:
This cleanser combats the daily wear and tear of environmental exposure and pollution by effectively clearing pores of excess oil, dead skin, and buildup – while maintaining the skin’s moisture balance.
A powerfully purifying cocktail of sugars, Broccoli extract and fruit enzymes thoroughly cleans the skin and refines pore appearance, while an invigorating blend of essential oils helps flush away impurities for a deeply refreshed feel.
This soap-free cleanser has a cooling effect on the skin and helps to balance oiliness.
Gluten free/ Vegan/ 100% natural
It’s a face cleanser for daily use (personally, I use it only once a day). It deeply cleanses and it also slightly exfoliates the skin (it doesn’t contain grains, it’s a chemical exfoliation) but it remains super soft and not harsh at all.
It leaves the skin clean and moisturized and with a very nice fresh feeling (this is also why I prefer to use it the morning;) ).
It’s ideal for combination to oily skin but it’s not at all drying.
How to use the Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser:
I was very surprised by the texture of this cleanser because I was expecting a classic foaming gel but it’s not at all! It’s a gel indeed, but an oily one, that doesn’t foam on contact with water but turns into a thin milky emulsion.
It’s very confusing especially at first because the brand recommends to use it on wet skin.
So I proceed like this:
– I apply the Purifying Cleanser dry on my face and neck but I avoid the eye contour (the essential oils in the product are a bit too much for this fragile area)
– if I have some spare time, I leave it on for 1 minute for a radiance boosting effect (thanks to the enzymes in it that are exfoliants)
– I massage the product during at least 1 minute in circular motions to activate its enzymatic ingredients. Under the effect of the massage, the texture changes and becomes almost liquid. As you can see in my pictures with the texture before (left photo) and after massage (right photo).
– I add a little bit of water to “dissolve” the product and I massage my face a little.
– I rinse thoroughly with water and I dry the skin.
All this process takes me about 2-3 minutes and it’s a very nice gesture, like a wake-up massage for my face! bigsmile
Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser, my test and thoughts:
– Packaging:
It’s a green glass bottle with a pump.
Not the most convenient because it’s quite heavy (difficult to take along in your suitcase) but the glass is essential to protect the active ingredients in organic products. Plastic is too “porous” so it’s not suitable for this type of natural formula.
– Texture:
This is an oily gel, like a kind of balm (but the texture is not thick at all).
– Scent:
A very lemony scent, super yummy and enjoyable. In addition, it’s a 100% natural perfume! A real joy. bigsmile
– Formula:
Here’s the full list of ingredients:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Capric/Caprylic/Triglycerides, Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Propanediol, Glyceryl undecylenate, Aroma**, Sucrose Stearate, Decyl Glucoside, Oryza sativa (Rice) Extract*, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lactobacillus/Punica granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Papain, Curcuma Zedoaria Root Oil, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sucrose Palmitate, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Salix alba (Willow) Bark Extract*, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Oil, Sucrose Laurate, Abies PectinateLeaf Oil, Foeniculum Vulgare Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extracts, Kaolin, Bioflavanoids, Leuconostoc ferment filtrate, Montmorillonite, Mica, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract, Superoxide Dismutase, Soybean Peroxidase, Citral, Citronellol, Eugenol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene
*Ingredients from Organic farming
**Clinical grade essential oils blend
*Certified Vegan
A very clean composition, totally natural, with purifying ingredients and other slightly exfoliating.
The main ingredients are:
- – foaming sugars: provide topical cleansing by removing buildup in the skin without stripping natural moisture from the face,
– fruit enzymes: slightly exfoliates the skin and accelerates the cell renewal,
– broccoli extract: helps eliminate impurities and toxins from the skin,
– purple clay: supports natural cell renewal and protects against absorption of impurities,
– fennel: boosts lymphatic drainage, pushing toxins from the skin, and leaves the skin feeling cool and refreshed.
– Results:
A feeling of very fresh skin, super clean and comfortable.
And above all, an incredible glow! It’s super luminous and it feels super clean but not “aggressive” like with some daily exfoliating cleansers that damage the skin more than they clean it. I really saw this radiance on my skin in the first days of use and it’s rare enough to be pointed out.
I also have the feeling that my skin is less dehydrated, it no longer feels tight at all after rinsing.
– Value For Money:
Well, I’m not gonna lie, it’s expensive. Very expensive. (“Guurl, das esspensive!“) The price is $62.
I wish I could tell you that it lasts 6 months but it’s not true. I have used it for 2 months and I used half of it. I calculated that it will last me 4 months by using it once a day (I use two pumps to clean my face and neck) (I know, it was super difficult to calculate, wasn’t it? ;P )
but I will say that it’s clearly a personal choice. I always like to invest in the beauty of my skin by choosing effective skincare products and sometimes, yes, “high end” because I believe in their effectiveness. (It doesn’t mean that all expensive products are great, far from it, but very often you have to pay a little more for more interesting and effective ingredients in a formula.)
And about Tata Harper, the formulations are amazing, so full of active and great ingredients and I could feel the effectiveness of this product in the first days of use. So for me, it is worth the money.
In summary:
[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]
A big thumbs up for this face cleanser. It makes me eager to try other products in the Tata Harper range! (to be continued wink )
The Purifying Cleanser is available on Tata Harper website for $62.
And you, did you tried the Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser? Did you like it?
Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com and Tata Harper
Maria wrote
Hello Bonnie have you tried the Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Purifying Cleansing Oil or the Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions Purifying Gel Cleanser. I thought from reading on these products they were similar and seem to be far less expensive as the Tata Harper. Is it really worth the difference? I really like Burt Bees products. What is your opinion? Thanks and love your articles, very helpful.
Bonnie Garner wrote
Hi Maria, thanks for the comment! :)
I didn’t try the Laura Mercier Cleansing Oil and I don’t think I will because I’m not a fan of the ingredient list (there’s a lot of mineral oil in it and it makes me break out so I usually avoid using it).
I didn’t try the Burt’s Bees cleanser either but it seems interesting! It looks like it’s a slightly exfoliating cleanser, which I’m usually a fan of. I think it’s definitively worth a try! :)
Shania wrote
Hey Bonnie, luv your article. Must try this Tata Purifying cleanser. Tata Harper is a real luxury skincare line that I feel comfortable spending extra cash on, the fact that it is 100% natural and nontoxic is a real plus. I discovered the brand through the Tata’s daily skincare essentials kit sold $68 at Sephora. A friend of mine received it as a present and I loved the concept and the smell of them so much I immediately bought my own. Have you tried that kit or the products from the kit?
S.
Bonnie Garner wrote
Hi Shania, thanks for your comment! :)
The Purifying Cleanser is the only product I tried from the range so far. But I saw this discovery kit and I’m very tempted to give it a go! I’m using other skincare products at the moment, but maybe it will be my next Tata Harper purchase? It’s super tempting, for sure! :)
Catherine wrote
Hi Bonnie,
Have you tried any other Tata Harper products you’d recommend. I tried this after reading your article and thought it was amazing. Given the price though I’d be interested to get your opinion on any other worthy products.
Catherine
Bonnie Garner wrote
Hi Catherine! :)
I’m happy you liked it, it’s still one of the best cleanser I ever tried! :)
I didn’t try any other Tata Harper products even if I really want to. Their prices are extremely expensive so I don’t typically splurge on this kind of products more than once or twice a year maybe… I have my eyes on the Floral Essence and the Rebuilding Moisturizer, so maybe they will be my next purchase in this beautiful brand, who knows?
If I finally splurge, I’ll do a review here without a doubt! ;)
Which Tata Harper products have piqued your interest? :)
Tee wrote
Hi, just found out your blog and really liking it so far. The purifying cleanser is in my top cleansers hall together with De Mamiel cleansing balm (pure bliss), emma hardie cleansing balm, tata harper nourishing oil cleanser (very very nice even for removing makeup) and MV 9 oil cleansing tonic (that I actually use as overnight treatment when my skin is irritated or generally upset and works wonder!). I’ve also tried from the TH range: Floral Essence (lovely but too expensive for what it is), Regenerating Cleanser ( very nice but I’m not a fan of physical exfoliating beads of any kind, not even this very gentle version), Resurfacing Mask (really lovely I keep it my fridge and even use it when I go to the gym after a steam room session, yes I’m that indulgent – it gives you a glowing happy skin), also a couple of their other products in a try-me format. My favs are the Purifying cleanser and the Resurfacing Mask. I’m eyeing their new Clarifying Cleanser now. Everything else is really nice but ultimately too expensive, I think you can do as well as if not better, with other brands. Hope it helps. :)
Bonnie Garner wrote
Wow, thank you so much Tee for sharing your reviews on the Tata Harper range! I’m not gonna lie, I’m also eyeing their new cleanser ah ah ah. I know you can find cheaper alternatives but this range is lush ;)
By the way, I just started a new project so if you liked my blog, I’m sure you’ll love my new website: btyaly.com See you there? ;)