“I’m done hiding. I’m done being that person na hindi mahal ‘yung sarili niya. Ayoko na.”
This was the bold statement of award-winning actor Christian Bables in an exclusive interview with PUSH ABS-CBN during the launch of his skin care line, Wildskyn.
It cannot be denied that the world of showbiz puts a lot of stock in physical appearances. This pressure was very real for Christian. Depite his many accolades, his own insecurities weighed down on him. He admitted to having many sleepless nights where he would find himself staring at himself in the mirror until early morning and worrying if he was good enough.
This became his norm, until he’d had enough. “I don’t want to die na hindi ko mahal ‘yung sarili ko. So, I took the first step towards achieving that self-love. And I’m glad I did.”
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Wildskyn is Christian’s first foray into the world of entrepreneurship. It was born out of his own personal skin struggles, one that went far deeper than just the surface.
“Mahirap siya kasi parang it feels like hinuhubaran ko ‘yung sarili ko. I’m exposing myself, my vulnerabilities,” he admitted. “Isa ito sa mga bagay na malalim na nakatarak sa heart ko, and me finally facing that and deciding to heal is a big step. Ang laki niyang bagay.”
While he was confident about his abilities as an actor, being an entrepreneur was very far from his comfort zone. “Ang expertise ko ay pag-arte. Wala akong experience pagdating sa business. Hindi siya madali. It’s an excruciating experience, but it’s all worth it.”
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“Parang nangangapa ako sa dilim. I didn’t know anything, I didn’t know anyone. That for me was the lowest point,” he reflected. “‘Yung iba kasi, nag-aaral muna tapos tsaka mo gagawin ‘yung gusto mong business. Ako, sabay ko siyang ginawa. I’m just so blessed with the people around me na hindi naging madamot sa knowledge, kung papaano ko sisimulan at kung paano ko ipagpapatuloy.”
Christian poured all of his time, talent, and treasure into the creation of Wildskyn. “My greatest risk? This. Kasi pinaglaanan ko talaga ng budget, ng pagod, ng effort, ang Wildskyn.”
He was so committed to making it work that he chose to take a step back from his showbiz career for a long stretch of time. “Nag-focus ako sa pag-build ng brand. I know na hindi ako makaka-focus kapag tumanggap ako ng project.”
The newly minted CEO called it a “calculated risk”, but one that was well worth it. “Because I know I’m creating a solution to a problem. This has been my problem and I finally found a solution to the problem. And I’m sure hindi lang ako ang may pinagdadaanan na ganito. Doon pa lang, sigurado na ako. Gusto kong makatulong.”
“My highest point was when I saw everything falling into place,” he added. “This is 4 years in the making, and now, I finally felt na ready na itong ipakita sa mga tao.”
Christian offers Wildskyn to everyone who, like him, struggles to see their own beauty and potential. To them, he says: “We see you. I’ve been there, alam ko kung anong nararamdaman ninyo and I’m here to help you.”
Throughout the launch, Christian talked about how beauty is not just on the surface, about how he wanted to break the traditional beauty standards. So why create a skin care line if the focus is more on what is within?
“I wanted to see confident people,” Christian explained. “More than other people, seeing how good looking you are.. it’s more of the inside e.”
Christian pointed out that looking good is not something we do for other people, but something that we can do for ourselves. “Kapag nag-alaga ka ng sarili mo, you’ll feel good. Mas maprepresent mo ‘yung sarili mo ng mas maayos sa mga tao. Mas mapapakita mo ‘yung potential na kaya mong ibigay.”