For Sarah, beauty is healthy hair and skin

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

There was something different about actor, TV presenter, magazine editor and mother Sarah Sechan when she showed up as an MC at a beauty promotion recently.

Seven beds were set up in the ballroom of the Nikko Hotel to create the atmosphere of girls' bedroom and Sarah was wearing pajamas.

"I am wearing pajamas because this event was designed as a Slumber Party. I see from here that you also enjoy sitting on the beds," said Sarah, opening the launch of the Sunsilk Circle of Beauty promotion here.

Mom to 18-month old son Rajata, Sarah said she has cut down on work for the sake of her family, choosing jobs that didn't spend so much of her time.

However, by most people's standards Sarah remains busy. Often working as an MC, she still finds time to be a presenter for music programs and has kept her job as deputy chief editor for Cosmogirl Indonesia magazine.

"After (this) job as an MC, I will return home for my son. For me, my family is the most important," she told The Jakarta Post after the event.

"I want to be the first person he sees in the morning and the last one before he sleeps at night," Sarah said.

Unlike many other artists that often visit beauty salons, Sarah who played Olga in TV series Olga dan Sepatu Roda (Olga and the Wheeled-Shoes) says that she rarely seeks beauty treatments but still pays attention to her looks.

"I focus on my hair and my skin," she said.

During her childhood and teens, Sarah had long and black hair -- thanks to her mother, Kusmiati, who always stressed on the importance of hair treatment.

She says her mother wanted her and her sister to have long and black hair -- which she saw as a true reflection of Indonesian beauty.

"To this day, I have continued hair treatments like the use of cream baths and hair tonics. I cleanse my hair once every two days," she said.

In an attempt to keep her hair healthy, Sarah revealed she did not use commercial hair treatment products nor did she use a hair dryer.

"For me, the hair is the crown of a woman. Therefore, we have to keep our hair healthy. If our hair is not healthy, it is not good to look at," she said.