Daisy Reyes finds new purpose in wellness venture

Daisy Reyes-Tobias has found a new calling as a wellness entrepreneur.

Today, the beauty queen-turned-actress and businesswoman — who at one point served as a public official — has ventured into her most successful non-showbiz endeavor yet with Dr Essentials Aromatherapy (www.dressentials.ph), her brand built on pure essential oil blends.

This writer first discovered — and has been using — her products, particularly her Supreme Oil, more than a year ago, while finding ways to manage blood pressure and other stressors. So, it was a pleasant surprise to find out later on that the brand name was actually based on her initials after originally assuming DR stood for “doctor.” Intentional or not, it kind of fits given that it promotes calm and wellbeing.

Born during the pandemic, the brand has steadily grown from grassroots beginnings. It started on e-commerce platforms, expanded to bazaars, and has since made its way into malls and retail outlets such as Kultura. But long before it even took shape, the idea had already been rooted in her upbringing in Pateros, somehow shaped by memories of her grandfather, who introduced her to traditional remedies at a young age.

“Nung bata ako kasi ako yung kasamang apo ng lolo ko sa bahay. My mom was a single parent that’s why I was raised by my grandfather. And lagi akong nauutusan na bumili ka ng luya tapos bumili ka ng (kerosene gas). Didikdikin yung luya, ilalagay sa gaas, haplas… ibabalot yon,” she told The STAR.

Then, these topical pain and stress relievers, from liniments, medicated oils to patches, became her mother’s most requested pasalubong. All these would later inform and influence Daisy’s decision to create her own wellness product line, using natural ingredients sourced locally and some overseas — from therapeutic-grade lemon grass, rosemary, lavender, elemi to peppermint crystal — and a distinctly Filipino base, which is fractionated coconut oil.

At first, Daisy explored rebranding existing products. But she soon realized the approach was not sustainable. That pushed her to develop her own formulations from the ground up. She started studying at the Aromatherapy Institute of the Philippines to deepen her knowledge.

The business, according to her, is not unique but she would say it grew through direct engagement because “it’s easy to make an essential oil, anyone can do that… what’s hard is promoting it.”

Taking on a hands-on approach, she would personally introduce her products wherever she went, from elevators, to golf courses and airplanes.

“Kahit saan ako mapunta talaga dinadala ko siya,” she said, often engaging both potential and even unlikely customers by spraying the product on them or letting them try the balm form.

That strategy gradually opened doors, as she made it to such malls as Rockwell and Mitsukoshi in BGC, while simultaneously selling in bazaars. One of her biggest “breaks” came from a chance encounter during a golf tournament.

“I was spraying it on caddies para ma-relax sila, sobrang init kasi nahi-highblood sila,” said the avid golfer. “Then, may lumapit sakin… ‘What’s that smell?’… ‘It’s essential oil spray.’”

It turned out that fellow golfer was an international hotel chain expat executive, whose wife was already a customer. That meeting eventually led to regular bulk orders as gift items.

Now, her long-term goal is for her brand to be widely used in hotels.

While Dr Essentials is her most successful venture so far, she has been entrepreneurial since her early days in showbiz until her hiatus (she’s now ready to resume acting). She previously tried several businesses, from papaya soap-making and handmade slippers, to AirBnb and even networking vitamins. Not all of them succeeded, apart from a 20-year-old salon she has since entrusted to her sister.

“I asked myself, why didn’t God give this to me before, why only now? It’s only been less than four years. I realized na baka masayang lang. Just like in love — if you force it too early, it might not work. So God prepared my heart first,” said the 1997 Bb. Pilipinas World, who’s turning 5-0 this year.

Daisy shares a photo with her beautiful daughter, Gabrielle Lauren Benitez.

“Before, especially if you’re an artista, lahat sayo. Parang minsan may konting yabang ka pa. Naging konsehal ka pa,” she reflected, adding that it was her entrepreneurial pursuits that humbled her, especially the immediate customer feedback she received through e-commerce sites.

“I told my staff not to be sad about negative comments because those people are our quality control,” she said. “That’s where I was humbled. Then that’s when God gave me this kind of business.”

For Daisy, one’s negosyo is not just about the product, but also about the people behind it.

“Sabi ko sa mga staff, basta makabenta lang kayo… pwede na sa akin,” she said.

“I don’t want you to look stressed… Gusto ko ‘pag kausap ang client, you look relaxed. Bawal ma-pressure ang mga staff, kaya inuuna muna namin yung kanilang spiritual. Yung requirements (from new employees) lang ay mag-simba — I call it spiritual training — kung saan kayo malapit (na church) just to hear (Mass), whatever your religion is. ”

At the heart of it all, Daisy credited her faith as a guiding force in both her decisions and daily operations. For her, even ideas and breakthroughs are not purely self-driven.

“God will really lead you. Ang lahat ng yan idea ni Lord na kahit ako namamangha,” expressed Daisy, who along with her husband, lawyer Barry Tobias, are currently pursuing further Theology studies. (Their beautiful love story is for another story.)

When asked to share her biggest business lesson yet, the devout Christian cited a Biblical verse from Proverbs, “‘He who refreshes others, will himself be refreshed.’ Palagi nyong iisipin that if you have a business, isipin mo muna kung paano makakatulong sa tao. Kasi ‘pag ang tao nagustuhan yan, impossible hindi niya hanapin yan.

“I learned that you have to make sure that you are sincere in what you’re doing and that you also love what you’re doing. Talagang hilig mo rin talaga (It should truly be your passion). And ‘wag ka mahihiya, ‘wag mong ikakahiya (don’t be shy and feel embarrassed about it) because it’s you yourself who will be promoting your product.

“Sabi nga nila, ‘Si Daisy naman, ano ba yan, trying hard, hanggang dito ba naman nagspe-spray!’ Sa sampu, isa ang nabubwisit sa akin, yung siyam bumili so hayaan mo na yung isa (Out of 10 people, maybe one gets annoyed, but the nine will buy, so just let that one be).”