Jennifer Yen, founder and CEO of pūrlisse, talks about the importance of finding beauty in failure and how these lessons can take you even further in your life.
I started my career as an actress when I played the Power Rangers villainess, Vypra. The combination of being under heavy makeup and harsh lights for 15 hours a day took a serious toll on my skin. I developed rosacea, psoriasis, and adult acne – my skin was wrecked.
I tried everything and went to many dermatologists but nothing worked. This led me to re-discover my Chinese heritage. Growing up, my grandmother would brew white tea and use it as an antiseptic. She would also make soy milk to wash her face with. These were some of my grandmother’s beauty secrets that inspired me to create pūrlisse.
However, starting my entrepreneurial journey during the recession, I almost lost everything. Let me tell you, failing at the beginning of my journey wasn’t easy for me. I lost my confidence, pride, and dignity.
Luckily, I had great friends that supported me during this dark time. I believe there is beauty in failure because you have no choice but to rebuild yourself. I chose to get back up after being knocked down. I made a promise to myself that on my way back up, I would use my influence for good and help other women. Now, I’m an entrepreneur and a co-parenting mother, and, thankfully, I’m thriving!
After giving birth to my daughter, my health and complexion took another serious hit. This actually led me to revisit another tradition in Chinese medicine that was used by my mother, grandmother, and many generations past dating all the way back to 2000 years ago. Zuo Yue Zi, also known as “Sitting the Month,” is when a new mother takes a one month break right after birth in order to rest and replenish her body through consuming superfoods. This process led me back to health and completely restored the glow in my complexion, which inspired me to start my second brand YENSA, the Superfood Cosmetic.
Like the blue lotus flower, our lives are constantly evolving and expanding and it’s up to us to keep reinventing ourselves and keep going. All the unexpected challenges that were thrown my way, no matter how painful, were needed to prepare me for the next phase of life. All the experience I’ve gained throughout the years has shaped me into the person I am today.