This mother-daughter team dreams of putting the Philippines on the beauty map with pili oil. And they’ve already started making their dream a reality, one product line at a time, with Pili Ani.
By Maan D’Asis Pamaran
When Filipinos hear the word pili, the default image in their heads is that of the elliptical-shaped nut used to make sweet delicacies that are popular pasalubong (treats) items from the Bicol region. But that perception is slowly changing since a mother-and-daughter tandem started setting out to introduce pili as a valuable and effective raw ingredient for the beauty industry.
After years of carefully studying and testing on the unique properties of pili oil and its sap derivative called elemi resin, Rosalina Tan and daughter Mary Jane Ong established and later launched Filipino beauty and wellness brand Pili Ani in 2016. In a few short years, it has already captured the interest of the local and international market with its line of essential oils, cleansing products, skincare solutions and even cosmetics.
Pili Ani started out as a way of supporting the livelihood of farmers in Bicol. Rosalina, an organic farming advocate, recalls receiving bottles of pili oil during her trips to the region.
“When I was on one of my organic farming seminars, a farmer approached me to sell his pili oil. Not one to turn him down, I purchased it from him. During my next trips to the area, more farmers started approaching me to sell the oil that they had extracted from the pulp of the pili nut. Soon enough, I was able to fill up an entire bodega (warehouse) that my daughter was using for her beverage-distribution business with bottles of pili oil.”
Natural beauty
Rosalina says that her advocacy to promote pili grew when she found out that the pulp was being thrown into the rivers after the nut is extracted. “The pulp is actually edible. They blanche it and dip it in condiments. However, it ferments easily. So, the raw pulp that they do not consume ends up being thrown out and this ends up polluting the water. As an advocate for organic farming and the environment, I believe in reducing waste. So, I wanted to find a way to utilize these byproducts.”
She also learned that the raw pili oil that is produced in farmers’ backyards were used as a home remedy for itchy skin and as a massage oil. This gave her the idea to further look into the oil and elemi’s properties with the help of the Department of Science and Technology.
“What we found out was that the oil is comparable to olive oil, as it is rich in antioxidants and has intense moisturizing properties, and the elemi, which is tapped from the bark of the pili tree, naturally contains antibacterial and firming properties,” says Rosalina.
Pili oil protects and helps heal various layers of the skin. Easily absorbed, it penetrates deep into the skin to lock in moisture without that typical greasy feel. It also protects your skin from free radicals and pollutants that cause aging, and can even repair and reverse existing skin damage. Because of its skin-firming properties, an international luxury brand has already been using elemi as a key ingredient in one of its anti-aging creams.
Rosalina’s findings further ignited her enthusiasm. Before long, she started giving out samples of processed pili oil to friends and joining trade shows to generate public interest in the oil.
A Frenchman who visited her booth brought some samples to be tested in France and the findings reinforced what the local labs earlier found out. That was when she finally knew that she had a good product that was ripe with potential. Soon enough, her daughter, Mary Jane, got involved in developing the products.
“My mom’s first brand was called Naturale Wellness. The inquiries that we received were very encouraging,” she shares.
Before expanding the fledgling business’ product line, Mary Jane, a Communication Arts graduate with ample experience in business and marketing, spearheaded further product testing, packaging and rebranding. Pili Ani, from the words pili and ani (chosen harvest) was born.
“The new name,” says Mary Jane, “is a reflection of our pride in creating a brand that’s 100 percent Filipino.”
Beauty standards
Fast forward to 2024, Pili Ani now has an extensive line of beauty and wellness products that include their best-selling Self-Care Night Recovery Oil, Natural Radiance Facial Moisturizer Cream, Gentle Facial Cleanser, Moisturizing Tinted Pili Lip Butter and Deep Detox Volcanic Exfoliating Mask.
Their latest product is a combination of Cleansing Butter and Cleansing Oil that promises to gently cleanse and melt away stubborn makeup. “I personally try out our products before we launch each of them to make sure they are effective and safe. We are also very strict when it comes to quality, from sourcing our raw materials all the way to manufacturing and distribution,” says Mary Jane.
All their products are FDA and USFDA approved. The brand also has a certification from PETA, as its products are not tested on animals. They are also safe for those with nut allergies since no nuts are directly used in the production. To ensure safety and quality, they process the oil and elemi themselves.
“We have found a market consisting of local and international customers who are really looking for safe and natural products that are also effective. They also place importance on sustainable packaging, so we are going to launch our refills soon. All Pili Ani products are manufactured locally, so we help provide income opportunities for other Filipinos aside from our pili farmers in Bicol. Other local materials that we source include sampaguita fragrance and virgin coconut oil,” Mary Jane adds.
Sustainable and global
The company believes in “sustainability and circularity,” says Rosalina. The pili tree, which is endemic in the Philippines, is known as the “tree of love,” because as the seed sprouts on the ground, it bursts into the shape of a heart. Fueled by their passion for their products, the two founders have been supporting around 200 farmers in Bicol, who are taught how to grow, care and properly utilize the pili tree.
To meet the volume demanded by the international beauty market, farmers, who were being paid a pittance for their harvest, tended to over tap the pili trees. That has started to change, thanks to Pili Ani.
“In contrast, we purchase oils and elemi from them at fair market prices because we see them as our partners in growth,” says Mary Jane.
Both Rosalina and Mary Jane have likewise led in the planting of 2,000 pili trees, which they hope would support their vision of positioning Pili Ani as a household beauty and wellness brand locally and abroad.
Mary Jane shares, “Morocco is known for its argan oil. We want the Philippines to be known for pili oil. It’s only us who has this in the entire world. We are proud to put ‘Made in the Philippines’ in our packaging, and we want to be known for local products that are recognized globally.”
Photography by Stela Young/ Art direction by Dexter Francis De Vera
