For the past couple of years, the local beauty industry has been continuously growing with the rise of local beauty brands that are offering premium quality products. Now, Filipinos can shop for makeup and skincare that are fit for our skin colors and needs and can stand the local weather conditions.
However, there is one particular sector in the beauty realm that is being left behind, and that’s the hair care category. It’s true that we already have several local hair care brands, but this category is not as big as the makeup and skincare categories. Some Filipinos are still getting products that are made from Japan, Korea, or the US—items that are good; however, they are not formulated for tropical weather.
This is the reason why local beauty brand Happy Skin has decided to expand its portfolio by launching its first-ever hair care line. Launched in 2013, Happy Skin was built with the vision to give Filipinos premium makeup and skincare products that they can proudly say are locally made. This brand is the home of the iconic Shut Up and Kiss Me lipstick line.
With the Happy Skin hair collection, the company again wishes to elevate the beauty experience for all Filipinos by providing premium and luxurious hair care products. This hair care line has two ranges: the Soft & Straight for dry and damaged hair; and the Volume & Bouncy for fine and flat hair.
In an interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Jacqe Gutierrez, CEO and co-founder of Happy Skin, shared that these products are formulated and made in Japan but with the humid Philippine climate and the needs of Filipinos in mind.
“The company we worked with for this collection is the same Japanese company we partnered with for the Shut Up and Kiss Me collection—50 percent of all Japanese hair products; this company is the one making them. So I thought the process would be fast and easy, but no,” she shared. “I realized that their formulations are oil heavy because oil is the trend in Japan. But if you do that in the Philippine weather, you’ll have flat, limp hair. It will be nice for a couple of hours, but once you go out, it’s done. But for Happy Skin Hair, it’s made with technology designed for the Philippine weather. It’s better than your Japanese hair care products.”
Skinification of the hair
When we say skincare, most of the time, the focus is on our faces and the other exposed parts of our bodies to the point that we forget or neglect that the scalp is also part of skin. To ensure optimal health benefits for scalp and hair, Happy Skin Hair products are formulated with skin-caring ingredients. This includes niacinamide, or vitamin B3, to improve the blood flow and circulation to the scalp; tetrapeptide, a compound that stimulates hair follicles for thicker, stronger strands; and amino acids for preventing hair breakage and encouraging growth.
Soft & Straight range’s shampoo and conditioner are formulated with hydrolyzed elastin, a protein-based compound that wraps around strands to improve hair resilience, elasticity, and vitality for smooth, glossy, and frizz-free hair. While the Volume & Bouncy duo has Biotin Peptide, a biocompatible protein that nourishes, hydrates, and rejuvenates scalp and strands, allowing for a fresh, clarified scalp and weightless, voluminous, and revitalized hair that’s full of body. On top of all these nourishing ingredients, the products are also made with luxurious fragrances like bergamot, cedarwood, oakmoss, lily, and jasmine.
“These are made with expensive ingredients, and if you smell it, it has a luxurious, fragrant scent. It's the best of the best. I’m hoping that we can slowly change the mindset of the Filipinos to start investing in hair care,” Jacqe added.
The tests and the verdict
To put it on a test, the writer of the story tried the Volume & Bouncy line. Her naturally curly hair is usually sensitive to new products, leading to dry, frizzy hair. But this collection did its job. After one wash, the writer sees the visible result of a fresh and clean scalp and manageable curls. She also went out and rode a motorcycle bike, but the luxurious smell of the products lasted the whole day.
After two days, she again tested the duo. This time she paired it with curling cream and oil from other brands. The refreshed, cleaned scalp was then again visible after washing. But since these were combined with other products, the curls became a bit heavy and dry, unlike the first try.
The verdict? For P799 each, Happy Skin Hair care collection is worthy of being part of one’s hair care routine. But if you’re using it with other styling products, it is advisable to do trials and tests to find which products are most suited with it and with your hair.
The Happy Hair collection is now available in different Happy Skin boutiques and online stores.