Jennifer Yen, the founder of beauty companies Purlisse and Yensa, has seamlessly integrated traditional Asian ingredients into her product lines.
In her conversation with Boston University, Jennifer shares valuable insights into her entrepreneurial journey and the transformative power of traditional Asian remedies in the beauty industry.
Growing up in a Chinese American family, Yen was exposed to the healing power of traditional remedies from an early age. From her grandmother’s soothing green tea to her mother’s revitalizing black rice and mushroom soups, Yen realized that these remedies could be translated into effective skincare products. Her own struggles with sensitive skin and adult acne, exacerbated by her acting career (she portrayed Vypra in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue), further motivated her to create a restorative, clean-beauty line.
In 2008, Yen launched her first company, Purlisse, featuring a range of products infused with ingredients passed down through generations. And in 2018, Yen introduced Yensa Beauty, a cosmetics line infused with eight Asian “SuperBlacks,” including black rice and black seaweed. Inspired by her mother’s vitality-boosting meals, Yensa aims to modernize Asian cultural wisdom for everyday women.
While Purlisse caters to a millennial audience, Yensa primarily targets Gen X customers, tailoring products to their unique requirements.
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