Earlier this month, the Straight had a chance to speak with natural beauty expert and entrepreneur Tata Harper during her recent visit to Beautymark (1268 Pacific Boulevard) in Yaletown.

The Colombian-raised industrial engineer started her line of non-toxic skincare products when she realized that there were no truly chemical-free lines on the market.

Harper’s company manufactures its own cleansers, toners, moisturizers, serums and cosmetics from start to finish, out of a Vermont-based laboratory and headquarters, where many of the herbs and botanicals that go into her products are grown.

What compelled you to create a line of natural skincare products?

"I started this line of natural skincare after my stepfather was diagnosed with cancer, and I learned the importance of making healthy choices for your everyday living.  I realized after that whole experience of going to doctors and clinics, how much lifestyle affects the way that you live and how much it affects your health and how you age.

"I started changing everything—skin care was really the last frontier for me because I couldn’t find products that really performed and were effective and high quality… and truly synthetic-free for real. There were some products that contained botanicals, but they had a lot of other stuff that nobody talks about, like parabens, propylene glycol, and all these nasty industrial chemicals. I really didn’t think they belonged in a skincare routine."

How are your products different from other products that are labeled as natural?

"I think that one of the things that really make our products unique is the fact that we are not only paraben free, or sulfate free, because those are just one ingredient of say 50 or 60 that end up in a formula.

"We are free of every imaginable synthetic chemical, and our products don’t revolve around one, or two, or even three active ingredients like the majority of products on the market—they’re very concentrated cocktails of active ingredients. A lot of our products have over 30 active ingredients, so they are literally working for your skin; that’s what active ingredients are."

You’ve spoken in the past of how the skincare industry is actually dominated by men. What are some advantages of being a woman in your sector?

"It’s funny and it was actually unexpected when I started my company, to realize that the whole industry is dominated by men. I was like, ‘really, skincare?’

"One of the advantages of being a female entrepreneur in this sector is that you understand what you need much better. You understand what your clients are telling you much better in terms of what products to develop, and how they want you to make a product better.

"As a woman, you get much more excited about things like this, and I’m very passionate about making products that don’t just feel great, but really about making the best products that I can."

How do your cultural and career backgrounds contribute to what goes into your skincare line?

"Growing up in Columbia, and in the Latin culture, it was really interesting, because we have a lot of dedication to our health and our well-being. I was always exercising, eating very well, and understanding that beauty was not just about products, but about eating well, exercising, and having a comprehensive beauty routine.

"I feel that growing up in Latin America, especially with a grandmother that was obsessed with beauty, these things all really stuck with me.

"As an industrial engineer, it really motivated me to be able to actually make the products, because the whole industry and the vast majority of brands outsource everything.

"Being able to have that background in engineering, where through my whole career studying, we toured so many factories that I became acquainted with production. I love the whole production its something that we’re extremely proud of. "

What one factor is most important to a good skincare routine?

"Keep it consistent. I feel that a lot of times women find balance and then we are very easily excited with new things and then all of a sudden we start introducing new things then our skin gets out of whack.

"I know that a lot of times we hear, 'oh, change it up, use different things all the time because the skin gets used to it.' Well, that hasn’t been my experience at all in speaking to cosmetic formulators and skin biologists.

Actually, it’s the opposite; if you find something that really works for you, stick with it!"

Tata Harper skincare is available at Beautymark and other fine skincare boutiques in Vancouver. To find out more about her products, check out Tata Harper's website.