When does Rabiya Mateo feel most beautiful?
In the Philippines, beauty queens aren’t just admired for their grace and intelligence; they’ve become the epitome of beauty, setting standards that many aspire to achieve. One such queen, Rabiya Mateo, recently opened up about her insecurities and her journey to embracing her natural beauty.
Ms. Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo and Mrs. Universe Philippines 2023 Arlene Cris Damot
Rabiya Mateo’s candid confession
Despite being a crowned Miss Universe Philippines, Rabiya Mateo has faced her share of insecurities. At a contract signing with Royal Aesthetics on May 11, she candidly confessed, “I struggled with acne even before I joined Miss Universe Philippines.”
Rabiya went on to explain, “Yun po ngayon ang wino-workout namin. I have good makeup lang but I have acne scars. Good thing you don’t see it, pero deep down there, ang dami kong imperfection sa aking balat.”
Royal Aesthetics: Rabiya’s solution for imperfections
As the new beauty ambassador for Royal Aesthetics, Rabiya has turned to the clinic for their “vampire facial treatment” to address her acne concerns. She described the procedure: “Parang nag-e-extract sila ng blood from me, tapos yung plasma, yun ang gagamitin for serum together with microneedling. Parang binubutasan yung aking face para ipasok yung plasma and that would lead to collagen synthesis. So, that would help me to have a brighter complexion and even texture sa skin ko.”
Rabiya challenging beauty standards
Beyond her acne struggles, Rabiya revealed that she faced criticism for not having a fair complexion. She shared, “I used to be that girl. Kasi palagi, I’m not the standard of beauty here in the country. Dati po, galing ako sa maliit na bayan sa Iloilo, people would say na, ‘Alam mo, maganda ka sana if maputi ka.’ So, bilang bata, tumatak yun sa isip ko. What I would do, mag-iipon ako ng pera, tapos pupunta ako sa grocery at maghahanap ako ng whitening soap, so it really affected me.”
Contract signing at the Manila House Private Club in BGC
Embracing natural beauty
Rabiya’s story serves as a reminder that even beauty queens face insecurities and societal pressures. However, her willingness to share her experiences and embrace her natural beauty is a powerful message for all Filipinos.
These days, I asked, when does she feel most beautiful? Rabiya responded, “Honestly, there are days when I wake up in the morning and I look at the mirror and I would say, ‘Wow, I look good today!’ especially when I have my facial done. Kasi iba po talaga ‘yung glow ng skin after inapply ‘yung serum with Dermaclear treatment as well. It’s a facial kung saan ine-extract ‘yung mga whiteheads natin. Kasi kahit wala akong makeup at all, I can really see my skin that is very healthy, that is glowing. Na minsan napapasabi ako na ‘Sige, maganda ako noong Miss Universe Philippines’ pero ‘yung skin ko pala may maigaganda pa with the treatment of Royal Aesthetics.”
Rabiya Mateo with her talent management agency representatives, Royal Aesthetics in-house dermatologist, and owners Mrs. Universe Philippines 2023 Arlene Cris Damot and partner David Jayabalan
Advice for young girls struggling with confidence while dealing with acne
With a lot of young girls dealing with acne and battling with confidence, Rabiya has a lot to say to inspire them as she also went through the same journey. The beauty icon said, “Go to a doctor. Kasi dati, what I would do, I would watch vloggers, you know, and see that this product worked for them and I would buy the product and see that my skin would get worse. Then manonood na naman ako ng different video, and then, lumalala nang lumalala. It didn’t work for me. So, dapat pumunta talaga sa doctor so that machecheck nila what’s causing their acne.”
Rabiya continued, “If it’s hereditary, ano ba ‘yung magagawa natin? Medication na puwedeng ibigay? Kasi ‘yung skin problem, marami siyang causes, maraming pinanggagaglingan. Dapat pumunta tayo sa taong nakakaalam.” She emphasized the value of seeking the help of experts, “Ang mga dermatologists sa Royal Aesthetics, it took them years of experience, studying with their knowledge and wisdom. I’m sure ‘yung mabibigay nilang solusyon is the best solution.”
Rabiya Mateo’s partnership with Royal Aesthetics not only highlights her personal journey towards self-acceptance but also challenges traditional beauty standards in the Philippines. Her story reminds us that true beauty comes from within, and embracing our imperfections is the first step towards self-love and confidence.
