Move Over, L’Oréal; Filipino Skincare Brand Wins by Making People Dance for Moisturizer

Dermorepubliq, a proudly local skincare brand, has just pulled off the beauty industry equivalent of slapping a luxury giant with a bar of kojic soap.

On July 14, 2025, the brand snagged the coveted Emerald Award at the TikTok Shop Philippines Beauty and Personal Care Annual Awards, officially crowning it as the platform’s top-selling beauty brand.

Yes, you read that right—top-selling. As in, more than your favorite overpriced serum backed by some runway model who probably doesn’t even use it.

The Emerald Award recognizes outstanding sales driven through TikTok’s short-form, video-led e-commerce, which is a fancy way of saying: people watched a lot of 30-second videos and spent their money accordingly.

In other words, the brand didn’t rely on sterile ad campaigns or CGI skin miracles—it bet everything on relatable creators, skincare routines with synchronized dancing, and apparently, it worked.

“This award is a milestone for our team and everyone who believes in our brand,” said Dermorepubliq founder and president Keith Sta. Barbara, doing his best not to sound like he just conquered Mount Olympus with a toner.

“Being named TikTok Shop’s overall Top 1 beauty brand shows what’s possible when customers and creators share real stories and results,” he added, in what might be the most diplomatic way of saying, “Suck it, conglomerates.”

The brand’s rise is largely thanks to what marketers are now calling a “full-funnel strategy,” which loosely translates to: attack people from every angle until they’re converted into loyal customers with glowing skin.

From awareness-building videos to hard-sell conversion content, Dermorepubliq has made sure you see their products whether you’re scrolling at 3 a.m. or just trying to mind your own business on the For You Page.

Their approach isn’t subtle—but it is effective.

Key to their TikTok dominance is their grassroots-style creator network. Unlike those influencer deals that feel faker than a celebrity’s “get ready with me” video, Dermorepubliq has focused on everyday users who actually use the products—and aren’t afraid to show every splash, pat, and swipe on camera.

Case in point: the viral #DoItWithDermoChallenge.

Running from June 16 to 29, the campaign featured a literal dance craze based on applying skincare. Splash. Spray. Pat. Swipe. Repeat.

Over 1,000 TikTok users joined in, giving “derma” energy to Gen Zs and millennials who apparently now believe skincare isn’t skincare unless it comes with choreography.

The campaign wasn’t just viral—it was strategic.

By tapping into creator-led content, the brand let its users do the marketing, the storytelling, and the selling. Because why spend millions on ads when you can let someone named @skinmama.ph do the convincing for free?

Dermorepubliq also plans to milk—excuse me, celebrate—this win across its social channels and through its affiliate program, giving credit to its partners who’ve helped them turn TikTok into a 24/7 shopping machine.

This isn’t even the brand’s first TikTok-related accolade.

Last year, their “Your New Holy Grail” campaign bagged the Best Local Hero Campaign award at the 2024 TikTok Ad Awards Philippines. That campaign featured community-driven recommendations and a masterclass in humblebragging.

Now with physical kiosks across Metro Manila and digital shelves on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop, Dermorepubliq is clearly not slowing down.

In an industry long dominated by big-budget ad machines and celebrities with filters, Dermorepubliq’s rise is a reminder that authenticity sells—especially when it’s edited to the beat of a trendy dance track.

And to every legacy brand out there still stuck in 2012 PowerPoint decks: welcome to the age of social commerce, where skincare is sold by splash, pat, swipe, and TikTok clout.