MANILA, Philippines ? All the little ways, when put together, can collectively create a huge transformation.

This is the thought, the philosophy that has kept Chin-Chin Gutierrez going?whether in the green movement of which she is at the forefront, or in creating awareness of how people can live eco-friendly lives in their own personal life choices.

Acclaimed by Time Magazine as one of the ?Asian Heroes? of 2003 primarily for her advocacy and involvement in protecting the environment, Chin-Chin has made it her mission to spread the cold hard facts on what fate awaits the Philippines if its environmental degradation goes unchecked.

?Did you know that in less than a hundred years, the Philippines has lost more than 80 percent of its forest cover?? she notes. ?We have less than three percent of our original virgin forest, and if you realize that the forest cover assures our drinking water and see how we?ve been polluting our water systems in addition to that, you?ll see that we?re looking at great water problems in the future. This is just one of our problems, and this is just the beginning.?

But it?s not all bad news, she says. The good news is that there are solutions?but solutions that we need to act on together. ?We can?t really do it all alone anymore,? Chin-Chin notes. ?And we can do a lot if we all agree on a collective action. For instance, if everyone started planting a tree on his or her birthday, just think, we?d have 80 million trees in a year or so alone.?

If campaigning for the earth is second-nature to Gutierrez, coming out to endorse products? especially those tradtionally associated with the vain and superficial?requires much more consideration and study for her.

It took a year for this TV-movie personality to agree to be the face of Godiva?s Skin Station, recounts Cristina Martinez, product assistant for the product?s Marketing Department.?She wanted to try the products and really believe in them first.?

Two years since then, the actress cum advocate for the environment has again renewed her contract to include promoting Godiva Skin Station?s all-natural line of cosmetics.

Chin-Chin says that while she?s not really fussy about cosmetics, she realizes that in her line of work, she has to take care of her skin, and that?s part of taking care of her health.

?It?s really an important part of our lives, one which we sometimes overlook,? Gutierrez says of health consciousness. ?I believe that sometimes we neglect our health as much as we neglect the earth.?

She doesn?t spare herself either, as she admits that in the frenzy of taping for films and television, in addition to field work as an environmentalist, she sometimes takes her own physical health for granted.

?Our skin is really our biggest immune system,? she notes. ?Nature is good to us, but because we neglect to care for nature, there is an imbalance. This is true whether we?re speaking of planet earth or our own bodies. Global warming has reached such critical levels, leading to dangerous climate changes. Our bodies can?t adjust anymore to what should have otherwise been healthy and beneficial.?

She continues: ?Now that our environment is very polluted, it does help to have products that can enhance, protect, and cleanse our skin without harming it further. So I go for products that have natural ingredients, or those that don?t have very strong chemical inputs.?

Vanity is less a consideration than skin protection with minimal impact on the earth, says Chin-chin whose excursions into the field as an environmentalist have given her sunburn and insect bites.

?We can?t really protect ourselves enough from the pollution, heat, and stress. So I use Vitamin C Scrub and Serum and sunblock,? claims this natural beauty. This dual step measure not only softens the blow of the sun?s UV rays, but the anti-oxidant properties of Vitamin C also helps prevent cellular damage. She also claims that ?after a week or two of using the Lico-White whitening cream, the skin returns to its natural color and evens out again.?

These whitening products, which are part of Godiva?s Lico-White line, are the first in the market to use licorice as a key element to skin care, a pricey but effective ingredient extracted from the plant?s roots.

?Not only do you have a product that?s attuned with nature, you get value for money as well because of its proven efficacy,? says the actress. She believes that the company, through its products and commitment to nature has truly set an example that she hopes others will take inspiration from.

She recounts that she began using the products after the terrible fire that burned her house down in 2006. Her skin was left scarred even after the burn wounds healed. ?The blemishes wouldn?t have cleared up if I didn?t start using it early,? she shares ?but I did and this move must have contributed to the lightening of my skin.?

She continues: ?It?s really better to be patient and go with nature?s rhythms?but if the products help enhance the process, then it?s ok.? It?s the gentle nature of the products that she especially appreciates. Because the ingredients are from organic sources, Chin-Chin finds that the products are safe to use everyday as they do not subject the skin to drastic changes.

As one whose profession can mean unnecessary stress from juggling shooting schedules, tapings and interviews, Chin-Chin finds a haven inside Godiva skin stations where, she says, she spends ?sacred time, some quiet time for myself. It?s also good to pause.?

She adds: ?We go, go, go and do everything and try to save. It?s all about money, all about cost or what we feel is our purpose in life. We are so driven and consumed by the outer world that it?s hard to believe that in the midst of our hectic work schedules, you can go to a skin station and make time for yourself. It?s personal time?make it your time. I think that more than just the products or the treatments, it?s the act of giving yourself personal time and personal care that?s important. It?s just really being attentive to one?s self. And hopefully, that becomes a bridge to more serious attention to your health.?

She admits that women like her, who are working for a special cause, can get very consumed by it and forget to leave time for themselves. The skin station may not be a substitute for meditation and contemplation, which she feels is food for the soul, but they certainly help.

?They give you time to relax and recollect yourself. They give you breathing space to find ways to stay afloat,? she explains.

The products also share her environmental concerns, Chin-Chin adds. She recalls how one Godiva product used to contain squalene, a natural compound obtained from shark liver oil, which has moisturizing properties. Upon learning that sharks have become endangered, the brand quickly stopped the use of squalene and switched to olive oil instead, olives being a botanic source for the same compound. ?They?re really a company that I?d like to partner with because they actually adapt once they know what needs to be done for the environment,? she notes.

A lot more needs to be done to save the earth, acknowledges Chin-Chin. Fortunately, lifestyle changes, one?s personal choices?even in choosing skincare?can make a difference.

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