Getting Unready with Kathryn Bernardo: On Sharing Her Love for Her Skin and Breaking Beauty Stereotypes

What does a twentysomething award-winning actress and CEO do for self-care? For Kathryn Bernardo, the process is incredibly simple, as well as relatable for many people, which makes her all the more endearing to her fans and followers. Despite joining showbiz at a very young age and being one of the biggest celebrities of our time, Kathryn remains grounded and grateful, never taking for granted the platform that she now has.

These days, she’s been using it to empower young women by sharing her bouts with insecurity and how she’s overcome it through self-love, self-care, and a better understanding of beauty.

Even for someone as accomplished as Kathryn Bernardo, the struggle with society’s beauty standards is real. She shares that having morena skin in society and business that sees “whiteness” as superior and beautiful was once a source of insecurity. 

“Before, that used to be my insecurity. Feeling mo hindi ka maganda pag morena ka. Iba yung perception ko dati sa color ng skin ko. But over the years, I’ve learned to embrace my complexion. Ngayon, love na love ko yung skin ko. Normal na maging insecure ka, but you really need the right circle to help you overcome it. I want to do my part and empower others to love themselves and accept themselves. Hindi ka matatanggap ng tao if you don’t fully accept yourself,” she says.

More than exchanging skincare tips, Kathryn believes that it’s important for women to lift each other up to overcome these insecurities brought on by unfair beauty standards. “For me, ang laking bagay pag yung kapwa mo babae ang tumutulong sayo kasi mas personal. Empower one another, not bring each other down."

"And let’s not compare ourselves to each other. Grabe din kasi sa social media, we pressure ourselves to be somebody else kasi ito yung nakikita natin. Sana mawala yung pressure na yun, kasi iniisip mo paano ka gusto makita. Sana mas magamit ko yung platform ko to share my personal experience kung paano ko nagawa yun,” she shares.

For Kathryn, there are still too many beauty stereotypes that should be redefined — but we have come a long way. “I’m happy kasi mas open na yung mga tao and some of the brands are more open to morena skin. Fair skin shouldn’t be a symbol of beauty. All colors are beautiful,” adding, “I’m very happy that this generation is very outspoken and promotes body positivity. It makes me proud na nagagawa natin yun dito sa Pilipinas.”

Another unrealistic beauty standard for her is the long black hair we always see in commercials. “For me, hindi porket mahaba yung hair mo, yun na yung definition ng maganda. If you feel good about yourself, it’s beautiful.” Kathryn has been known to color her hair, from golden brown to bright red.

The actress sees endless possibilities in the beauty industry, which is slowly becoming more inclusive. She shares, “Beauty is not just for girls; LGBT community, boys, lahat tayo part of that. Hindi dapat maging hindrance yung age and gender mo. As long as you have good intentions and something good to offer, I feel like you should be welcome. Palaki na nang palaki yung beauty industry and that excites me.”

What’s an act that Kathryn does to start her day? “Being grateful,” she says. “Ang laking bagay if you start your day with a positive mind and a positive outlook. Waking up is a blessing, and I’m grateful for the work and many more things. It affects my mood the moment I open my eyes.” 

Apart from being grateful, she practices self-love by spending time on herself and her loved ones. “Working out keeps me motivated. It’s my me-time. I bike, use the Megaformer, and play badminton with friends and (boyfriend) DJ. Aside from working out, I also like to hang out with my friends and spend time with family. Pag walang work, it’s super helpful. Narerecharge ako.”

Kathryn also observes a regular beauty regimen to take care of her skin, hair, and well-being. “It’s very simple for me. Sakto kung brands na ineendorse ko. I use Lifebuoy for washing my hands; naging routine na siya talaga." For glowing skin, she uses Pond’s Vitamin Micellar Water. "I cleanse my face with it because I can’t sleep with makeup on, and I moisturize before going to bed. I also go to my derma to pamper myself. Hindi siya dapat complicated kasi you’ll do it every day,” she says.

Despite always being made-up and camera-ready, Kathryn shares that taking it all off at the end of a busy day is the best feeling. She says, “For me, when I remove my makeup, I see me. I see the real and the bare-faced me. I look forward to that time of the day.” The actress loves sharing her unfiltered self as much as she loves seeing it in the mirror — breakouts, pawis, messy hair, and all. She uses Sunsilk Strong and Long Shampoo to wash off all the styling products used on her hair during shoots.

"I want them to see Kathryn Bernardo as a person, not as a celebrity. I make it as raw as possible. And I realized that my followers prefer it that way; I see it in my interactions and engagements. People, especially the younger ones, they’re very smart and observant. Kailangan bigyan mo sila ng content na gusto mo talaga. Yung gusto ko talaga yung product. They want to see the unguarded and free side of me, and that’s why I try to post unbranded content once in a while,” she says.

With a good head on her shoulders, Kathryn Bernardo is on the road for bigger and better things. As she turns 25, the actress shares that she has a lot more to do and offer. “I want to keep learning and improving myself. Hopefully, in the coming years, may mas matulong pa ako sa industry. Hopefully, magawa ko yung part ko as an actor to offer quality projects in the coming years and promote locally made films. And I want to keep using my platform to empower women and girls to accept themselves,” she shares.

Interested on reading more about celebrities breaking beauty standards? Read on how Yassi Pressman embraces her curly hair.