The late nights, stress and lack of sleep during those days spent by my father’s hospital bed has left my skin extremely dehydrated and dull. Tiny little pimples that appeared way back have now seemed to have set up shop all around my face. My pores look like you have them under a microscope and nothing I do seem to work anymore. Where’s the miracle in “miracle products” when you need them most?

Off I went to Clarity Aesthetic Center hoping to get myself into a diamond peel session to get my skin cleared up as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there were way more people that woke up early and got there before me than I had anticipated. Frustrated, I left to see if there were other places in the mall that I could go to for my DP session.

Skin 101 Dermatology and Cosmetic Clinic was on the same floor as Clarity at the Market Market Mall.  The facade was a welcoming site and looked similar to how spa receptions would like more so than that of derma clinics. Which is why it beckoned to me. I inquired if they had an available slot for a walk in and they confirmed, yey!

I get whisked off into a common room for my session. A common room is one where there are multiple beds and machines to accommodate multiple clients at the same time. I wasn’t too hesitant because I was the only one in the room but not long after, another client arrived all giddy and chatty and I longed for the peace and quiet of a private room. I really wasn’t in the mood to hear all about how her day was too hectic yada yada yada. I then also realized why they had a sign in the room that said “Pls. don’t leave your valuables unattended”. With all the foot traffic that goes in and out of the room combined with your eyes being closed due to the treatment, you might never notice that your treasured purse is gone.

Skin 101’s diamond peel session is preluded by a glycolic peel. A solution was applied to my face that created a combined sensation of itch and prickling pain, although bearable. After two minutes, the solution was wiped off and the DP session began.

The aesthetician who did the work on my face had quite heavy hands. Either that or she must have figured I had cowhide for skin considering how hard she was scraping the tool on my face. I never experienced that when I had treatment in other skin clinics so I was really not liking it at all. More than once my eyes teared up because of the pain. When it was over, my skin felt raw but also very soft and tender. It was the one thing I was familiar with so it was encouraging. At least I got the correct results.

The price for the DP session was cheaper than I first thought at only Php 1000.00. But I didn’t expect to pay more for the treatment and the service that I got. For my next session, I might have to ask for another aesthetician or maybe just go back to Clarity even if I have to pay a lot more.

Skin 101 Dermatological and Cosmetic Surgery Clinic

Market! Market!
4th Level, Market Market, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
Tel. No.: 8443763 / 9941914

I can’t remember how it is to have lips that are soft and supple but I am sure that sometime in my thirty or so years on this earth, they must have been. Now my memories are filled with dry, cracked and chapped lips. The lipsticks in my makeup kit have been replaced by lip balms and a tub of petroleum jelly and I no longer care if mauve or shell would look good on me.

I would like to say I have become an expert with lip balms since I seem to hold considerable influence in the success of the lip balm manufacturing industry but I am not. I have yet to find the perfect perfect lip balm that I can definitely say will work not only for me, but for everyone like me as well.

Maybe my lips are holding a mutiny because of all the different products I have subjected it to plus all the licking and slobbering (eewww) it has undergone. But I did not have a choice. My lips’ thirst for moisture is harder to curb than my own.

When local stores of Crabtree and Evelyn ran out of their Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera lip balms, I went back to good old reliable Blistex. But my lips were thirsting for more. So I set out to find other products and brands that claim to offer relief for my dehydrated lips. My search led me to an organic range of products that seem to be all the range now.

Leyende, the story of skin.

From the Spanish word leyenda, meaning “legend” or “story,” Leyende is an emerging Filipino brand of handmade, natural and organic bath and body products with a modern, clean-minimalist sensibility.

Mostly sourced internationally, Leyende’s raw ingredients come from organically accredited farms and companies such as Plamil UK, Rain Forest Remedies, Honeybiz Australia Ltd., Agbang Karite Africa, among others. The local ingredients Leyende utilizes are wild Ylang-Ylang essence and infusions from the Ilocos region, organic virgin coconut oil, rosemary extract and lemongrass essence from Gold in Grass Corporation. Equally remarkable is Leyende’s simple, but eye-catching design for its reusable and recycled packaging.

– Courtesy of Leyende.com website

Leyende’s lip balm called Kiss Kiss Balm Balm, is a multi purpose moisturizer that you can use on your lips and cuticles plus use on burns and cuts. It is made of beeswax, calendula extract, sunflower oil and natural plant coloring. It comes in two variants: apple with green tea and froyo - berry yoghurt.

Their lip balms are packaged differently compared to the usual plastic tubes you see in stores. They come in small glass jars with tin covers that look oh so cute! The catch is that it weighs a ton (well not exactly but it does weigh as heavy as it looks), and it is kind of hard to lug it around especially for those who carry oh so tiny purses.

It is not sticky but it is kind of glossy on your lips. This is something that some people do not really like (like my sister), think lip sheen products. As soon as you put it on your lips though, it comes on light unlike most products that sort of sit on top of your lips until it gets wiped off. And because it becomes one with your lips, it lasts a little longer than most products. It also doesn’t encourage licking because it doesn’t exactly taste like its variant name.

My lips are now less dry than they were before just after 2 weeks of use. And because I still cannot shake my bad habit of licking my lips, I am still far from achieving the kind of soft lips that babies are born with. I still recommend this product to everyone looking for the same treatment that I have been searching for. I would add though that you have to think of alternatives to packaging if you don’t want to lug around a small bottle in your bag everyday.

Leyende Products can be purchased:
Online at Leyende.com or Leyende at Multiply or

Visit their branches at:
Crossings Department Store
Shangri-la Mall EDSA
Crossings: The Ramp
2/F Glorietta 3 Makati City
The Reading Room
Shop 32 Cubao Expo Araneta Center, Cubao, QC
EcoMarket
G/F Market! Market! Bonifacio Global City