However, Rosalina had also been an advocate for organic farming for years. After buying the pili oil, she began extensively conducting research about its skincare benefits and the different ways the product can be used, such as soaps, lotions, creams, lipsticks, and massage oils.

She also worked together with the local Department of Agriculture and started looking into pili pulp oil extraction, as well as ways to teach the farmers methods of tapping the Pili trees without harming them.

During all the research and years of promoting the oil, the purchases had also continued.

“That one bottle became two, became three, became a gallon. Eventually, half of my warehouse became pili oil na. And then my mom, she just kept on buying,” said Mary Jane Tan Ong, co-founder of Pili Ani and daughter of Rosalina Tan.

Mary Jane is an entrepreneur specializing in trade and distribution at one of the largest companies in the Philippines. With years of deeply ingrained business instinct, Mary Jane figured that this system was no longer sustainable. She had to step in and turn it into a business that could generate profit. After conducting further research, the mother-daughter duo eventually realized that it was time to materialize their ideas and turn pili as a skincare ingredient into an actual brand.

The Mission for Philippine Pili

When Pili Ani had not yet existed, Rosalina Tan had been very vocal about her intention to pursue pili as a passion project: to make Philippine pili known to the world

Mary Jane’s starting point, on the other hand, was simply business, until she herself discovered the power of the oil and its potential as an export product.

“Basically, it is better than argan oil in terms of moisturizing properties, and it’s comparable to olive oil. It’s rich in carotenoids,” added Mary Jane as she reminisced about the early days of Pili Ani.

In 2016, Pili Ani officially launched in the Philippines, and debuted a year later at Cosmoprof North America in Las Vegas.

Mary Jane shared her experience during the launch in the US, “Everybody was so excited. Everybody was like, ‘Wow, this is from the Philippines.” First time lang narinig ang Pilipinas, and then there’s an oil like that. It took me how many years to build that.”

Over a decade later, Pili Ani remains consistent in its mission by offering premium pili skincare products that reach international standards—recently extending its services to lifestyle and wellness with the launch of Pili Ani Lifestyle at Greenhills Mall in July 2026.

Pili Ani Lifestyle to establish P-Beauty

Pili Ani Lifestyle is an experiential extension of the brand that offers holistic wellness experiences and mindful living services grounded in Filipino heritage. Using pili oil- and elemi oil-powered products, Pili Ani Lifestyle allows customers to experience the rejuvenating effect of local ingredients and the hospitable care that comes with it.

We are shifting to Philippine Wellness Rituals. You know how we have K-Beauty, J-Beauty, so what about P-Beauty?” said Mary Jane when asked about her strategies for the brand. “Ang P-Beauty is more about caring, ‘cause you know how very hospitable the Filipinos are. That’s how we want [Pili Ani] to be remembered, because everything that we create is created with care.”

She also mentioned the struggle for educating people about pili. “It’s very hard for people to understand what pili [and elemi oil] is all about. For a small country [that people abroad do not know about], what more ‘yung mga ingredients natin.”

This desire to make pili globally recognized and appreciated for its potential is what drove the founders of Pili Ani to extend to wellness services and build a lifestyle center.

Pili Oil and Elemi Oil: The Golden Liquids of the Pili Tree

The Philippine pili tree (Canarium ovatum) produces not only one, but two precious oils called the pili pulp oil and the elemi resin oil.

While both oils are extracted from trees belonging to the Canarium genus, they serve completely different global markets and have distinct levels of commercial penetration.

The elemi oil has long been recognized internationally for its anti-aging properties. It firms and tightens the skin, clarifies the skin tone, and minimizes the appearance of pores. An Inquirer article on pili in 2011 even named top luxury brands that source elemi oil from the Philippines and use it in their products, including Chanel, Gucci, Dior, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, and Marc Jacobs.

The story of elemi oil in Pili Ani’s brand is similar to that of pili oil. Rosalina found out that foreign brands were buying them from Philippine farmers at a disappointingly low price and decided to purchase them for double to triple the price.

Of course, top luxury brands wouldn’t be buying it for shallow reasons. The benefits of elemi oil come in three ways: refining the skin, cleansing the skin, and calming the senses. Since elemi oil is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic, it is an effective skin-cleansing agent that helps balance the skin’s natural oil simultaneously. It's also described as having a bright, peppery-resin aroma that uplifts and clears mental fog while soothing tension; this helps enhance focus and target stress and anxiety, which are primary causes of acne.

Pili oil, on the other hand, even now, remains an emerging product for skincare as the pili fruit is mostly only known for its nut. The pili nut is prized as a local delicacy and a superfood due to its health benefits. Due to people’s fascination with this, the rest of the pili fruit was seen as an “agricultural waste,” hence the late undertaking of modern commercial extraction of pili pulp oil.

The benefits of pili oil stem from its high amounts of antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamin E, which help rejuvenate, reinvigorate, and revitalize the skin. It was also scientifically proven to be more hydrating than well-known Argan, Rosehip, or Abyssinian oils. Its rich content in natural antioxidants protects the skin from elements that cause skin aging, particularly, free radical damage and other environmental aggressors.

According to Mary Jane, it takes 1,500 to 3,000 pili fruits to produce one liter of pili oil—making it truly rare and special.

Extension to Food: Pili Poppers at Pili Ani Lifestyle

One of the highlights of the Pili Ani Lifestyle launch was the appearance of Pili Poppers at the 1197 Cafe station adjacent to the store. This simultaneously marked the availability of Pili Poppers in its lifestyle center collection.

Read the full article: Singapore-developed snack “Pili Poppers” joins Pili Ani Lifestyle Grand Opening at Greenhills Mall

Pili Ani and Pili Poppers kicked off the partnership to highlight Philippine food and further champion the potential of local produce in a different category.

“I research the company. I would make sure that it’s grassroots. I will make sure na meron siyang advocacy,” said Mary Jane about how Pili Ani builds partnerships with like-minded local brands. “It has to have CSR. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose, because Pili Ani is here because we really want to give back.”

This also explains the partnership with 1197 Cafe, whose offerings are centered around Philippine ingredients as well, featuring avocado bars, calamansi bars, pili chocolate bar, and more.

Pili Poppers is a new Singapore-developed snack using hand-harvested Philippine pili nuts. It is currently available in seaweed flavor, with additional varieties already being explored. Future releases may include flavors inspired by Philippine ingredients, such as asin tibuok, the country's traditional artisanal sea salt, as well as plain roasted pili nuts that highlight the ingredient's natural flavor.

“I think everybody should try this. We’re working hard to make sure that people understand what Pili Poppers is,” said Mary Jane.

This extension proves that with the pili tree, the Philippines not only has a potent crop with export standards but also a cultural identity worthy of fostering.

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