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Jan Milo Severo - Philstar.com
April 8, 2025 | 4:01pm
Hikari chief executive officer Ralph Lim and president Michael Almazan
Philstar.com / Jan Milo Severo
MANILA, Philippines — A local skincare brand calls for Filipinos to support local skincare labels.
In an interview with Philstar.com, Hikari Chief Executive Officer Ralph Lim said that South Korea was not the center of skincare before, but they are now because of the support of the locals.
“Hindi naman sila nagsimula as a center of skincare but they made it aware for their community na kailangan ng skincare because we need it. So ayon sana ang vision natin sa mga kababayan natin,” Lim said.
“I think it’s time na mag-standout talaga yung mga Filipino brand. Kasi kaya natin e. Hindi lang natin sinusuportahan yung sariling atin. Kaya ang Hikari, in no time, makikita na natin ang presence sa Dubai, Southeast Asia, maraming bansa pa na winowork on ngayon. Proud Filipino,” added president Michael Almazan.
When asked how many times a day one should put on sunscreen, Lim said, three to four times even if a person is inside the house.
“Bakit need pa rin kahit nasa bahay? Because we’re using gadgets. For all we know, it also harms our skin na nakatutok tayo sa laptop, sa cellphone,” Lim said.
“All the more 'pag lalabas tayo because of the UV (ultraviolet) rays, climate change na hindi na rin tayo, (kaya dapat) sure na well-protected tayo 'pag lalabas ng bahay kahit makulimlim. So we need protection,” he added.
Founded amid the challenges of the 2020 pandemic, Beauty&U (now Hikari Skin Essentials) was borne out of a vision to make skincare safe, affordable and accessible for everyone.
Co-founded by Lim and Almazan, the brand was driven by Lim's personal struggle with acne and his belief that self-care should never be a luxury.
Together, they aimed to create a brand that not only aims to transform skincare, but also empower individuals to feel confident in their own skin.
Launched in September 2020 with just three core products, Beauty&U now boasts of 28 products, including Glutathione with Oral Sunblock Technology.
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