At the turn of Y2K, before Jennifer Yen was a beauty entrepreneur, she was Vypra, a demon warrior named for a viper in “Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue” The kids’ show was a spinoff of the iconic 1990s superhero television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. 

 

For Yen, 15-hour days in heavy makeup, a steel bustier, headpiece and wings made her keen on ways to revive her skin. A decade later, after she gave birth to her daughter, she experienced vexing skin conditions from psoriasis to rosacea. 

 

Today, the show business retiree is playing the role of beauty entrepreneur thanks to Zuo Zue Zi—a 2,000-year-old Asian post-childbirth practice that loosely translates from Chinese as “Sitting the Month.” Rooted in Chinese Medicine, it involves the mother resting and healing her body with the incorporation of superfoods into her diet and lifestyle. Yen, who was introduced this practice her by her mother and grandmother, found that superfoods brought vitality and radiance, not only to her mind and body but to her skin and hair.

 

“After bad skin, I went to so many dermatologists, I tried everything and nothing was working,” she told HAPPI. “So, I started diving into my heritage. The ingredients my grandmother taught me, and that’s what got me into beauty. I was eating Black chicken soup with black rice, sautéed with black sesame oil, black seaweed, and black mushrooms and this brought radiance and vitality back into my skin. I wanted to take the superfood concept and create superfood skincare infused makeup.”

 

This beauty inside-out approach morphed into a growing business inclusive of makeup (Yensa), skincare (Purlisse) and most recently, hair care (JooY).

 

“Between Power Rangers and then me giving birth and my mom taking care of me and learning about ingredients like Blue Lotus and white tea these have really moisturizing, antiseptic properties with my first brand Purlisse, I always knew I wanted to lead with my heritage,” Yen explained. “These time-tested beauty rituals that I learned from my grandmother, my aunt, my mom. When I think about the history of it, how our culture is so old, and so much wisdom passed down, I always wanted to lead with that.”

 

Yen’s makeup brand, Yensa – which means “color” in Chinese – was recently featured on QVC. It offers complexion cosmetics formulated with eight superfood blends to promote graceful aging and inspire women to face the world with confidence, so they can live their “yen,” per the brand. The number eight in Chinese culture is an emblem for infinite possibilities, prosperity, and great health.  

 

“When I think about how we live our lives, how we are trained to use serums and moisturizers, and eye creams at night, but why aren’t we expecting the same from our makeup when we’re awake out and about?” Yen mused. “What we put on our face during the day should have the same skincare benefit [at night].”

Yen said she views makeup application as a time-honored tradition to beautify oneself – the true meaning of which is feeling great about the products she’s using on her skin.

 

Distinguished by its bronze packaging, Yensa Beauty’s multi-tasking products are formulated without parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, phthalates and triclosan. They contain eight superfoods: black rice; nettle; Korean black raspberry; chia seed; black seaweed; shiitake mushroom; black sesame oil; and black tea. 

 

Tea-based skincare is emerging as a frontrunner in a green beauty. In fact, per Persistance Market Research, the global tea-based skin care products market is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 9.2% to reach more than $1 billion by the end of 2031.

 

Yensa’s Super Glow 2-in-1 Radiance Polishing Mask contains pumpkin turmeric and vitamin C plus a Super C-8 Essence inclusive of guava, ginseng, turmeric, grapefruit, orange, pineapple, mango oil, maca and pumpkin. The mask – which is left on for five to 10 minutes – is gently rubbed off the face with warm water to exfoliate skin. The mask is gentle enough to be used up to four times weekly.

 

With a fresh slate, Yensa’s Skin on Skin BC Foundation is a BB + CC full coverage foundation with SPF 40. It has a built-in concealer that brightens and evens skin tone, minimizing the appearance of pores, blurring imperfections like redness and uneven skin tone, fine lines, and wrinkles. The Super Serum Silk Cream Blush delivers “intense color payoff” with flattering colors like Moody Mauve. 

 

The Super Serum Silk Concealer contains vitamins C and E, ferulic acid and bakuchiol. The concealer has a doe-foot applicator that can be blotted on undereye circles and blended with the fingertips to conceal darkness. 

 

Yensa’s lipsticks deliver rich pigment with shades like “Virtue” and “Inspire” – both of which are on the brown spectrum. The lipsticks are dispensed with the push of a button, pulled out and twisted up. 

 

Yensa also touts superfood-infused lip oils, which are rising in popularity based on search data from beauty trend tracker Spate. Yensa’s Luxe Lip Oil features eight “superoils” including coconut, rice bran, avocado and chia seeds, black sesame and flaxseed, along with vitamin E. 

 

The complexion cosmetics brand also cares for brows. Yensa’s Brows on Brows’ eyebrow pencil is angled to help create the perfect arch, while the Super Defining Gel holds thick-haired brows in place.  

 

Yen said the biggest piece of feedback she received was from Yensa users who said her products improved their skin.

 

“To me that’s the greatest compliment, because it means the skincare is truly working for them,” she said.

For Earth Day 2024, Yen branched out into haircare with a new scalp care brand called JooY. 

 

Similar to Yensa Beauty, JooY is powered by fermented superfoods and rooted in Asian heritage to redefine scalp care as an extension of skincare.

 

JooY launched with five core products: Clarify Shampoo, Clarify Conditioner, Soothing Scalp Serum, Scalp Resurfacing Serum and Scalp Energizing Brush. 

 

Used pre-cleanse, the Scalp Resurfacing Serum is formulated with papaya, apple cider vinegar, peppermint, salicylic acid and nettle leaf. it provides exfoliation benefits while effectively removing buildup. It can be used up to twice weekly and in tandem with wash cycles.

 

The Clarify Shampoo is formulated with blueberry and apple cider vinegar and other key ingredients like peppermint, tea tree oil and aloe to remove buildup, strengthen follicles, and restore balance to the scalp. JooY Clarify Conditioner  is what the brand dubs a “weightless” moisturizing conditioner formulated with fermented apple cider vinegar, witch hazel, avocado and tea tree oil to lock in moisture, soothe scalp irritation and fight frizz. The hair and scalp are left with a fresh lemony scent.  

 

To increase the effectiveness of the shampoo and conditioner, JooY’s Scalp Stimulating Massager uses soft rubber bristles designed to increase blood flow and circulation to the scalp to promote healthy hair growth and reduce hair loss. The device can be used in the shower before applying the Clarify Shampoo and Scalp Resurfacing Serum to optimize the products’ haircare benefits, per the brand.

 

Soothing Scalp Serum is a leave-in serum formulated with rice water, blueberry and apple cider vinegar and other skincare ingredients like niacinamide, witch hazel and algae. It detoxifies the scalp and soothes sensitivity. The serum is dubbed by brand marketers as the “ultimate solution for uncomfortable, stressed-out scalps.” It is effective in relieving itchiness and flaking associated with dandruff. This serum can also be used twice weekly depending on wash cycles.