Loving the Business: How Gen Z Couple Kath Melendez and Ryan Armenta of HerSkin and Nekothione Built a Multi-million Peso Business After College

With youthful determination and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Kath Melendez and Ryan Armenta founded HerSkin and Nekothione and grew it into the success that it is today.

With 51% of Filipino internet users following influencers on social media and 70% of Filipino online consumers buying products based on their recommendations—there is beauty in leveraging technology for your businesses. The same holds true for beauty businesses, which have seen monumental growth that is directly proportional to the rise of influencer marketing.

Simply put, local endorsers and influencers hold influence over beauty and personal care product purchases and many brands have been seen using this avenue to promote their products and create brand awareness. This—paired with the fact that 2% to 5% of the total population, or around 110 million Filipinos, can afford higher-end products—makes the ideal combination for the fast path to success.

Case in point: HerSkin and Nekothione. Established at the height of the pandemic in 2020, HerSkin has seen monumental growth since then—leading to the birth of more beauty and wellness products, including Nekothione: the first-ever 9-in-1 glutathione supplement.

Winning at business and in love, real-life partners Kath Melendez and Ryan Armenta share their entrepreneurial journey in an exclusive interview with The Business Manual, which spanned their early days as Medical Technology (Medtech) students-turned-professionals, content creators, and eventually, business partners...all at their early 20s!

From MedTech to Content Creators

Like most modern-day beauty business owners, the path for Kath and Ryan was not linear, as the two first started out as Medtech professionals, where Kath even discovered that she had a knack for content creation—particularly in the realm of skincare.