Olivia Quido-Co started O Skin Med Spa at the back kitchen of a parlor in Artesia, California, USA.
She leased that eight-by-six-feet space in 2003 then moved to a much-bigger area in 2007.
In 2012, she opened her second branch in Eagle Rock Plaza Mall, Los Angeles, then moved her Artesia branch to Cerritos Mall the following year.
After 18 years, her facial business has come a long way, providing livelihood for over 40 people, mostly Filipinas and Latinas.
Ms. O, as she is fondly called, told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) that her journey was not a walk in the park.
When she arrived in the U.S., nursing was her dream path. Together with five of her friends, she applied. But despite being the only one with a college degree, she was the only one rejected by nursing schools.
She mused, “Siguro sabi ni Lord, hindi iyan ang para sa iyo, maghintay ka lang."
She was then living on a meager budget, and saved rent by living in an apartment with 12 people, never mind that there was only one shared restroom.
It got to the point that she was considering flipping burgers just to make ends meet.
But Ms. O knew then that what she wanted was to pursue a career in beauty.
She said, "Eto na talaga pinaka-passion ko. Kasi bata pa lang ako, iyong pera na binibigay sa akin na pambili ng merienda, lotion ang binibili ko. Or lipstick ng mama ko, kinukuha ko.
"Gusto ko iyong mga nagpapaganda. Ayaw kong umaalis ng bahay na hindi nakaayos."
Working at a salon was not easy, and she was tempted many times to give up.
She recalled, "Gusto ko nang mag-aral ng nursing kasi walang nangyayari. Imagine, 12 hours ka na nakaupo doon, isa lang magpapa-facial."
When Ms. O shifted her focus from pampaganda sa sarili to making others look and feel beautiful, she found her life-long purpose as a California-licensed esthetician.
Even her eyes were smiling when she revealed that one of her products—Secret Gold 24K Mask—got included on the list of "Effective Gold-Infused skincare products," an article published on Forbes.
Last year, her skin-care label became one of Miss Universe and Miss USA's brand partners, and Ms. O was chosen by the Miss Universe Chile pageant as one of its judges.
In a Zoom videocon, PEP.ph learned a thing or two about skin care.
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO CLEAR SKIN?
Her go-to product when preparing for interviews is a blemish eraser. Its properties include exfoliation of dead skin and dry skin, or libag, so that when make-up is applied, "Makintab, glassy skin na."
Ms. O believes it is crucial to exfoliate to keep the face is clean.
She explained to PEP.ph, "Kaya nawawala ang glow ng isang tao kasi maraming makapal na dead skin, or superficial top layer ng epidermis ang madumi. Kaya kailangan muna i-exfoliate iyong unang layer na iyon."
Then, and only then, she said, can products like cream, essence, and oil be layered on top, "Diyan lang mas kikintab iyong balat."
What are the top two skin problems?
Ms. O revealed, "Dalawa ang paulit-ulit sa mga 10 problems, eto lang talaga. Most of the clients, eighty to eighty-five percent, dalawa lang ang problema: may taghiyawat or may itim sa mukha. Iyon lang."
Knowing this, she came up with a product addressing these two problems.
"Naghanap ako ng isang formula na makaka-treat niyang dalawa. FDA approved. Dumaan sa butas ng karayom. Siya iyong isang prescription product owned by a Filipino sa America.
"It is a prescription product na inilalagay sa face para matanggal ang taghiyawat at itim sa mukha. Gumawa ako ng magic product para sa dalawang iyan."
It is called the F&F, short for the OLIVIA QUIDO FIRM & FADE II Cream, which both firms up the face and gets rid of the skin discoloration.
The Pinay esthetician is proud that F&F has an NDC (National Drug Code) number, a unique 10-digit or 11-digit, three-segment number, and a universal product identifier for human drugs in the United States. It identifies the labeler, the product, and the commercial package size.
Ms. O said, "Hindi nakukuha iyan basta-basta. Sa lahat ng ginawa ko, eto iyong number na pinakamahirap makuha. Doctor lang ang puwede magbenta nito sa America."
She and her team worked on securing the NDC for 14 months. She recalled, "2018 pa lang inaasikaso ko na ito. Hindi ko na alam if may pag-asang lumabas kasi parang butas ng karayom dadaanan mo dito, e."
With the approval, Ms. O can sell the product to other doctors as well. As required by U.S. laws, the product comes with a comprehensive insert detailing its chemistry, usage, dosage, contraindications, ingredients, and more.
The F&F's NDC number came out right before the March 2020 global lockdown, allowing Ms. O to sell the product even as the spas stayed closed for six months.
DOES A SKIN-CARE ROUTINE REQUIRE TEN STEPS?
Unlike the famous Korean 10-step skin-care routine, Ms. O said the product matters more than the number of steps.
Her brief explanation: "Very important ang every step kasi may potency sa mga ingredients. Di puwede halo-halo si pampaputi, whitening moisturizer 'tapos may oil, cream, so dapat separate bawat step."
It is practical to look for products with multiple uses and "sobrang effective."
F&F, for example, "Pag ginamit mo ito, tanggal na libag, so lahat ng eight-step na ilalagay mo, sobrang effective, ganda na skin mo. Bidang-bida, pag nilagay mo ito, literally booster, gaganda talaga mukha mo in just as little as two weeks, parang bata ang mukha mo."
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