MANILA, Philippines — Whenever Donny Pangilinan would have a pimple, DonBelle fans might think it is just because he is always thinking about Belle Mariano.
While that may be true, still for Donny, acne is no badge of honor.
The “He’s Into Her” star recalled an instance when even one pimple became so capable of ruining his day.
“Nu’ng isang araw, nasa bahay ako, there was this concert I was waiting for so long. S’yempre teenager ka, super excited ka. I was going with my friends and stuff. Tapos the next day, nagising ako, ang laki ng pimple sa ilong ko! Sobrang laki! Sabi ko, anong gagawin ko? Parang ayoko nang lumabas, ganu’n,” he shared.
In an effort to solve his problem fast, Donny tried popping the pimple.
“So I really don’t know what to do, and I made a mistake of trying to pop it. And it got so much worse! And I just remember, during the whole night, parang ‘di ko alam kung naiinfect na s’ya,” he narrated.
“But I clearly remember that it was such a hassle. It was a moment when I was like, ‘What could have I done to prevent this?’.”
Now that Donny is a star, he has become more conscious of his looks, especially when he has acne.
“Yes, there are times, obviously, when it really affects my self-esteem, especially when I have to see a lot of people.”
Thankfully, Donny soon found out that dealing with a pimple is simple: having enough rest, drinking a lot of water, eating right and using products that could help you reduce your worries.
“There are times na talagang lumalabas s’ya, s’yempre ‘di naman maiiwasan ‘yun. But I really do try my best to take care of my skin. I try to make it my morning routine. Ako minsan nakakalimutan ko. ‘Yung makeup artist ko ‘yung magsasabi na ilagay na ‘yan, or minsan s’ya na maglalagay para bago ‘yung makeup, nand’un na. So you put the sunscreen beforehand, your moisturizer beforehand, and then the makeup para rin hindi mo na iisipin.”
Although acne has become a part of Donny’s life and lifestyle as a sportsman, through the years, he has learned how to deal with it.
“During my teenage years, I would get pimples din naman like everyone else, obviously, but ‘di naman ‘yung sobra. I think not the face, more on dito sa likod. Kasi nga I’m a runner. Every day, I’m on the track and field. It’s my main sport talaga and I run like 10 kilometers a day. So, I think it’s very important for me to put on sunscreen and whenever I have the chance to moisturize my skin as well.”
Skincare is usually associated with women, but Donny discovered that adopting a skincare routine does more good than harm to men.
“I think we should break the stereotype na girls lang ‘yung nagski-skincare. Everyone should be taking care of their skin. It’s very healthy to do so,” he declared.
“I think, it shouldn’t really be the stereotype. I know men should also take care of their skin. And there’s nothing wrong with it. It means you’re caring for yourself.”
Donny shares with Korean-formulated “performance” skincare label QuickFX’s mission to offer effortless and quick products that deliver results for customers’ real concerns like acne and dark spots.
Frances Jabeguero, Brand and Innovations Lead, explained at Donny’s recent launch as the brand’s new ambassador that their label, established in 2011, claims to be specializing in “performance” skincare since this includes products with “tried and tested active ingredients” and “driven by consumer testimonials.”
She said they tapped Donny as the brand’s new face to encourage Millennials and Gen-Zs to be confident in dealing with breakouts, starting with Donny’s own Limited Edition Pimple Eraser Essentials Kit for the brand. The kit, she said, includes four best-selling Pimple Eraser products to combat acne in both face and body.
“These products are super essential to me especially when it comes to maintaining my skin, because I’m always in front of the camera, and I love doing a lot of stuff like outdoor activities, hobbies, so I’m always on the go,” Donny enthused.
Donny’s favorite is the body acne spray since he is always on the move and he loves working out and biking.
“It’s super handy for me to carry, super small. It could go like in my hand-carry (when I travel),” he said.
“Hindi maiiwasan na s’yempre magkaro’n ng pimples lalo na sa katawan. And right now, I’m working out a lot and I’m taking whey protein and that actually kind of makes you breakout.”
The key to dealing with acne, Donny advised, is prevention. As soon as he sees a zit, he dabs on Pimple Eraser Cream over the pimple to dry it up easily.
“Whenever you feel like something is coming, it’s best to treat it already as opposed to when the pimple’s already out. Siguro, prevention is better than cure,” he said of the cream, which he claimed has been effective in making his pimple disappear in a day or two.
He also vouched for the Pimple Patch, saying: “It’s really nice because you can put it and no one really notices it as it dries up your pimple.”
Jabeguero claimed that the pimple patch is the only one in Watsons personal care stores, where the products are distributed, with microneedling technology.
“You cannot feel them at all, but these microneedles deliver the active ingredients right into your pimple for fast and effective results,” she attested.
Besides the acne spray, the Pimple Eraser Cream and the pimple patch, Donny’s must-have from the kit is the sunscreen.
“I think it’s also important to moisturize the skin, plus sunscreen. Ako, number one ‘yan, sunscreen… It’s important to maintain (the beauty of) your skin especially minsan, puyat ka, you’re always under the sun. ‘Yung character ko ngayon, puro outdoors ang activities na ginagawa ko,” said Donny, who came to his launch as brand endorser after his shooting wrapped up at 3 a.m. that morning.
“Just being able to know that your skin is healthy, you’re ready to take on the day, even if it’s so hot or the environment is not so clean. At least you know you’re keeping yourself on track.” — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo