Back to Basics: Why Bianca Gonzalez Hit Reset on Her Skin Care

TV host and family woman Bianca Gonzalez-Intal shares her experience with quarantine breakouts and how simplifying her routine with Cetaphil helped her regain control over her skin 

Between face masks, stress, and our prolonged quarantine inside our homes, it goes without saying that our skin has seen better days. Keeping our skin healthy and clear has become a challenge for many of us during these times, and no one has been spared. For some of us, we may have never even experienced an acne breakout before the quarantine—at least, that was the case for lauded digital personality Bianca Gonzalez-Intal. 

Related: Paano Ba ’To: Supermom Bianca Gonzalez-Intal Tackles Digital Presence and Purpose

As an esteemed television host known for her work on such iconic shows as Umagang Kay Ganda and Pinoy Big Brother, and as the creator of the vlog series Paano Ba’ To?, Bianca spends much of her time in front of a camera. Not only that, but as a mother, she works hard to provide her children with the life they deserve. Having dedicated herself to her various passions—even in the midst of a quarantine—Bianca would come to face yet another challenge: the dreaded quarantine acne breakout. 

The breakout

“Isa ako sa maraming nag-breakout talaga during the quarantine… Nagulat ako kasi my whole life never ako nagka-acne problem,” Bianca explained in an interview. Though acne breakouts are relatively commonplace, for Bianca, this was a brand new experience. Even through her teen years, Bianca had never faced a breakout before, much less had one on her face, which is why she shared her experience so honestly and eagerly on her social media. 

As it turned out, she wasn’t the only one having these problems. People all over the country had the same concerns and were also experiencing these random quarantine breakouts. Bianca noted this, and said, “Apparently, ang dami din palang iba na ganun ‘yung naging situation: never broke out, and then suddenly, nagka-acne.” The swell of support from people who could relate to her issues inspired the slogan #NormalizeAcne among her followers, and Bianca went on to consult with a dermatologist to find a possible cause for her acne.

The reset

As it turns out, there were a variety of factors that caused so many people to have acne during the quarantine. Stress, hormones, all-day facemasks—any of these things could have played a role in these breakouts. However, in an effort to fix it herself, Bianca admits that she may have aggravated the situation—experimenting with a variety of skin care products and routines while jumping from one to the other. When she realized it was doing more harm than good to her skin, the celebrity mom decided to try something else: a back-to-basics approach to skin care.

“I wanted a reset, ‘yung talagang basic routine lang to make my skin breathe, para tama na ‘yung experiment-experiment ng iba-ibang product.” Bianca’s idea to “reset” her skin care routine came on the heels of her visit to her dermatologist. “For me, seeking a derma is important kasi iba-iba tayo ng skin condition. We can’t just look at somebody on Instagram [and say] ‘oy triny niya ‘to, this will work for me [too].’ When it’s dermatologist-recommended, for me, big deal iyon.” 

The routine

So what exactly was Bianca’s “simplified skin care routine”? It consisted of only three Cetaphil products: the Gentle Skin Cleanser, Moisturizing Lotion, and Hydrating Eye Cream-Serum—all in all, a light and gentle treatment with dermatologist-approved products. She applies these every morning and evening, with occasional applications at midday, to achieve a routine that allows her skin to breathe while keeping it clear and healthy all throughout the quarantine.

“I’ve been using the daily cleanser of Cetaphil for quite some time now,” she stated in the interview. When it comes to trying different products and routines, you need to consider your own unique skin situation—but Cetaphil has products which cater to all kinds of people.  “Even if you ask dermas, it’s one of the purest, cleanest, [and] safest [cleansers] for all skin types.”  

For the moisturizer, Bianca wanted something different from the various products she tested during her quarantine, and so her attention fell on Cetaphil’s Moisturizing Lotion. “Ang dami ko nang triny na kung ano-ano, so I wanted to just go back to a very basic, simple, [and] light moisturizer. After my daily cleanser from Cetaphil, I also use their daily moisturizer—the light variant of Cetaphil as well.” 

Of course, her routine wouldn’t be complete without a bit of treatment for the eyes. Since these are the most delicate part of the human body, Bianca opted to find something special to keep the skin around them delicate and smooth. Cetaphil had her covered on this front as well, with Bianca stating, “They have this Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Cream-Serum. I only used to use eye cream bago matulog. But this one, it’s super light, it’s hydrating, [and] I use it every morning and every night before I sleep.”

Take it from this all-around mom herself. You too can have #CompleteCareForSensitiveSkin with products that meet your skin’s needs, and be #CetForLife with Bianca Gonzalez-Intal.