It’s hard to not love beauty products. They make you feel great, empowered, and beautiful. However, Filipinos have long been inclined to foreign products, instead of our own homegrown brands. In the shadow of the multinational skin care and make-up companies is a burgeoning industry based right here at home.

While it seems to be first instinct to buy from foreign and internationally known brands, buying from local brands can be just as effective and fulfilling. Not only do these brands offer more benefits to our local industries, but they also promote a more natural facet to the everyday beauty product.

Say hello to the people who know our skincare needs the best—our fellow Filipinos. Now more than ever, we can look to local brands to provide us with the products that we need. With several new companies booming left and right, Vantage decided to take a look at the skincare and makeup brands that have an advocacy and the drive to make it in the industry. Here are our picks for the most innovative and unique brands that the local beauty scene has to offer.

1. Pili

Php 200-600

Pili was first thought of by the mother of Rosalina Tan, an organic advocate who delved into the pili oil business after she encountered a farmer from Bicol. This farmer introduced her to pili oil, a product that is extracted from the pili tree. Thinking to support the farmer, Tan bought the oil. After discovering its benefits, she then expanded the pili oil business into the production of soaps, lipsticks, and massage oils. The brand prides itself in selling natural products, straight from the pili tree.

“When we say organic, it [means] grown without chemicals [and] grown without pesticides,” Tan explains. “When you want to claim organic, you have to have certification. It takes a while. How many trees do you have to check? So we cannot claim “organic”. We choose to say natural instead of organic.” The certification needed for a product to be labeled as organic requires much research and tedious work, and as such, Tan would rather forgo the certification and claim to be “natural” instead, as the pili tree is grown in the wild.

Pili’s status as “natural” proves to be important in the market today. Colonial mentality is something Tan cites as the reason why Filipinos don’t consider local products, but with the natural products that Pili offers, customers are sure to want to try local. Popular products available include Pili’s essential oils, lipstick, and lip balm.

2. Kala Milk

Php 150-300

Back in 2010, the Gonzales family thought of an ingenious new way to help out the farmers in Baliuag, Bulacan. They developed a kind of soap made from carabao’s milk. These natural soaps are sourced directly from local farmers and are made with coconut oil and essential oils. And the best part? Every sale contributes to the income of these Baliwag dairy farmers.

“Competition is growing in the local scene, with many personal care products being introduced at an affordable price point,” Melanie Punongbayan, General Manager of Kala Milk states. “Strong branding, clear differentiation, and consistent messaging are critical in setting yourself apart from other brands.”

With the trend leaning more towards natural and local products, Kala Milk thrives on customers who look for diversity in their products. Their main market is young mothers in their mid-twenties to thirties who are opting for "more natural alternatives.” These natural alternatives are also thought to be more gentle on the skin and are thus popular for infants and small children. For anyone interested in their products, be sure to look out for their popular Kala Milk soap and Kala Milk lotion.

3. Ysabel’s Daughter

Php 250-995

The story of Ysabel’s Daughter  stems from the strangest of places: bees. When Cristina Cruz, the founder of the brand and the proverbial daughter of Ysabel Manalang, bought a bee colony years ago, she did it in pursuit of a healthier lifestyle. Originally just for food consumption, overproduction led her to start dabbling into the possibilities of honey as an ingredient for beauty products. It was only in 2012, at the encouragement of friends and family, that  she decided to take it a step further.

Ysabel’s Daughter’s mantra is to create proudly Filipino-made products that are at par with the scents and creams of Europe. “We can be on par with them if we really want to. If we really try,” Carl Abaya, partner and nephew of Cruz, tells Vantage. Focusing on the healing benefits of honey, Ysabel’s Daughter sets itself apart by creating an all-natural product. By using more classical French scents, such as vervain and lavender, they are able to prove that even a tropical country in Southeast Asia can compete with the likes of well known international products in terms of quality and taste.

“We’re an emerging market,” Abaya says, with the hopes that the recent boom in the local beauty scene would someday put us on the same level as the Korean beauty scene. While there are still issues with regard to how we can better utilize our natural resources, Ysabel’s Daughter hopes to expand and develop the local market to be more accepting of what this country has to offer. Available on websites like BeautyMNL, their best sellers include Olive Lotion which aims to reduce the effects of aging, and their various soaps which include scents such as vervain, coffee, and the like.

4. Snoe Beauty

Php 349-1,199

Snoe Beauty is what happens when you put your vision into reality. Borne out the need for beauty products that suited her and the environment in which she lived in, founder Jen Gerodias Diaz started the company way back in 2010, when the local beauty scene was still devoid of anything devoted to Filipino skin tones and needs.

Aiming to constantly innovate, Snoe recognizes how different the beauty scene is from how it was back in 2010. “Filipinos now are more critical of the beauty products they use,” says Diaz, who notes that today’s consumers have gone beyond the classic wash-tone-moisturize routine and all sort of products unheard of before this decade. Being a smaller company especially, they are always able to easily create new products that immediately cater to the needs of the people, something that multinationals may not be able to do. However, Diaz notes that there is difficulty in sourcing ingredients locally as industries are not as well advanced yet to supply what is needed for the different products they make.

Snoe Beauty’s line has a little of something for everyone, from whitening lotions to soaps to makeup. Some of their best sellers include the Super Fresh Dry Shampoo and Cleansing Oil Shampoo.

5. Beauty Bakery

Php 200-500

Beauty Bakery, which began as a project to create products that were “natural,” aims to put something organic and safe on the market. It advocates for less expensive skincare  and is known for its chemical-free and dessert-inspired products. Such products, delightfully named Choco Chip Mint Hair Mask and Milk & Vanilla Sea Salt Scrub, bring a refreshing and creative twist to the everyday beauty product.

“We all like to smell good, look good, and feel good in a very affordable package,” a representative from Beauty Bakery states. “And that’s what our brand is selling.”  This kind of uniqueness and innovation is what makes Beauty Bakery so loved in the beauty community. The brand’s affordability also rates high with users. For any beauty enthusiasts looking for better skincare goods, check out Beauty Bakery’s best-selling products: Witch Hazel Facial Scrub and All-Purpose Chocolate Oil Mist.

These are but a few brands that can offer Filipinos what they need to look their best every day. With a large variety of brands and products, there is less of a need to look for imported products  to treat yourself. Not only do these brands offer a growing beauty industry that provide jobs, but they also help strengthen local agricultural industries that provide the ingredients for these products. Brands, such as these, promote an all-natural way of living life. With relatively more affordable prices, it’s a wonder that these brands have yet to compete directly with the makeup and skincare giants out there.

Photo by Reena C. Pineda	Photo by Reena C. Pineda	Photo by Reena C. Pineda
Photo by Reena C. Pineda	Photo by Reena C. Pineda	Photo by Reena C. Pineda