Barely a year into launching cosmetic line Happy Skin, founders Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo are basking in the overwhelming positive feedback they have received about their products.

The continuous praise from fans has made the two women more determined to roll out more rave-worthy beauty products. The latest addition to their foundation line, the ZZ Cream, shows signs of becoming a cult product as well.

Chief issue

Jacqe, who draws her experience from working with Unilever’s strong skincare arsenal, shares what has long been the chief issue of women around the world. “It’s still pimples,” she says. “It’s the No. 1 problem and for women to cover up zits with so much makeup is not safe; it’ll aggravate the problem.” A quick analysis of the market showed that while there are tons of cleansers, moisturizers and treatments geared toward acne eradication, there are few makeup products that seek to conceal zits while treating them at the same time.

“We were inspired to create a base that targets pimples,” says Rissa. Because their makeup base is formulated in Japan, the exacting Japanese engineers behind the formulation took a while to develop a product that met Happy Skin’s equally rigorous standards.

The result, which Happy Skin calls “ZZ Cream,” short for zit-zapper, is the latest double-letter makeup base to join its Second Skin line. The letters “ZZ,” while referring to zit-zapping, are also a cheeky take on the progression of BB Creams to CC Creams. “Nothing will be better than this because we made it first to the end of the alphabet,” quips Rissa.

Dermatologist  Raissa Pasion, who was at the launch of the ZZ Cream, says that about 80 percent of the patients she treats all come in because of acne. “It’s a very serious problem; bad acne can affect self-esteem and cause social anxiety among teens and adults,” she says.

While “old-school” dermatologists would recommend acne sufferers to eschew makeup altogether while undergoing acne treatment, that advice is now unrealistic, especially in today’s selfie-obsessed era. “It takes three to four months to treat acne—you can’t have patients not wear makeup for that long. It’s important to look for makeup that covers up acne but also contains something to treat it,” says Dr. Pasion.

Usual suspects

According to Dr. Pasion, the causes of acne are still the usual suspects: genetics, clogged pores due to increased oil production and trapped bacteria,  and stress (high levels of stress

increase cortisol production, which stimulates oil glands). Some new possible acne triggers include diet—studies have shown that a diet high in lactose, sugar and dairy could aggravate acne. And yes, the wrong type of makeup can also trigger acne.

Happy Skin’s ZZ Cream, which contains grapefruit and yogurt extract to help soothe inflamed skin, also lists salicylic acid—a longtime acne-fighting staple—as its chief acne-fighting ingredient. “Salicylic acid helps exfoliate skin and it also has an anti-inflammatory action to it,” says Dr. Pasion. The grapefruit extract has antioxidant properties while the yogurt’s lactic acid content helps lighten acne scars.

The yellow-based, self-adjusting makeup base is also oil-free, non-comedogenic (does not clog pores) and silicone-free. “Silicone-based products help fill out lines, but they can also aggravate acne,” says Dr. Pasion.

Aside from the ZZ Cream, the brand also launched three new shades—Honeymoon Glow, Just Say Yes, and Playing Footsie—to its moisturizing lip color line, which is a fast favorite among Happy Skin fans.

To know more about Happy Skin, log on to www.happyskincosmetics.com. Happy Skin is also available at Beauty Bar, Rustan’s, and Plains and Prints. Follow Happy Skin on Instagram and Twitter: @happyskin_ph.