Pond's strips off the oil
Oiliness is next to ugliness or even poverty”— or so many makeup artists jokingly stress as they mop up models’ faces during photo shoots. And the country’s leading editors can only nod in agreement.
True, there’s nothing quite as unflattering as an oil-slicked forehead and T-zone. Check your Facebook photos, or rather, check the photos you edit out of your Facebook albums and choose not to post. They’re probably the ones that show you with an ultra-shiny nose or forehead and blemished skin.
A Beauty-full Afternoon
Recently, Pond’s gathered the country’s top beauty trend-watchers to unveil its latest technology to keep oiliness at bay. We spent an afternoon chitchatting at the Society Lounge, which transformed that afternoon into a posh hub of groundbreaking beauty surprises. There, we got to witness the relaunch of Pond’s well-loved White Beauty creams, skin-lightening solutions now with 200 percent more actives to get radiant skin. And, we also got first dibs on the astounding technology behind Pond’s Clear Balance facial washes.
“A good 90 percent of Filipinos admit to wanting a clean face, but only 24 percent actually use a facial wash,” reveals Jacque Yuengtian, brand manager for Pond’s Philippines. “Of that 24 percent who use a facial wash, Pond’s owns 50 percent of that business” she says. She added that being the market leader tasks Pond’s to grow the business even further. In this particular instance, Yuengtian claims that they’re projecting this new line of washes to do exactly that.
Pond’s technical management assistant manager Karen Ibañez, and assistant brand managers Dian Yu and Jules Gollayan Suds Up
To the relief of many self-conscious women with mandatory oil-blotting paper in their kits, Pond’s newest line of washes targets oily skin problems: glow-sapping sebum, unsightly enlarged pores, skin-dulling blackheads, and pimples gone mad.
Sitting down with Yuengtian and technical management assistant manager for Total Skin of Unilever Philippines Karen Ibanez, The Philippine STAR got the juice on this latest beauty innovation.
Why does our skin get oily?
Karen Ibanez: Our sebaceous gland in our pores naturally produces sebum or oil. This oil then spreads on the surface and makes skin look and feel oily. Due to hormonal changes in the body or depending on one’s particular skin type, these glands may produce more oil than usual.
What happens when skin is oily?
Oil is like the “food” of bacteria. While bacteria is really part of the natural flora of the skin, excessive oil increases bacteria, which can then cause skin inflammation or acne.
What makes clay effective in ridding skin of oil and impurities?
Clay is made up of very fine particles, and due to its molecular make-up, oil gets trapped in the clay and can be rinsed off effectively.
But, clay is already used in masks and other existing beauty products. What makes Pond’s facial washes with clay any different?
What we’ve done is we’ve combined clay with other special ingredients. Among these are mineralized water which keeps moisture levels of the skin balanced, glacial clay with menthol and minerals that also tighten pores, volcanic water which has antioxidant properties that draws out impurities and toxins, and neem extract with anti-bacterial properties that reduce pimple-causing bacteria.
So, all these combos are in the new variants?
Jacqe Yuengtian: Yes, Pond’s combines the power of clay and these different mineral waters and ingredients to create washes that fight specific oily skin problems right away. But Pinays like all-in-one products. Why is it necessary to use a different facial wash for different needs? Can’t you just use one?
If you want just one product for all, the clear solutions variant may work for you since it has anti-bacterial properties and also controls oil. But then, for skin, it doesn’t follow that one size fits all. Iba-iba tayo, ‘di ba? There’s a variant made for each one. Women have different types of skin, and the best way to care for our own skin is to address its specific needs.
