Magwai: Saving the Ocean with Czar, Maffy, and Mico

Magwayen, the Goddess of Sea and Water in Southern Visayas folklore, was known to be nurturing and calming. She provided food to barangays during turbulent times.  She represents the wonders of the ocean, that as a local business, is what MAGWAI wants to represent and protect.

In 2016, Czar and her advertising colleague, Maffy learned that the sunscreens that are widely available in the Philippines are toxic to corals. The two went looking for reef-friendly alternatives but these weren’t easily available locally.

“This was unfortunate as the Philippines sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle,” says Czar.

To help protect the coral reefs and ocean life, they decided to take on the challenge of developing a locally made reef-safe sunscreen. The two also invited their mutual friend, Mico, who also shares the same passion for sustainability to join them.

Altogether, the three made up the founding team of MAGWAI.

MAGWAI is a sustainable personal care startup with a mission of pioneering marine-friendly personal care products that allow consumers to switch to alternatives that are sustainable, effective, and accessible.

Their shop is most known for its flagship products, the MAGWAI Reef-Safe Sunscreen and the MAGWAI Shampoo Bars.

With their most popular item being their sunscreen, MAGWAI took a bad hit when the pandemic halted all travels in 2020.

“But we survived as we broadened our portfolio to include other plastic-free products that are less sensitive to travel disruption. This also broadened our positive impact,” mentions Czar.

“Another big challenge is the consumer perception that eco-friendly products are not as effective as the products that they are using now. This is why our team is obsessed with creating a great product experience and ensuring that our products are as effective or even better,” she adds.

What initially began as a product idea and a passion for the environment, they decided to add more products to their personal care portfolio so they could broaden their impact.

Czar says that “Now our mission is to pioneer marine-friendly personal care products that allow consumers to switch to alternatives that are sustainable, effective, and accessible.”

“In MAGWAI, all things we do are for the planet. But we also don’t compromise the product effectiveness. We believe that in order to convert consumers into life-long users of sustainable products, it needs to be uncompromisingly effective.”

MAGWAI has added conditioners, towels, bath essentials, and travel bundles to their shop. The items can be bought online such as BeautyMNL and in-stores such as Kultura, Nova, Common Thread, and Wanderskye.

Full item list and retail carriers can be found on their instagram page.