#5Minuteswith Jennifer Yen of Purlisse and Yensa

By Nikki Walton

Jennifer Yen is a dynamo- former actress (from the 1990s Power Rangers, the best Power Rangers!), philanthropist, single mommy, and entrepreneurial superstar. She’s been featured as a beauty expert by Refinery29.com, Health, Self, Allure, Marie Claire, VOGUE, Teen Vogue and plenty more.  And has celeb fans of her pūrlisse and YENSA lines to include Cardi B, Jamie Chung, and Whitney Port, among others.
As a single mom, Jennifer is passionate about supporting women, children and education. She is on the Leadership team of Visionary Women, on the host committee of Rise of the Female
Entrepreneur, host for Children Action Network, board member of Cayton Children Museum and advisor to Independent School Alliance. Jennifer also gives back to the beauty industry by contributing to Look Good Feel Better, a foundation that supports women battling the effects of cancer. For YENSA Beauty, Yen has partnered with Dress For Success for an International Women’s Day campaign, supporting a charity that inspires women to seek economic independence.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with her to chat about her beauty and self-care routines! Check it out!
On her morning routine…
I can’t get started without my coffee with almond milk!  On most days, I take a moment to reflect and write in my journal.  With our current conditions, I have been starting my day feeling grateful that my team and I can work from home. 
 
On why she created pūrlisse and now, YENSA and the Dress for Success give-back campaign…
Before starting pūrlisse, I was an actress on Power Rangers. I had to spend 15 hours a day under bright lights with heavy makeup, which really wrecked my skin. After trying everything and having no luck, I started to rediscover my Grandmother’s Asian beauty rituals. I instantly saw a difference in my skin. I was determined to bring these rituals to everyone around the world, and so I created  pūrlisse!
After giving birth to my daughter, I was again faced with troubled skin. My mother insisted that I participate in “Zuo Zue Zi”, a 2000-year-old tradition in Chinese Medicine where a new mother sits out a month right after birth, in order to rest and heal her body by integrating superfoods into their daily routine. This inspired me to start my second brand, YENSA.
On her vision for her businesses and multicultural women going forward…
When I started both companies, I told myself that I would make it my mission to uplift, empower and embrace the diversity in beauty. Which is why I’ve partnered with Dress for Success for International Women’s Day for the past two years. My goal has always been to create products that not only make you feel beautiful, but are also good for you and your skin.
On her best and most effective lifestyle habits…  
I’ve made it a point to get my body moving daily, even if it’s going for a 10-minute walk or taking an hour long pilates class, everything counts. I’ve also started juicing with my daughter and she loves it. It’s a great way to keep healthy and spend some quality time with her. I realized it’s essential for me to take a few moments for myself every day, it really calms me and helps in all aspects of my life.
On her biggest lesson learned in 2019…
So much has happened since 2019 – but right now the most important lessons in my life and business are:  It’s always a brilliant idea to live within your means, create under constraints and to never be wasteful. 
On what she’s reading right now…
I am reading, “She Said” and it’s a fantastic book that keeps me on edge as the authors Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey are fearless in their search for the truth.  The book goes into detail about our legal system, outdated sexual harassment laws and the complicated process of exposing powerful people. 
On what’s up next…
YENSA just launched on QVC! Our first episode was on International Women’s Day and we are so excited to further this opportunity. We just launched our newest product on YENSA, our Super 8 Lip Oil which we are really excited about as well: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0-mztg5xuA&w=560&h=315]
Stay tuned for many new product launches coming up for both brands!
Show Ms. Yen some love in the comments!