Aera group before the Meet & Greet with fans at SM Megamall (from left): event organizer Bianca Lapus, Bela Padilla,  Director of Sales Youjin Seo-Lopez of iWhite Korea and Brand Manager Kristine Villamor

Bela Padilla - the multi-hyphenate screen goddess - is human, just like you and me. In a recent event, she showed to some members of the media a photo of her face pockmarked with large pimples. This was in December of last year. She was battling the acne for weeks and became increasingly depressed.

Things like this don't make it to Bela's social media. She noted that her pages are "aspirational. There are days when I'm sad but I don't post it because I like to keep things positive. I love that when they visit my page, they can draw inspiration from it."

She believes that her skin breakout was  brought about by work stress and some underlying health conditions "I have PCOS. I have hypothyroidism. I would have these bouts of hormonal acne and it really causes insecurities. For someone like me who grew up in front of the cameras, it was really hard."

"When my latest acne episode happened, I couldn't go out of my apartment (in London ). I looked so bad. I really had to change my routine," she added.

Thankfully, Bela was already in talks for a collaboration with iWhite Korea, a reputable name in skincare that is famous for its anti-acne lineup. The fact that the brand healed her acne made Bela push through with the business partnership which has been christened Aera x Bela. Aera is a Korean name which means "love."

Bela Padilla

"I'm at this stage in my life where I really choose what I put out in the market. I want to share my experience with kids or women or teenagers going through the same problems," she pointed out.

It will be recalled that Bela also launched a Korean skincare line in 2020  with a different set of business partners but the actress admitted that it folded up after a year. "Ang taas ng price point namin. We were very ambitious, in a way. We used glass bottles which were not really needed in this market. I've since put it down to trial and error. If something doesn't work out, move on and bring out a better product."

Bela, the entrepreneur, now believes that her venture with iWhite will work out in the long run.  The products are also very affordable. "I like representing things that have a lasting effect, that's why I'm in the movies. I am also a Korean skincare addict and I trust in the line-up of my brand. This is something I will buy personally even if  I'm not a part of Aera."

"I have known the struggles of having troubled skin ever since I was a teenager. Everything in Aera is so personalized and attached to my own story," she added.

The Aera x Bela collection includes the Stellar No Oil Face Gel which is inspired by the title of one of her movies, "100 Tula Para Kay Stella."  It is a blurring and mattifying gel which provides all-day hydration for the skin and leaves one shine-free for eight hours.

The Aura Water Sunscreen, on the other hand, provides users with the lightest, non-sticky, non-greasy and cooling dual UV protection with SPF50.

The Milky Way Glow Drops Serum promises to keep skin luminously bright and hydrated with the combination of two powerful ingredients: collagen and niacinamide.

"With the line that we came up with , we are addressing common skin problems that are already existing, but with a gentler kinder approach. I  love that I can use my products in the climate of both London and Manila or even when I go freediving," Bela stated.