Calling all Filipino skincare enthusiasts out there! If you’re not satisfied with your current skincare products or you just want to start a new skincare routine, the new year can be a good time for you to begin reaching a new goal.
It’s not wrong to end something and start anew, especially if it’s for the sake of improving yourself. And that includes your skincare. Let’s achieve our skincare goals this 2022 with these affordable and effective products from local brands.
"It’s not wrong to end something and start anew, especially if it’s for the sake of improving yourself."
Starting off, we have RRAW, whose tagline is “Cultivating a healthy relationship between you and your skincare.” The brand was founded by Ira and Irene Tan in 2015. Their products are locally handmade, plant-derived, and organic, which means the ingredients are not synthesized in a laboratory.
Tin is a RRAW customer who uses a variety of their products. She revealed that the Your Type Face Dry Skin Set (cleanser, toner, serum) helped her with her dry skin issue. “They were very mild despite having fragrance in them, and I appreciated that it’s already a set,” she added. She was also very pleased with their Retinol Cream, stating that it is the only retinol product she has tried that has not caused any skin damage.
Left: PHP 999.00 | Sensitive / Dry Your Type Face Set | RRAW
Right: PHP 450.00 | 1% Retinol Cream | RRAW
If you want to try out some of RRAW’s products, you can avail them on their website and on Shopee for an affordable price!
Another local skincare brand that you must watch out for is Dear Face. With their tagline, “Skincare is self-care,” the shop provides organic, vegan, paraben-free, and cruelty-free products. Dear Face was founded in 2020 by Jonah Sison, who was also the founder of Skin Potions. This brand believes that “skincare is an essential part of boosting self-love.”
According to Careen, a Dear Face customer, the products are not just effective and cheap but can also compete with other high-end skincare brands. Drunk Skin Facial Wash and Supra Glow Brightening Serum are among the products she is using. She further expressed her satisfaction with this brand by sharing how the products made her skin healthier and smoother. She added, “I just realized that I found my best buddy for skincare routine. It changed my whole self-confidence from none to 100.”
Left: PHP 299.00 | Dear Face Drunk Skin Facial Foam Facial wash | Shopee PH
Right: PHP 279.00 | Dear Face Supra Glow Brightening Serum | Shopee PH
If you are interested, Dear Face products are available on Shopee.
Sage and Tera is another local skincare brand whose products are plant-based, cruelty-free, paraben-free, non-comedogenic, and pregnancy safe. They were first introduced in 2018 with their tagline, “No bullshit skincare.”
Aside from supporting a local brand, Ysa, a Sage and Tera customer, was pleased with their products’ affordability and effectiveness. She used their Vanishing Spell Face Mask and Aftermask Toning Face Mist. She claimed that it softened and smoothed her skin. Plus, she can feel it being moisturized after every wash. She also appreciated that the products contain natural ingredients and that the brand caters to those with sensitive skin.
Left: PHP 295.00 | Sage and Tera — Vanishing Spell | Shopee PH
Right: PHP 255.00 | Sage and Tera — Aftermask | Shopee PH
Another on the lineup of highly recommended local skincare brands is Lana. Living up to their tagline, “Sustainable skincare that’s mindful of you and mama Earth.” Lana’s products are cruelty-free and have a low impact on the environment through eco-conscious manufacturing and packaging. Rizza Lana-Sebastian founded this brand in 2017.
Jamille, who uses a variety of skincare products, also tries Lana's DNA Repair Elixir and 100% Pure Argan Oil. She said that the products are effective, the results are seen and felt, and they are more affordable than other western brands. She also mentioned how lightweight and non-greasy the elixir and oil are. She strongly recommends this brand to others by mentioning that “using it (Lana) feels like you’ve gone to a derma without paying that much.”
Left: PHP 549.00 | DNA Repair Elixir 20ml | Lana
Right: PHP 549.00 | 100% Pure Argan Oil | Lana
“Get maximum glow for minimum effort” is the promise of In Her Element to its customers. Founded by Liz Lanuzo back in 2016, this local skincare brand believes that “good skin stems from treating it with respect and using gentle products with powerful active ingredients.”
Here is another catch: all of their products are sulfate-free, paraben-free, and cruelty-free.
They truly deliver their promise, Gracielle shared. She is an In Her Element customer who uses their skincare products, including Low pH Rose Radiant Cleanser and Masknegel Spot Treatment. She emphasized how effective and trustworthy this brand is. “In Her Element… hones in what a Filipina needs: effortless skincare that actually works! I have yet to try a product from the brand that has disappointed me. My expectations are always met (if not exceeded) with just how gentle yet effective the various products are,” she said.
Left: PHP 495.00 | Low pH Rose Radiant Cleanser | In Her Element
Right: PHP 445.00 | Masknegel Spot Treatment | In Her Element
Last but not least is Apotheke Science, another proudly natural brand that goes with the tagline “Organic & sustainable skin science.” Its organic products claim to heal skin, reverse aging, protect against cellular damage, remove blemishes, and restore radiance. Carlos Ycasiano co-founded the brand in 2018, and all its products are all-natural, organic, and cruelty-free.
Genevic, who used Apotheke’s Niacinamide and Pure Castile Facial Wash, said that her skin texture feels heavenly after using these products. She also mentioned that the products save her time. She was able to cut her skincare routine in half while still getting the results she desired. She was happy to support and use locally made products in addition to purchasing from a brand with “undeniable quality.”
Left: PHP 256.00 | 5% Niacinamide for Sensitive Skin | Shopee PH
Right: PHP 190.00 | Pure Castile Facial Wash | Shopee PH
Popular skincare brands that we always see on mainstream media are not the only brands we can avail of. There are a lot more skincare brands out there that you can explore and choose from.
"Popular skincare brands that we always see on mainstream media are not the only brands we can avail of."
Why choose alternative brands? It’s local, effective, and affordable! All of the people who provided testimonials for the featured skincare brands strongly recommend the products they use.
"Why choose alternative brands? It’s local, effective, and affordable!"
By using such products, you did not just choose to improve your skincare; you also started to #SupportLocal and #LoveLocal.
Graphics by: Nicole Pacardo
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