The organic and halal formula to a happy skin

Contrary to the popular idea that doing what you love makes work effortless, a real passion puts you to work. This is the story of how a USM alumna found her passion and transformed this energy to something productive for herself and the people around her.

For as long as she can remember, Johaira B. Sabal has always been fascinated with natural and organic skin care. Her solution to almost all skin issues is found right inside the kitchen. So whenever her friends would ask for advice, her antidote is always organic.

Since March 2018, Johaira has already been using her skin care formula until with the prodding of her boyfriend and close friends finally convinced her to share the products to her friends. And just last month, March 2019, a year after, she finally gave in and started her own skin care band – My Happy Skin.

Johaira, a BS Biology graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences USM Batch 2015, works as a Halal and Food Safety Auditor in Manila but has found a different path where she can express her passion and help other people.

“It started because my friends would always seek for my advice regarding their skin problems, so I would share to them my skin regimen found just in the kitchen. But I didn’t expect the tips I gave them actually worked until finally I decided to start My Happy Skin,” she said.

Johaira also made sure her ingredients are natural and organic. She hates the idea of putting chemical on her face especially that she has a very sensitive skin. Natural and organic skincare combines essential vitamins, botanicals, and minerals which heal and restore skin without toxins.

Not only are her products natural and organic, but these are halal as well. As a halal and food safety auditor, Johaira makes sure her skincare brand is produced according to the halal standards so her Muslim brothers and sisters can use the products.

She released a magical serum and four different types of organic soap bars, namely: 1) Magical Pink Soap, 2) Activated Bamboo Charcoal Clay Soap, 3) Coffee Mint Soap, and 4) Handcrafted Herbal Soap.

Magical Pink Soap contains 10 active ingredients to help achieve radiant, glowing skin. It helps in whitening; preventing premature aging; clearing skin blemishes; treating acne marks, sunburn, and pimples; rejuvenating; exfoliating; firming; restoring collagen; cleaning clogged pores; preventing blackheads and whiteheads; and removing dead skin cells.

Activated Bamboo Charcoal Clay Soap helps achieve a flawless skin thanks to its ability to draw away impurities. The soap helps in whitening; removing too much oil in skin; treating pimples and acne; reducing pore size; making skin tighter and firmer; preventing premature aging; treating psoriasis; and clearing skin blemishes.

Coffee Mint Soap helps in whitening; fighting radical and damaged skin; hydrating and nourishing skin; exfoliating; tightening skin; increasing circulation; improving texture of oily skin; providing anti-cellulite and anti-oxidant features; and healing sores, scars, wounds, and cuts.

Magical Serum helps lighten undereye circles; lighten dark spots and pimple marks; serve as undereye moisturizer; prevents and lightens the appearance of stretch marks; softens and lightens underarms; softens feet soles, knees, and elbows; removes stubborn makeup; lightens fine lines around the eyes; softens cuticles and dry skin; makes skin glow and youthful; relaxes tired, puffy eyes; and relieves itch and redness caused by insect bites; nourishes and conditions eyelashes; lightens dark lips; adds shine to dull hair; eases dry and itchy scalp; improves skin condition after sunburn; smoothens dry, rough, skin from shaving; calms skin and eases rashes; relieves symptoms of skin infections; hydrates dry patches on face; and lightens lesions and scars.

While working in Manila, she manages her new found venture with the help of her closest friends and family back in Cotabato City. At the age of 24, she has become an “accidental” entrepreneur. From producing one, two, three bars of soap for her personal consumption, now she produces 500 bars a day just to accommodate the growing number of orders.

From a biologist to a halal and food safety auditor, now Johaira has truly found her niche as an entrepreneur. But earning comes secondary to her now. More than anything else, she wants to share her skincare products to people who need them most and help them the way these skin products help her, too.

Johaira is an example how our biggest passions have been with us early on in our lives, but revisiting what we love and reimagining things might just be the key in recapturing our passion and making it more productive.

“I have a work now, but I don’t mind doing this because this is my passion. I owe it to USM and my professors in college for teaching me everything I need in life. Now it’s my turn to give back to my community,” she said.