Whether it’s through her impressive array of FDA and SGS-tested products, or the many resellers and small business owners whose lives have changed for the better through her business, Juju Glow founder and CEO Acee Sayson-Paita proves that beauty is definitely more than skin-deep.
By Kenn Anthony Mendoza
Photography by Mark Chester Ang, assisted by Maru Arguelles
Juju Glow is basking in the “glow” of its success — earning raves among satisfied customers who rely on its skincare products, as well as food and drink supplements, to complete their respective beauty regimens.
The brand has even cemented itself as one of the most talked about beauty products in social media, especially on TikTok, where posts with the hashtag #freshiescollagendrinks has been viewed more than 240 million times as of this writing. Leveraging its social media popularity,
Juju Glow has sold three million products — an impressive feat given it was only established in 2021.
Behind these stellar number is Juju Glow’s millennial founder and CEO Acee Sayson-Paita, whose previous business focused on events management, when she was 19. Even as a teenager, she had seen the potential of introducing Korean-inspired beauty and skincare must-haves to the local market, at an affordable price.
Acee later decided to circle back to her original interests and start her own beauty brand of quality, locally produced products. “Our next business, which focused on packaging, was booming, but we wanted to start our own brand from scratch,” she said. “In our previous business, we would cater to different brand owners and study how we could help them address their needs. This time, it was different. This time, we would be producing and selling ours.”
Research and development then ensued in 2019. Acee’s husband, Carlo, who is also the company’s chief operating officer, christened their brainchild “juju,” which, to them, loosely translates to the “energy or vibe any person exudes or creates” to capture the brand’s playful personality.
While the brand was slated to launch within the same year, Acee and Carlo, who believe that product testing is of utmost importance in this kind of business, decided to push back the launch after learning she was pregnant.
“I wanted to test the products, not just in a laboratory, but also use them personally. However, I couldn’t do that while I was pregnant, or even immediately after I had given birth since I was still breastfeeding,” says Acee in a mix of Filipino and English.
Before you launch a beauty or skincare product, you have to try it first. Acee could have asked her staff to try the products themselves to see how safe and effective they were. But the hands-on leader that she was, she wanted to be one of the first people to test their quality and efficacy herself.
“As a beauty and skincare enthusiast, I wasn’t afraid to try them myself,” she adds with a laugh. “But I was afraid of any likely effects they may have on my unborn child.” So, she and Carlo had to delay the fledgling company’s timetable by several years. Finally, after thoroughly testing the products herself, soon after she was done with childbirth and breastfeeding, Acee was very happy with the results. They lost no time having them manufactured, packaged and distributed. In 2021, Juju Glow was born.
Beauty is a science
“Our products undergo a rigorous and lengthy process — formulation, development, trial and evaluation by our own R&D team,” says Acee. “Our claims, which are backed up by the same R&D team, have basis.” The couple followed a process that took them almost three years starting in 2018, before they were finally able to start manufacturing and selling any product.
Proving her deft hand at marketing, Acee also makes sure that the brand continuously adapts to the current landscape, further underscoring the importance of keeping a watchful eye on the market. “We develop products based on gaps that we identify in the market, as well as the demand for such products.”
For example, she saw an opportunity to develop the Freshies Collagen Avocado Drink when she observed that people who loved drinking milk tea were having difficulty finding healthier alternatives to satisfy their cravings. “It’s really difficult to switch to a low-carbohydrate diet,” Acee observes. “So we came up with a lifestyle intervention-friendly drink that retains the sweet flavor without the extra calories.”
Acee then enumerates a myriad of benefits on how the collagen drink can improve the body, especially the skin. “It makes your skin firm and more elastic. It also helps you relax before you go to sleep. And when you have better sleep, your immune system is strengthened. The collagen drink also has oral sunblock technology to protect the skin from UV rays.”
The drink has since emerged as one of the top-rated beverages on TikTok. “Moreover, our Avocado Drinks are SGS-certified (General Society of Surveillance-certified),” she says. This seal of approval, Acee declares, is a testament to the quality of Juju’s products.
Juju Glow also tapped actress Jane de Leon, who recently played Darna, as the drink’s brand ambassador. According to a news report, Carlo and Acee were convinced to tap Jane after seeing for themselves her youthful, strong and healthy glow. Juju Glow’s other products include Collagen Ice Cream Mask and Cloud Soap, among others.
The couple is currently working on the SGS-certification of their collagen treatment as well as other future supplements.
Shared success
Excellent products aside, Acee also believes that Juju Glow’s tremendous growth stems from the grit and passion of its distributors — the lifeline of the company.
“Every time I feel tired or uninspired, I try to think of our distributors because they rely on us. I always think that their earnings depend on us,” Acee shares. “Even their families are enough to keep us motivated to do better.”
Of all the businesses they have handled, Acee reveals Juju Glow was the most profitable because it carries their good intentions, which is primarily to uplift the lives of the people around them.
She then narrates stories about how Juju Glow has helped change the lives of their business partners.
That’s because Acee and Carlo also empower their resellers and distributors by sharing marketing tips and strategies that would lead them to success. Her eyes light up when she tells PeopleAsia stories of a former housewife who now makes a living selling their products and another distributor who was able to buy a car last June and is planning to buy a house next year, after finding new opportunities as a reseller.
“We don’t want to keep the success to ourselves,” she says. “Our distributors are part of our success, too. We are happy to see how their lives have changed for the better. That is our greatest achievement.”
Recently, Juju Glow rewarded its 12 top-earning distributors handsomely, gifting each of them a fully paid car. Last year, the company also handed out iPhones and MacBooks as a token of appreciation for the brand’s top performers.
Not slowing down
The continuous rise of Juju Glow shows no signs of slowing down. And Acee is determined to make Juju Glow the next big player in the world of skincare, wellness and beauty by launching more products in the future.
“Trust is the cornerstone of our brand,” Acee says. “But we’re capitalizing on its success to keep the momentum going. We want to be known not only for our proven and tested products but also as the wellness brand that financially empowered Filipinos.”
Now that’s success that goes beyond skin-deep.
Art direction by Dexter Francis De Vera
Makeup by Mariah Santos
Hair by Valerie Repato Cruz
Styling by Cathleen Joyce Sobrevega, Jem Arboleda and Angel Zamora
