About

During my teen years, I always get complimented for having great skin and I never had acne problems until my early to mid twenties. This was the time I started working and earning on my own. I bought skin care products from all over the world, trying them out because the claims and beautiful packaging convinced me. One day I woke up and realized that I already had a severe case of comedonal acne on my forehead. Horrified, I immediately I went to one skin clinic to another to seek medical advice and have my pimples and comedones extracted but they kept on coming back. I tried all sorts of topical treatments, peels and creams but it barely did anything for me. I was starting to get depressed with my confidence diminishing day by day.

More than a year has passed, I already spent a lot of time and money but had no results. I desperately took my phone and started researching intensely about skin care. I studied one ingredient after another because I know my confidence depended on it. I learned about different skin types and it turned out that I have sensitive skin. I then discovered that most of the ingredients suited for my skin are found in select Kbeauty products. This was the time when Kbeauty was not widespread in the Philippines yet. So I only started buying Korean brands. Before purchasing, I go through the ingredients list to check. If I found one ingredient that is off, I would not buy it, even when there are thousands of 5-star reviews, I know from experience what works for me and what doesn’t.

Finally, my skin went back to how it used to be. My skin barrier was restored, acne and comedones gone. I started getting a lot of compliments and in an instant, my confidence was back! People close to me, those who saw my journey, started asking for advice. They began to use whatever I was using, they followed my skin care routine and got the same results, they even encouraged me to start a dedicated Instagram account and YouTube channel so I can share my journey and help more people feel better about themselves. I was not able to sustain this though because at that time, I was working full time and studying for my MBA as well.

I started my MBA at the University of Illinois in May 2020 and I could say that it was one of the best investments I made for myself. Along with my passion for skin care, I now have deep interest in finance, entrepreneurship and macroeconomics. The reason why I wanted to get an MBA at first was because I wanted to go high up in to the ranks of corporate. While studying, I realized that I wanted to be an entrepreneur more than I wanted to be an employee. When I was younger I’ve always dreamed about starting my own business, but I don’t know how and where to start. Studying business gave me the blueprint. I remember having this Creativity class where they tasked us to make a business pitch about hiring. So I made a hiring video about my future brand. Back then I wanted to name it Gleam Skin. But there are already brands and accounts that are named the same. So I took time thinking and researching until I came up with the name “Glowkeeper” so people can “Keep that Glow”. It just clicked for me and the rest is history.

I wanted a skin care brand that has strong values. One that encourages consumers to appreciate their uniqueness whatever the race and skin color. In the Philippines, where I am from, there’s always the mentality that whiter skin is more beautiful, and it’s a bias that calls for change. I personally was conditioned the same growing up until I realized that having brown skin is equally beautiful. Additionally, I wanted to be a brand that inspires others to pursue their dreams and never give up. I’ve always imagined my skin care products to be something that people trust because of high quality ingredients. Something that is sustainable in terms of price and environmental impact. Something that is simple to use and easy to understand. Something people with sensitive skin can use every single day to maintain clear, healthy, and glowing skin.