MANILA, Philippines ? Filipino icon Lea Salonga is confident, elegant, regal. But you?d be surprised how low-maintenance her beauty routine is.

?I wash my face, tone, moisturize. For skin care, I have a dermatologist I go to since I was 17,? Salonga said. ?I go to the salon for a trim, treatment and having my roots done since I have colored hair. That?s pretty much it.?

Salonga was an endorser of Avon cosmetics in the ?90s. Now, at 38, she?s back as the face behind Anew Rejuvenate?Avon?s new line of anti-aging products that include Day and Night Revitalizing Cream, 24-hour Eye Cream, Flash Facial Revitalizing Concentrate, 2-in-1 Gel Cleanser and Mineral Toner.

You can now purchase the eye cream, while the face creams are available by July. The rest of the products will be sold later this year.

?Let your skin breathe?

Salonga said she has been an Avon user since she started doing theater when she was seven.

?I wore Avon makeup on stage when I was in Repertory Philippines. I brought my favorites all the way to Broadway as well.?

On an average day, though, you would see Salonga in comfy clothes sans makeup.

?I don?t wear makeup when I go out. It reminds me of work. And I like to let my skin breathe.?

The stage actress is proud of aging gracefully and is looking forward to her 40s.

?I look better now than I was in my 20s, when I was still trying to find out what I wanted to do with my life,? Salonga, radiant in a pink gown with crystal accents, said during the launch at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

Anew is a quick way to maintain good skin and gives her the time to do other things for the rest of the day, like playing with her three-year-old daughter Nicole, she added.

Facial in a bottle

Anew Rejuvenate is a spa-facial in a bottle, said Anna Garces, Avon skincare category head.

Avon pioneered the use of alpha hydroxy acids with the Anew Perfecting Complex for Face in 1994. Rejuvenate now uses Chlorosalicylic acid among its active ingredients.

Anew Day and Night cream follows the step-by-step procedure of a facial treatment. It exfoliates using the Exfo-Smoothing Complex by shedding off dead skin cells for smoother skin and less lines.

Then it reduces comedones (black- and whiteheads) with the Mini-Extraction Technology Complex that deep-cleans and tightens pores. Lastly, it nourishes skin through the Facial FX Technology Complex, which rehydrates and strengthens cell bonds, resulting in even-toned and smoother skin.

Costs less

The best part about it? It costs a lot less than a salon facial, and you can do it at home.

There?s no noticeable peeling, and a jar of Anew cream lasts around three to four months. Women?and men?25 up can use it. Results can be seen in as early as a week, Garces said.

Salonga said she?s open to clinical or cosmetic surgery in the future, but with limits.

?I don?t want to say never, but if I do it, it would probably be for my body, but never for my face.?

Her tips for those who want to age as gracefully: ?Stay out of the sun, have enough sleep, and get lots of fruits and vegetables. Don?t wear makeup if you don?t need it.?

Other Avon bestsellers aside from cosmetics are intimate apparel and fragrance, said Avon general manager Bob Briddon.

Avon, a giant international wellness brand, has been helping and empowering women locally and globally through their products and direct-selling opportunities. You can buy Anew Rejuvenate from your Avon Lady or Avon stand-alone shops in leading malls.

Visit www.avon.com.ph.