In her new column for Elle Arabia, Tata Harper shares personal tips and tricks for all things beauty and wellness related.
Stay in the know by checking back on a monthly basis. We'll be updating this blog post with Tata's upcoming columns for Elle Arabia - each filled with her skincare hacks, lifestyle tricks, and tips on topics including sleep, hydration, nutrition, and mental wellbeing.
THE LATEST
April 2022 Issue
As Ramadan begins, I want to talk about how this period of deep spirituality touches on two cornerstones of wellness with a profound impact on our lives: fasting and hydration. Both are undoubtedly familiar practices during this time, but what if you began implementing them not just until Eid al-Fitr, but also regularly, as part of your daily life?
I first heard about intermittent fasting as a tool for enhancing longevity, and implemented it in my own life after researching the benefits. My fasting window lasts between 6:00 PM and 11:00 AM every day, allowing my body to function without food for 14-16 hours. This process has the power to detoxify cells and remove waste, helping me not only feel better, but also function better mentally and physically. Think of it as a form of functional medicine that works in tandem with your body’s natural functions to ensure everything is running smoothly. The sacred fasting done during Ramadan will naturally differ from how you fast outside of the Holy Month, but I encourage you to try incorporating modified versions of this practice into your regular routine to continue experiencing the countless benefits.
Many of you will be paying extra attention to hydration now, but water intake is essential to reaching your absolute peak of health at all times. Staying hydrated not only keeps your skin glowing and body running, but also significantly amplifies the benefits you’ll get from fasting. I make sure to pack my day with hydration reminders by bringing water to my desk in the morning and filling two gallons of beauty teas to sip throughout the day. While you’re fasting, I recommend consuming at least a gallon of water between iftar and suhoor. Complement this with electrolyte-rich foods in your meals like leafy greens, fruits, and lentils.
Don’t forget about the moisture of your skin as well. Topical hydrators are essential to any skin type, bringing you the benefits of humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid, honey, and snow mushroom. I personally recommend the Hydrating Floral Essence, which is my favorite beauty snack to reach for whenever I want to treat dryness. You can even pair it with my Hydrating Floral Mask for a double serving of moisturized, glowing skin all month.
Wishing you a peaceful, happy, and hydrated Ramadan.
- Tata Harper
March 2022 Issue
The advice I’m asked for most falls under two categories: beauty and wellness. What many people don’t realize is that these two things are one and the same. Beauty — far from being just the creams you use or the makeup you apply — is like a delicious pizza with many different slices. Skin care is one of them, but you also have your essential sleep, hydration, nutrition, emotional wellbeing and spirituality slices. When we devote equal care to each of these parts, the cumulative result is staying youthful, energetic and strong at any age. It’s not just practicing beauty from the inside-out; it’s learning to become more whole and more present as human beings.
What does it look like to embrace this kind of interconnected wellness as a way of life? The conversation has rapidly evolved over the past decade, and new frontiers of research are always emerging. Existing at your peak performance is a combination of implementing habits that should already feel familiar, as well as taking the leap to try things you maybe haven’t considered before. It can be as simple as treating your body to deep sleep or nourishing your skin with your favorite serum (like our Elixir Vitae, my desert island essential for smoothing wrinkles). It can also involve exploring a fascinating realm of alternative treatments, supplements and holistic healers. Wellness today places equal importance on drinking water to naturally detoxify your body as it does experimenting with the benefits of infrared saunas. It’s an equation that looks different for every individual, not an unchanging checklist of rules.
I’m endlessly fascinated by the different practices we’ve discovered to enhance longevity and increase health span. As someone committed to staying on the forefront of this movement, I also understand that the amount of information now available is vast to the point of feeling overwhelming. So let’s zoom in and get familiar. In this column, I’ll take you on a deep dive into each separate topic, so that you can start assembling your own wellness pizza, slice by slice.
- Tata Harper
May 2022 Issue
Ever since I was a young girl, my grandmother and mother instilled the power of routines in me. They taught me to view my daily routines as optimal strategies, not as tedious chores. From them, I learned to appreciate these added micro moments of happiness in my day. As a beauty founder, I pay extra attention to my skincare routine. It’s my escape: a daily moment dedicated not only to taking care of my complexion, but also soothing relaxation. Now, I want to teach you how to maximize this routine, just as I would any other. There’s a precise science behind layering your products in the correct order to get the most beneficial absorption.
Let’s start with cleansing, such an underestimated step that’s truly the foundation to good skin. With overly harsh cleansers, skin feels tight as your natural barrier becomes compromised and loses hydration. Avoid this by choosing treatment cleansers that go beyond simple cleansing, and invest in one that’s specifically suited to your skin type with active ingredients like enzymes. One I’ve seen people fall in love with instantly is my Regenerating Cleanser, which gives you instant radiance. Next, there are three key areas to think about: anti-aging, moisturizing, and masking.
When it comes to anti-aging or “your skin of the future,” as I call it, you’re building an elevator of active ingredients in your skin, and the order is crucial. I start with an essence—the opposite of a toner because it deeply hydrates—to help anti-aging ingredients penetrate. Next, I’ll grab my serum and eye cream and apply them both morning and night. (Tip: I use the same ones consistently in order to get optimal results.) Moisturizers go after this to give a plumping effect at the surface level and let the actives underneath go to work treating wrinkles and boosting collagen. During the day, I finish with sunscreen to protect from UV rays, which cause signs of aging. Masking is an added-value bonus to do weekly. I keep multiple types tailored to my needs, whether that’s added hydration or refining pores.
The routine is as simple as that. To make it even easier, I created Tata’s Daily Essentials, which contains every essential step in one kit. But the most important part? As my grandmother instilled in my mother, my mother in me, and I in my children, it’s all about consistency. As with any other routine you’ll learn in life, you need to practice it daily to see results. Follow that wisdom, and I promise your skin will be transformed.
- Tata Harper
