One thing Judy Ann Santos learned on her beauty journey is that she’s hyper-aware of her looks—understandable in a cutthroat showbiz world where celebrities are always judged.
She points out that beauty standards were different in her day.
As a child star and a teen, she didn’t have to wear too much makeup, unlike the heavier expectations celebrities face now.
“Hindi naman talaga ako nagme-make-up sa Mara Clara,” she told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) and other members of the press.
Mara Clara was her soap opera that ran from 1992 to 1997.
The conversation took place at the grand launch of Bioten Philippines’ Hyaluronic Gold line at Whitespace Events Place in Makati City, on July 15, 2025.
Explaining why she wasn’t into makeup then, Judy Ann said: “Una, kasi wala akong budget sa make-up. Pangalawa, hindi ako marunong mag-make-up.
“Pangatlo, bagets naman talaga yung [character] namin. Hindi kami required mag-make-up.
“Nag-start na lang ako maglagay ng concealer nung nagkabulutong ako while doing Mara Clara.“
It was only after she got chickenpox, when marks appeared, that she learned to use concealer—and that’s when her beauty insecurities began.
The 47-year-old actress recalled, “Nagkaroon ako ng scar. Doon nagsimula yung insecurity ko.
“Kasi nasisimulan ng… dahil family kami sa Mara Clara, nagsisimula sa tuksuhan na, ‘Ikaw ha, ano ka na, siopao ka na, may dimple ka pa.’
“So probably, feeling ko, doon sa mga konting tukso na yon, nagsimula yung insecurity ko.
“Nagsimula yung… maraming bagay ang naidulot sa akin ng mga panahon nun.”
Photo/s: Bioten Philippines
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JUDY ANN SANTOS ON GOING UNDER THE KNIFE
Knowing she felt insecure from other people’s comments, Judy Ann was frank when asked if she ever considered surgery to enhance her beauty.
She said the thought did cross her mind.
“Magiging honest ako sa part na yan,” the actress told PEP.
“Of course, naisip. Hindi ko puwedeng sabihing hindi at all. Of course, naisip.”
But what stopped her?
“Takot lang ako. Takot ako sa proseso. Takot ako sa mga ganap,” she answered.
Still, Judy Ann isn’t against cosmetic surgery.
“I’m never against it,” the prime actress said.
“I respect anyone who wanted to go under the knife or anyone who at some point would decide na they’d like some lift or something because that’s them.
“That’s what make them feel confident and that’s what make them feel happy.”
She added that the decision is personal: “Going under the knife is a decision na dapat sila lang ang humarap, and yun lang.
“Siyempre, may pain na kaakibat yan. Sabi nila, no pain, no gain. So go ahead, why not?”
For herself, she prefers non-surgical options for now.
“Hindi ko naman din tinatanggal yung possibility na probably in the future, mag-decide din ako, but I don’t think kaya ko yung surgery.
“Probably non-surgical like laser treatments, plantsa-plantsa, probably konting turok ng mga vitamins, vitamins.
“As long as it’s not permanent, I’m totally okay and fine with it. Kasi ganun naman talaga ang pag-e-evolve ng tao, di ba?”
JUDY ANN SANTOS ON TRUE BEAUTY
Closing her thoughts on beauty, Judy Ann admitted her view has shifted.
“Before, para sa akin kasi pag sinabing maganda or beauty, dapat makinis, mestiza, balingkinitan, sixteen ang bewang,” she recalled.
“Hindi ko na-achieve lahat yun. Unang una, hindi naman ako mestiza.
“Pangalawa, hindi talaga naging sixteen ang bewang ko at all, not unless siguro nung mga eight years old ako.”
Admitting she didn’t fit those standards taught her a different meaning of beauty.
“For me kasi, beauty is really a word that really depends on how you define it,” she explained.
“For me, beauty is not just the physicality, it’s how you treat people. It’s how you see the world. It’s how you help others. It’s how you be yourself.
“Ang beauty para sa akin, it doesn’t matter who you are.
“It doesn’t matter kung ikaw ang pinakamagandang babae sa balat ng lupa…
“Pero kung masama ang ugali mo at hindi ka marunong makipagkapwa-tao, it will all go down the drain.”
Judy Ann added: “Most of the time, for me beauty is not really about the face.
“It’s really about you. It’s how you look at the world. It’s how you see the world.
“It’s how you give back and how to be kind. That’s what beauty for me is.”
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