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I was late to skin care.
Until I turned 20, I never washed my facenot even in the shower.
But 20 came, and I decided I should begin something that resembled a routine.
So, I drove to my CVS and approachedthe skin-care aislewith caution.
When presented with a hundred creams, I quickly opted for one labeled natural without much thought and left.
Years later, I knownatural is a marketing termthat is both unregulated and ill-defined.
I also know that not all chemicals, particularly those in conventional cosmetics, areactually harmful or toxic.
Some of these products line the shelves at CVS, where inquisitive shoppers like me can stumble upon them.
Then of course, there are others, which exist in the upper echelons of beauty.
Case in point: Tata Harper.
Her farm-to-face products are made without synthetic chemicals, GMOs, fillers, artificial colors, or artificial fragrances.
They are not available at drugstores, but rather carry heavy price tags aimed at highest-end consumers.
She says often in interviews, Health is the ultimate luxury.
When The Wing recently offered a skin-care master class with Tata Harper herself, I was immediately intrigued.
Im neither of those people.
But what if I became one?
I signed up for the master class, and thus began my Great Skin-Care Experiment.
Heres what I learned (and a bit of what I still dont understand).
Apply products thinnest to thickest so that the inner layers are sealed in by the outer.
Over the course of the half-hour class, we applied eight products to our faces according to this guideline.
(Scroll to the end for the full list of products, in order.)
You just want a little spritz, Bolt said.
Its an essencenot Mace.
I had to have that explained to me, too.
(Heres a whole story onhow to find the right serumfor your skin.)
We let both layers sit for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing.
I was both shocked and pleased by this odd combination.
But that is entirely my fault: I think I went overboard with the oil at the end.
The whole thing took 30 minutes and we were going at a rapid-fire pace.
I imagined a slow, beginner-level skin-care class, full of discussion with time for questions.
Tata Harper does not shy away from the fact that her products are expensive.
For someone like me, prohibitively so.
I was incredibly overwhelmed for the 30 minutes I spent in that chair.
My skin-care routine usually takes about four minutes.
Post-shower, I apply rosewater spray, moisturizer, and jade roll.
Im a creature of habit andfeel satisfactionfrom daily rituals and small routines.
Did I have fun?
Of course I did.
The products were beautiful, and effective, and felt good on my skin.
If I could afford to buy it all, Im sure I would.
