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Jennylyn Mercado turns personal skincare struggles into beauty innovation with DLN Skin
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After more than two decades in the entertainment industry, actress and entrepreneur Jennylyn Mercado is taking her passion for beauty and skincare to the next level with the launch of DLN Skin. This hybrid beauty brand combines makeup and skincare in one.
For Jennylyn, the brand is deeply personal—born from years of experience under bright lights, long shoots, and daily makeup wear.
“Industry for more than 20 years na,” Jennylyn shared during its launch on Saturday, June 27, at the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan in Quezon City.
“And siyempre, makeup has always been a part of my everyday life. Sa lahat ng ginagawa ko—taping, shooting, kahit events—talagang nagme-makeup ako. Sa ayaw at sa gusto ko, I have to put on makeup kasi it's part of my job.”
But behind the glamour, Jennylyn said, maintaining healthy skin has always been a priority.
“Sabi nga nila, kapag artista ka, puhunan mo yung face mo,” she said. “Hindi puwedeng pangit ang skin, hindi puwedeng pangit ang makeup. More than just vanity, we need to have good skin.”
That journey, however, came with challenges. The Sanggang-Dikit actress revealed that she has extremely sensitive skin, making it difficult to find products that truly work for her.
“Mayroon akong isang problema—I have very sensitive skin. At hindi lahat ng products, hiyang ako,” she confessed.
Because of this, finding suitable skincare and makeup products often meant sourcing them from abroad.
“Madalas, wala dito sa Pilipinas yung products na gusto ko,” she recalled. “Pupunta ka pa sa ibang bansa, magpapasabay ka sa kamag-anak, may FedEx pa sa'yo, o mag-o-order ka online. Usually, hindi nagshi-ship sa Philippines. So ang hirap talaga. Madalas, pupunta ka talaga abroad. Personally, ikaw ang bibili.”
Those frustrations eventually sparked a bigger idea.
“That's when it hit me: bakit hindi na lang ako gumawa ng sarili kong product that fits my needs?” Jennylyn shared with the media and beauty content creators who attended the event.
“I want a product that is easy to apply, madaling mag-blend sa skin, and most importantly, good for the skin. I want it intentional. I want it [to be] intuitive. Gusto ko i-combine yung makeup and skincare.”
That vision became the foundation of DLN Skin.
“What started as a simple need turned into an opportunity—not just for myself, but for other people who have the same skin concerns as well.”
Related gallery: How Jennylyn Mercado turned star power into serious business success
Jennylyn's journey to creating DLN Skin
The actress admitted that product development was far from easy, especially since manufacturing and research were done overseas.
In an interview after the launch, Jennylyn said turning her vision into reality took time.
“Well, it took us three years—medyo matagal—to get here,” she said.
“Three years in the making. Yung first year, yun ang pinakamasakit sa ulo,” she shared. “It's made in Taiwan, and napakahirap nung bargaining namin.”
She recalled how every revision required patience.
“Two to three weeks bago namin makuha yung revisions. Kapag may problem, ipapadala ulit namin, then three weeks ulit bago dumating. So, yung R&D [research and development] namin, yun talaga ang pinakamahirap na stage.”
For Jennylyn, every challenge was worth it:, “Medyo matrabaho, pero sulit na siya.”
Leading the brand's debut is its hero product, the DLN Intuitone Skin Tint, a product designed to simplify beauty routines while delivering skincare benefits.
One of DLN Skin's strongest features is its hybrid concept—makeup that cares for the skin.
“Kaming mga artista, sobrang tagal naming naka-makeup,” Jennylyn explained. “Before, talagang babad ang makeup sa mukha mo buong araw nang walang benefits.
“Minsan, nagka-clog lang yung pores mo. Sinisira lang niya yung balat mo, lalo na kung sensitive ang skin. Naisip ko, total babad siya sa balat natin, bakit hindi natin lagyan ng benefits? Lagyan natin ng skincare. Lagyan natin ng SPF.”
For Jennylyn, makeup should now do more than enhance appearance. “Para kahit naka-suot siya buong araw, gumaganda yung balat mo.”
She also emphasized that DLN Skin was developed with Southeast Asian skin and climate in mind.
“Marami akong products na natry—Korean, Asian, European products. Pero para sa akin, ang pinaka-perfect na malapit sa bansa natin is Thailand kasi pareho yung weather at humidity," the actress-singer said.
Pricing, meanwhile, was designed to stay accessible.
“Below PhP1,000 siya. Sa lahat ng ingredients na nasa loob ng DLN Skin, sulit na sulit yung price niya. Kung iisipin mo, bibili ka ng skincare at bibili ka ng makeup. Magkaiba pa yun. Dito, combined na.”
Jennylyn also stressed that DLN Skin is inclusive. “Gender neutral po ito. Hindi lang ito pang-babae.”
In fact, her husband, Dennis Trillo, was among the first to test the products.
“Si Dennis, isa sa mga unang nagsa-sample talaga. Ginagamit niya talaga,” she said, smiling.
And while DLN Skin is just beginning, Jennylyn made it clear that this is only the start and that more products are already in development.
“Ito pong skin tint na ito is only the beginning of more DLN Skin products to come. Expect natin this year, marami pa tayong ilalabas. Marami pang darating na products.”
Her long-term vision is clear: “To develop more makeup, skincare, and hybrid products that will benefit your skin and suit your lifestyle. To simplify beauty through innovation, and to make you feel confident in your own skin without complicated routines.”
With DLN Skin, Jennylyn Mercado is proving that beauty is no longer just about coverage or glamour—it's about confidence, care, and creating products that truly work for real people.
