K-beauty, K-drama, K-pop, K-fashion? We have all heard, or even ardently patronize, these Korean industries. But do you know of their flourishing “petconomy?” This is due to the number of growing pet owners who have their own “petfams” (families with pets) in the country.
From Screen to Spa: Dogs in the Spotlight
There are some K-dramas where dogs steal the spotlight. There is Pororo in Uncontrollably Fond distracting from the role of actor Kim Woo Bin, or the hairy pooch in Coffee Prince befriending the lead actress. In Behind Your Touch, a psychic veterinarian comes across some cute animals. And, of course, in A Good Day to be a Dog, there is handsome Cha Eun Woo with a dog as a love interest but is actually a woman.
Rise of the Pet Economy in Korea
Statista has reported that Korea had 22,000 pet-related establishments in 2022, and this is continuously increasing. And in 2023, expenses related to the care of pets skyrocketed. We can relate! We all cherish our precious pets and lavish them with love. Spoil them, even. This is the exact sentiment of Jan Buenaflor, and her D’ Spinmix Company Inc., where she is the managing director and VP for marketing and operations. The business carries the complete lines of Korean brands Breezy Tail and Olaolab.
Luxury Spa Products for Pampered Pooches
D’ Spinmix has four kinds of shampoos and body washes for dogs, including one that is whitening, for white dogs, of course. There is the PetO’CERA Body Wash Plus, providing a hypoallergenic skin barrier. It contains hyaluronic acid to take care of itchiness, dandruff and dead skin cells. Another product is the PetO’CERA Body Wash Nourishing, which improves the moisture of the skin barrier by 76 percent after one-time usage. These products are made with the exclusive and patented PetO’CERA Skincare formula.
Jan claims that these products are safe, even for humans. “Actually, I also use the shampoo and the mists. It’s super-safe because it has three types of ceramides and three types of hyaluronic acid called PSF, a patented technology of PetO’CERA.”
Premium spa products for dogs are also available for a more luxurious experience of pampered pets. Mineral bath salts for removing dead skin cells and a rose salt bath for moisturizing and soothing are amazing products. A marine salt bath is intended for “trouble care,” which I interpret as calming. I can just imagine my darling Chihuahuas relaxing in a tub of these mineral salts and just chilling.
“I have five furbabies. They use all the products,” according to Jan, who is a dog lover herself. “They were the ones who tried them first. They are happy, and I am very happy, too, with how soft and how moisturized their skin and coats are. And the most important thing is, they smell super-good! “
The relationship with our dogs is good for our heart and soul,” she continues. “They are loyal, they make us laugh, they listen to us without judgment. Dog parents spoil their dogs because… happy dogs make for happy fur parents!”
D’ Spinmix recently had a successful pop-up called “Pup-up: A Good Day to be with Your Dog” in Quezon City. It was attended by as many as 30 dogs and their fur parents. Their plans for the near future include expansion of their distribution nationwide.
“We plan to be in the supermarkets, pet shops, and specialty stores. I will soon be launching our pet treats (including collabs with famous eateries, watch out for this!). All are made and manufactured in Korea. We have two or three more products in our premium spa lines, coming in April or May.”
Jan is an avid K-drama and K-pop fan (she is an EXO-L — fans will know what this means), so I asked her if there is a K-drama dog she likes. She jokingly replied, the one in the Cha Eun Woo drama, because the dog gets to kiss the handsome star.
But on a serious note, our pets are worthy of spoiling; they deserve it for their unconditional love and loyalty to us. They are family. Now is their time to enjoy life to the max — because it’s a good day to be a dog.
You can order their products online. Visit iIG pup_up.ph.
