What It Actually Takes to Keep Skin Healthy in the Philippines, Day to Day

By now, it should be clear that healthy skin was never about chasing a look. It’s about function, resilience, and learning what habits keep it that way—not something viral or tagged as something that happens overnight. 

So, we went back to the same five board-certified dermatologists—Aivee Aguilar-Teo, MD, Vicki Belo, MD, Raissa Francisco-Pasion, MD, FPDS, Jasmin Jamora, MD, FPDS, and Francesca Sumilang Sy-Alvarado, MD—to ask the most practical question of all: what does it actually take, day to day, to keep skin healthy in the Philippines?

What daily habits actually keep Filipino skin healthy?

Strip away the branded steps, trending ingredients, and viral products, and stick with the ones you already know. The dermatologists wholeheartedly agree: consistency with the basics beats trends and virality. 

Dr. Raissa Francisco-Pasion is the most direct about it: “Long-term skin health usually comes down to doing the basics consistently.” These include sun protection, a gentle skin care routine, regular moisturizing, sleep, diet, exercise, and not smoking. Another detail she adds is this: don’t underestimate stress.

“Chronic stress doesn’t just affect how you feel—it can worsen acne, eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, and even slow wound healing. Sometimes managing stress is just as important as the products you’re putting on your skin,” she explained. 

Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo echoes the same sentiment. “Consistency with the fundamentals: gentle cleansing, adequate hydration inside and out, a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, quality sleep, and stress management.” These, she says, build a strong foundation that’s far more effective than chasing the latest skin care trends. 

Dr. Vicki Belo goes straight to her biggest non-negotiable: sunscreen. “[A] Sunscreen a day, keeps the wrinkles away,” she said. She even shared her skin care routine in the morning: “My simplest skincare routine in the morning is vitamin C, an alpha hydroxy acid to remove dead skin, and sunscreen. In the evening, you can use tretinoin and hyaluronic acid.”

Dr. Francesca Sumilang Sy-Alvarado also keeps it to three simple steps: gentle cleansing, consistent moisturizer, and “religious” sun protection. Apart from that, she said, “avoidance of environmental stressors and inflammation, such as a balanced diet, sleep, and lifestyle,” also helps maintain healthy skin. 

From these dermatologists, the pattern is clear: nothing is too complicated; just a simple routine, repeated daily, will help maintain your skin’s health without fail. 

The importance of SPF in achieving healthy skin

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Every dermatologist places sunscreen at the top of their list—not just as something that’s “nice to have,” but as the non-negotiable everyone shouldn’t skip. 

Dr. Francisco Pasion makes her explanation quite clinical: “UV radiation penetrates the skin and damages the DNA inside our skin cells. Over time, this cumulative DNA damage contributes to collagen breakdown, pigmentation, premature aging, and mutations that can eventually lead to skin cancer,” she explains. “UV exposure also weakens the skin’s immune system and worsens conditions that we commonly see in Filipino patients, like melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.”

Dr. Jasmin Jamora gets right down to the specifics: “If you’re just indoors or you’re commuting to the office, SPF 30 is fine. But when you’re out in the sun, SPF 50 or higher generally would be okay.” She also details how often you should reapply it—30 minutes before you go out, reapply every two hours, and if you swim, once every hour. 

Dr. Sy-Alvarado adds a statistic that reframes its importance: “Just 5 blistering sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma—a life-threatening skin cancer—and significantly increases your risk for other cancers.”

Dr. Belo rounds it out with a mechanism that people miss—”Sunscreen is only a barrier to UVA, UVB, and ultraviolet rays; it’s not a heat barrier.” For this reason, she also recommends antioxidants like vitamin C to fight the free radicals that sun exposure generates. 

Dr. Aguilar-Teo ends the conversation, saying that sunscreen and sun protection are essential to our climate. “In our sunny Philippine climate, daily broad-spectrum sunscreen is non-negotiable for preventing premature aging, dark spots, and maintaining skin health. Prevention is always better than correction.”

The simple, must-know routine for healthy skin 

A simple routine doesn’t have 10 or more steps—it only has three or four. 

Dr. Francisco-Pasion lays the foundation plainly: a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer that suits your skin type, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning. For more specific concerns, she says, “Everything else should be based on what your skin actually needs. If you have acne, pigmentation, rosacea, or signs of photoaging, then we can add evidence-based ingredients like retinoids, vitamin C, niacinamide, or azelaic acid.”

Dr. Aguilar-Teo’s version is identical, but everything should be kept minimal to not overwhelm the skin barrier. 

On Dr. Jamora’s end, she emphasizes the words “gentle” and “fragrance-free.” “Always start with a gentle cleanser. So, unless you’re super oily, I would recommend that you use something very simple and mild. Fragrance-free. Try to avoid yung ma-exfoliating, with the beads,” she said. 

Dr. Belo’s routine includes a technique that’s become more popular: double-cleansing. “You need a cleansing oil; massage it gently for at least 2 minutes to completely remove all the make-up and wipe it off,” she explains. “It’s important to have enough contact time between face and the product. After you emulsify and wash the oil off, you use a facial cleanser that will really remove the deeper dirt. Because the deep-seated dirt cannot go out unless you remove the superficial dirt.”

She also says it’s important to pat your skin dry—not scrub it—because its abrasiveness can be damaging to your skin.

Dr. Sy-Alvarado adds a small but specific habit to have: “Moisturize immediately after bathing while the skin is still damp to seal in water, and daily sun protection with sunscreen, sun-protecting physical gear like UPF clothing and hats, and avoidance of unnecessary prolonged sun exposure.”

The non-negotiable step Filipinos shouldn’t skip

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The resounding answer: sunscreen. The theme always circles back to sun protection, and we definitely understand why—the Philippine climate has sunshine almost all year round, and we need protection to keep our skin from getting damaged. 

Dr. Francisco-Pasion says it plainly: “We live in a country with high UV exposure all year, and our skin is particularly prone to pigmentation. Wearing sunscreen consistently does more for long-term skin health than most people realize.”

Dr. Sy-Alvarado adds a bit of a myth correction that most people should hear: “The saying ‘melanin don’t raisin’ doesn’t necessarily hold truth in it—melanin only holds an inherent sun protection factor (SPF) between 7 and 13. You still need to wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ for daily use and SPF 50+ when under direct and prolonged sun exposure.”

Dr. Aguilar-Teo frames her take on this specifically in our climate. “Definitely daily sun protection tailored to our tropical climate, using products suited to humid conditions and our skin’s tendency toward pigmentation.” She also adds that constant hydration and barrier repair are important to keeping the skin healthy, along with avoiding harsh treatments that disrupt balance.

Dr. Jamora also says it directly: sun protection, and see a board-certified dermatologist—a point she returns to more than once when we saw her at the recent Galderma Skin Awareness Month event. 

What’s one important piece of advice for people caring for their skin?

Each dermatologist takes care in wording their advice for their patients. Here, their advice gets personal—moving beyond product routines entirely and placing focus on what’s important: listening to your body. 

Dr. Francisco-Pasion’s advice doubles as the thesis that ties this article to the previous two. “Listen to your skin before you listen to every skincare trend.” She reminds readers that skin is meant to change as well. 

“Your skin isn’t meant to look or behave the same every day. It changes with age, hormones, stress, sleep, the weather, and even illness. Instead of chasing every viral ingredient or ten-step routine, learn to understand what your skin needs,” she said. 

Dr. Jamora’s approach is more holistic. “The first thing is to start inside so that it reflects on the outside. Because you can see if somebody’s sick when their skin is dull, when their color is a bit gray or ashy. So, we start from the inside.”

She says, “Sleep seven to eight hours a day. Eat a healthy diet—whole grains, whole foods. Try to avoid processed foods. Avoid stress. Get enough exercise. Drink a lot of water—two to three liters a day.” It may sound basic, but it’s what helps maintain a healthy-looking complexion day in, day out.

Dr. Belo focuses more on the inside. “Taking care of your skin also means taking care of your mind and heart. A positive outlook, kindness, and compassion have a way of showing on your face. Take care of your skin, but never forget to smile.”

Dr. Aguilar-Teo’s advice is patience. “Be patient and kind to your skin. Listen to it, stay consistent with evidence-based care, and focus on long-term health rather than quick fixes. True beauty comes from confidence and taking care of yourself holistically—inside and out.”

As it turns out, and the dermatologists agree, the routine for keeping your skin healthy doesn’t need too many steps, products, treatments, or anything complicated. What matters is that you show up daily, without forgetting the most important thing—sunscreen. 

And maybe that’s the real takeaway of this three-part article series: healthy skin isn’t a look you achieve through viral products and trending skin care ingredients; it’s a habit you keep.