No-filter beauty Marian Rivera is the face of Hana

MANILA, Philippines - Nature sure has a way of repairing itself. It has always showed us the power of sustainability, the ability to heal, and come back to its inherent beauty. Japanese hair care label Shokubutsu Hana was founded on this same spirit — that nature can go head-to-head with science’s latest innovations and offer promising results even for the most distressed tresses.

“We believe in taking care of your hair over time, just the way nature intended it to be. Just like when a tree is cut down, it’s not going to grow overnight. Hair, in the same sense, takes time to replenish,” explained Shokubutsu Hana brand manager Norman Mier, in a nutshell, on the brand’s core value. “If you take care of your hair naturally, it’s more sustainable in the long run. We’re not about the quick fix, we’re about sustainability. That’s why we call it healthy beauty,“ Mier added.

The Japanese brand, led by its parent company Peerless Lion, entered the Philippine market guided by the same philosophy. Doing away with traditional marketing, like monolithic billboards or distracting print posters that add to the visual clutter and waste, Hana, instead, opted, for a campaign that helps clean the environment.

“It’s not just about promoting the product. As written in our packaging, we have 100 percent natural cleansing ingredients. We don’t only want to offer that but also imbibe it,” Mier said of the brand’s breakthrough “River Cleaning Billboard,” an initiative that puts the brand’s name and message spelled in natural vetiver grass floating in key parts of the Pasig River. It not only looks Instagram-interesting, but also does wonders in purifying the heavily-polluted Metro bloodline. “Hopefully, moving forward in the future, this wouldn’t be the only way we could give back to the environment. We’re also looking at different ways as well,” Mier posited on a positive note.

One “different way” was unveiling its first and only celebrity endorser, Marian Rivera. “We believe Marian Rivera is a perfect fit for the brand mainly because, as many people know and see, Marian is naturally beautiful. Our brand pushes for healthy, natural, beautiful hair, and we believe Marian Rivera exemplifies that,” Mier explained.

The Spanish-Filipina beauty with a fiery Caviteña spirit, Marian is a fixture in primetime soaps and tear-jerker films. She was mermaid, a tribal princess, a super heroine, a sultry Latina reincarnation, a perennial chart-topper as the country’s sexiest, and a variety show host. Soon she will have the lead role in her own dance anthology.

“First of all, it’s really heartwarming that Hana tapped me as its first celebrity endorser. And before I accepted the endorsement, I tried the products for myself. I don’t want to get endorsements of products that I don’t normally use, since I don’t want to be caught unaware whenever the press asks how the product is, or if it’s effective. So, when I tried it, I realized that there’s no reason for me not to accept the endorsement, because I think that Hana is perfect,” Marian Rivera said.

Marian Rivera is no stranger to the petty spats and quarrels that come with being in showbuz, but she takes on all these with just a whip of her hair. “For Hana, what you see is what you get. I’m like that as well. I’m a very transparent person. No pretensions. Hana gives what it promises for your hair, and I’m like that as well. I give you the answer that you actually want from me. It’s all about me being true to myself, and loving myself,” Marian served it straight, with no frills. And with that, it was easy to assume that when Hana calls her a “natural beauty,” this means meant inside and out, from root to tip.

“The best thing about Hana is their mantra, “No Filter Beauty.” I could honestly take pride in the fact that all the commercials and the pictures that you see are done without edit. I’m flattered that Hana considers me as a natural beauty. Being appreciated by others does a lot for a woman, and Hana did it for me,” Marian shared.

As evidenced by her rosy skin, dewy eyes and a constant dimpled smile, Marian Rivera is indeed in her element these days. “I believe that if a woman has beautiful hair, everything follows. Isn’t it that when you have a bad hair day, you feel unconfident? You want to tie your hair. But when you use Hana, you exude femininity, it adds to the self-esteem and adds to the beauty of a woman. Love, family, work, if you sum up all these, and everything is good vibes, then, your aura will be ultimately beautiful,” she shared. 

In opting for the barest essentials in beauty, one that is chemical-free and organically effective is your best bet. This especially rings true if your hair is your greatest weapon. “Hair really does a great deal for a woman. I could honestly say that even without make-up, as long as your hair is beautiful, you are beautiful. Hana does a great job in keeping a woman beautiful,” she said.

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Shokubutsu Hana Shampoo is available in all leading drugstores and supermarkets nationwide, in three variants: Smooth & Silky, Anti-Hairfall, and Anti-Dandruff.  Also available are Shokubutsu Hana Conditioner, Body Wash, and Hand Wash.