It's all good in this skincare line

Good news, skincare junkies: cult-fave brand Good Molecules from San Francisco is now in the Philippines, and at similar affordable prices as you can get them at Beautylish, its mother company that is one of the premier beauty e-tailers in the United States.

“I have always been a beauty addict, and have always searched for the latest trends,” says Audrey Dy, creative and marketing director of Painted Ladies Cosmetics Corporation, which brought Good Molecules here. “I saw Good Molecules and I was so curious about the brand, so I started using it and I loved it. I instantly saw a difference in my skin and I thought, this is exactly what the Philippine market needed.”

Painted Ladies, which carries other global beauty brands like Kimchi Chic and Huxley, partnered with Good Molecules and Beautylish CEO and cofounder Nils Johnson, who Zoomed in for the launch last week.

“When we launched two years ago we had so many customers in the Philippines that were interested in buying and trying our products, but it’s always been difficult for us to ship from the US with customs and the shipping time, so when the Painted Ladies team reached out to us, it was just really great timing,” Johnson said. “Our goal is to keep the prices very accessible, and make sure that the service is high for the customers that do want to try the product, so we’re excited to be partnering.”

As a newcomer to the brand I love the fact that’s fragrance-free and leaves out other irritating ingredients, so Johnson says they can be considered hypoallergenic.  Good Molecules is also never tested on animals, and most of their sustainable packaging is glass or recycled/recyclable plastic.

They’re so transparent they have a “Nothing to Hide” list on the sides of their boxes, listing all the ingredients and their concentrations. They also make no outlandish claims, but promise results within three to four weeks of consistent use. Johnson says they’re constantly tweaking their formulas to come up with better versions, upping quality and efficacy while lowering prices.

How do they keep their prices so fair? “Directly sourced ingredients and we try to keep our packaging fairly similar so that allows us to buy larger quantities,” explains Johnson.

Ninety percent of Good Molecules products are made in beauty mecca Korea, where “we have good labs and good packaging people, so it simplified our manufacturing process,” says Johnson. “The other thing is, Korea is great for texture products. It’s an important part of their customer experience, so for us Korea was just kind of a natural fit.”

For newbies to the brand, Johnson introduced us to the must-have products that Good Molecules is famous for:

Pineapple exfoliating powder

What it is: A physical exfoliant that’s gentle enough to be used daily.

“It doesn’t create any micro tears,” Johnson says.

Key ingredients: Rice and pineapple enzyme powder. “Just by adding water you can change the texture for the level of exfoliation you’re trying to get for your skin.”

Results: A really nice glow and soft skin.

Price: P1,000

Niacinamide serum

What it is: “This is probably one of the most in-demand products that we’ve had in the Philippines and globally for many of our customers,” notes Johnson.

Key ingredient: 10-percent Niacinamide, “a really high concentration level.”

Results: Improves skin texture, pores, and discoloration.

Price: P375

Niacinamide brightening toner

What it is: “If you only try one product, this is a simple one-step that you can use before your serums or moisturizer, and you will definitely see a difference in your skin,” Johnson says.

Key ingredients: Three-percent Niacinamide, vitamin C, arbutin, licorice

Results: Brightens skin, improves texture, pores, lightens acne scars and dark marks, good for “bacne.”

Price: P875

Caffeine energizing hydrogel eye patches

What it is: A quick-fix eye product that boosts the eye area morning or night. “Apply them for 15 or 20 minutes, and that leaves a serum that you can just tap in and work in.”

Key ingredients: Caffeine, acetyl tetrapeptide-5, Niacinamide and aloe barbadensis leaf juice

Results: Reduces puffiness and swelling, softens fine lines and brightens the eye area.

Price: P1,125 for a jar with 30 sets of eye patches

Discoloration correcting serum

What it is: A gentle, non-irritating serum that is one of Good Molecules’ most popular hero products.

Key ingredients: Tranexamic acid and Niacinamide in a natural gum base

Results: Lightens hyperpigmentation and dark marks from post-acne.

Price: P750

Hyaluronic acid serum

What it is: A vegan serum that’s “probably one of our bestsellers, it just melts moisture into your skin,” Johnson says.

Key ingredient:  Hyaluronic acid

Results: Hydrates, fills in fine lines and plumps skin.

Price: P375

Good Molecules is so effective a lot of men use it as well. “The male market for us is actually growing on targeted-concern products like the Discoloration serum, the toner, eye patches, and our Clarify & Cleanse bar is great for bacne,” notes Johnson. “Makeup artists are using our Silicone-Free Priming Moisturizer and our new Yerba Mate Wake Up eye gel as well.”

* * *

Good Molecules is available at BeautyMNL.

Follow the author on Instagram and Facebook @thebeautytraveler_ph.