MANILA, Philippines?In a country where hair care precedes skincare by a large margin among women, Pond?s does right with its bullish relaunch of the iconic beauty brand.

For nine days this month, Pond?s leased a resto-bar in Makati City and made over its façade and interiors to create the House of Pond?s, a posh white-red-and-pink lounge-spa-beauty bar, where the beauty company?s local trade partners-retailers and media were re-introduced to 65 key products.

The elaborate setup could only reflect the great lengths Unilever goes to to develop state-of-the-art cosmetics. The venue was awash with red roses, and it also must have used up Manila?s supply of pink tulips.

Presentations included video clips from its campaign archives, Pond?s history as a beauty cure-all, to its now modern, advanced and problem-specific beauty solutions.

The relaunch of Pond?s is a global effort, but the House of Pond?s is a local idea, said Mutya Laxa, marketing manager of Unilever Skin, the makers of Pond?s.

Pond?s has been around for more than 100 years, its cleansing cream a habit handed down through generations.

Pond?s is a two-tier skincare brand, with lines targeting both mass and ?masstige? markets. Laxa said they?re strengthening their anti-aging business, with the new look and reformulation of the Age Miracle line, first launched in 2007.

The initial product collection is boosted with the addition of, among others, a personal microdermabrasion kit that women can use in their own bathrooms.

Next month, it will also roll out an anti-aging line for the mass market called Age Defense, consisting of a day and a night cream.

Flawless White, Pond?s masstige skin whitening line launched late last year, is joined this time with White Beauty, its equivalent for the mass market, promising ?pinkish-white glow.?

On May 1, an oil-control solution line and acne care products will also hit the market. Perfect Matte consists of cleansing foam, pressed powder and oil-control and pore-refining creams. Clear Solutions has a cleanser scrub, anti-breakout gel and lotion, pimple concealer and acne blemish lightening cream.

Laxa lamented that majority of Filipino women still rely on bath soap for washing their faces. To educate women consumers about skin care, it has deployed Pond?s? Singapore-trained beauty consultants in five department store outlets, including SM Makati, Mall of Asia, Landmark Makati and Trinoma.

Beauty?s believe it or not

31 percent of Filipinas use a face care product, but 95 percent of them use a haircare product.

53 percent want young-looking skin, but only 2 percent of Filipinas uses an anti-aging product.

54 percent want lighter, spotless skin, but only 23 percent of Filipinas use a skin-lightening product.

90 percent of Filipinas still use bath soap on their face.