From the Philippines To the World
What if we combined traditional herbal treatments with modern medical practices?
This was the question that Dr. Rainier Villanueva and his wife, Victoria, asked over 30 years ago. They were a medical powerhouse couple: he was a neurosurgeon-pharmacist-medical technologist, while she was a nurse. They wanted to harness the power of natural ingredients and turn them into solutions that were available to everyone.
Dr. Villanueva looked to his home province of Masbate and took inspiration from the lawat plant. This indigenous plant had long been used to treat dandruff and hair fall. In 1989, he conducted a clinical study with 136 subjects who were all experiencing hair loss.
After having them use the lawat-based shampoo for four weeks, their hair fall condition improved by up to 87%. This proved the potential of the lawat plant, and soon, the Villanuevas were thinking of how to use other local ingredients. The finished product, Lauat Shampoo, combined lawat, gugo, and virgin coconut oil—extracts that were known to benefit the hair and scalp.
It was also in 1989 that the Villanuevas put up Rainiers Research & Development Institute, Inc. (RRDI), the first Filipino herbal company located in the United States. RRDI became a one-stop shop for their research, product development, and manufacturing–and Lauat Shampoo was just the first of many innovations.
Since then, RRDI has brought Lauat haircare solutions to Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and many other countries. They have also come up with new products, such as Lauat Hair Conditioners and the Lauat & Foliaged deodorant line. RRDI also continues to use plants and minerals found in the Philippines. The company works with local farmers who cultivate these raw materials—thus giving a much-needed boost to the local economy.
Today, Lauat products are available at various locations, such as Mercury Drug, Watsons, Rustan’s, Shopwise, Landmark, Cash & Carry, Pioneer Center, Robinson’s Department Store & Supermarkets, and e-commerce sites like Lazada and Shopee.