A good day to be a dog
K-beauty, K-drama, K-pop, K-fashion? We have all heard, or even ardently patronize, these Korean industries. But do you know of their flourishing “petconomy?” This is due to the number of growing pet owners who have their own “petfams” (families with pets) in the country.
There are some K-dramas where dogs steal the spotlight. There is Pororo in Uncontrollably Fond distracting from the role of actor Kim Woo Bin, or the hairy pooch in Coffee Prince befriending the lead actress. In Behind Your Touch, a psychic veterinarian comes across some cute animals. And, of course, in A Good Day to be a Dog, there is handsome Cha Eun Woo with a dog as a love interest but is actually a woman.
Statista has reported that Korea had 22,000 pet-related establishments in 2022, and this is continuously increasing. And in 2023, expenses related to the care of pets skyrocketed. We can relate! We all cherish our precious pets and lavish them with love. Spoil them, even. This is the exact sentiment of Jan Buenaflor, and her D’ Spinmix Company Inc., where she is the managing director and VP for marketing and operations. The business carries the complete lines of Korean brands Breezy Tail and Olaolab.
“Our company has been into animal nutrition and vet products since 2013,” she says. “We officially launched spa products and cleansers for pets last February. What led us to expand our product lines is that I wanted safer, cleaner, and healthier products for our furry companions.”
All their pet products are from Korea, says Jan, “sourced and handpicked by yours truly. These are meant to really pamper pets. I attended the Megazoo pet fair in Seoul last November, and I saw how Koreans spend for their dogs, from supplements, treats, clothes, accessories. They even have soju and Korean beer for the dogs!”
D’ Spinmix has four kinds of shampoos and body washes for dogs, including one that is whitening, for white dogs, of course. There is the PetO'CERA Body Wash Plus, providing a hypoallergenic skin barrier. It contains hyaluronic acid to take care of itchiness, dandruff and dead skin cells. Another product is the PetO'CERA Body Wash Nourishing, which improves the moisture of the skin barrier by 76 percent after one-time usage. These products are made with the exclusive and patented PetO'CERA Skincare formula.
For doggies wanting a lush coat, there is Blooming Body Wash Volumizing. Go a step further with the Blooming Volumizing Mist. Lastly, as mentioned, is the Blooming Body Wash Whitening, specifically made for white dogs.
A counterpart for K-beauty are the various skincare products for dogs, like the PetO’CERA Skin and Coat mist. The Paw in Clean line, all using mineral lava water from Jeju island, includes facial and paw cleansers. The facial cleansers keep the coat healthy, including the sensitive eye area of our cute furbabies. Houttuynia extract is used and other ingredients found in Korean cosmetics and skincare.
Jan claims that these products are safe, even for humans. “Actually, I also use the shampoo and the mists. It' s super-safe because it has three types of ceramides and three types of hyaluronic acid called PSF, a patented technology of PetO'CERA.”
Premium spa products for dogs are also available for a more luxurious experience of pampered pets. Mineral bath salts for removing dead skin cells and a rose salt bath for moisturizing and soothing are amazing products. A marine salt bath is intended for “trouble care,” which I interpret as calming. I can just imagine my darling Chihuahuas relaxing in a tub of these mineral salts and just chilling.
“I have five furbabies. They use all the products,” according to Jan, who is a dog lover herself. “They were the ones who tried them first. They are happy, and I am very happy, too, with how soft and how moisturized their skin and coats are. And the most important thing is, they smell super-good! “The relationship with our dogs is good for our heart and soul,” she continues. “They are loyal, they make us laugh, they listen to us without judgment. Dog parents spoil their dogs because... happy dogs make for happy fur parents!”
D’ Spinmix recently had a successful pop-up called “Pup-up: A Good Day to be with Your Dog” in Quezon City. It was attended by as many as 30 dogs and their fur parents. Their plans for the near future include expansion of their distribution nationwide.
“We plan to be in the supermarkets, pet shops, and specialty stores. I will soon be launching our pet treats (including collabs with famous eateries, watch out for this!). All are made and manufactured in Korea. We have two or three more products in our premium spa lines, coming in April or May.”
Jan is an avid K-drama and K-pop fan (she is an EXO-L — fans will know what this means), so I asked her if there is a K-drama dog she likes. She jokingly replied, the one in the Cha Eun Woo drama, because the dog gets to kiss the handsome star.
But on a serious note, our pets are worthy of spoiling; they deserve it for their unconditional love and loyalty to us. They are family. Now is their time to enjoy life to the max — because it’s a good day to be a dog.
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You can order their products online. Visit iIG @pup_up.ph.
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