Inside YENSA: Jennifer Yen’s Superfood-Powered Beauty Vision

Haute Living sits down with Jennifer Yen, the founder and CEO of YENSA, a superfood-powered cosmetics brand rooted in Asian heritage and elevated by modern performance. Many may remember Yen as the villainess Vypra on Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue, but her transformation from on-screen actress to beauty entrepreneur is a story of visionary reinvention. Years of wearing intense stage makeup took a toll on her complexion, prompting Yen to seek gentler solutions in the traditional Chinese beauty rituals her mother and grandmother had passed down.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of YENSA

Drawing on these age-old remedies (think nutrient-rich black rice, shiitake mushrooms, and antioxidant-rich black teas), Yen distilled her heritage into YENSA, which merges time-honored ingredients with cutting-edge skin science. The result is a line of luxurious, high-performance formulas that honor ancient wisdom while embracing modern innovation. As a visionary Asian-American founder, Yen is redefining luxury beauty through cultural authenticity, innovation, and a wellness-centric ethos, proving that true radiance is a harmonious blend of heritage and modern science.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of YENSA

Haute Living (HL): You had a unique start as an actress. Fans remember you as the villainess Vypra on Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue. What inspired your leap from acting to founding your own beauty companies? Was there a specific moment that sparked your transition into the skincare industry?

Jennifer Yen (JY): My journey into beauty began from a place of personal need. During my acting days on  Power Rangers, I spent 15 hours a day under bright lights and heavy stage makeup. My skin reacted, I developed rosacea and eczema, my skin broke out, became sensitive, and it took a toll on my confidence.  I tried everything, and nothing worked, and this led me to rediscover my grandmother’s healing beauty rituals: white tea, soy milk, ginger, and other traditional remedies passed down through generations. When I returned to those roots, my skin began to heal, and so did I. That was the spark that led to Purlisse, a way to share that same wisdom through modern skincare.

HL: Do any lessons from your acting career help you as a beauty entrepreneur? You’ve mentioned that good storytelling makes for great actors —and that stories also sell products. How have performance skills like presenting and connecting with an audience influenced how you build your brands?

JY: Absolutely. Acting taught me invaluable lessons about rejection, resilience, and the power of connection. First comes the rejection, and I faced plenty of it, both as an actress and as an entrepreneur. Then comes resilience, the ability to keep going, doing, and believing even when no one else does. And ultimately, connection, because to truly move people, you have to be authentic.

As a former actress, I’m comfortable in front of the camera and in connecting with an audience. Acting taught me how to tell stories that evoke emotion. As a founder, I use that same skill to share the beauty rituals passed down by the women in my family and to create brands that resonate on a deeper level,  beyond what’s inside the bottle. Whether I’m presenting on QVC, speaking at a trend show, or developing campaigns, I always think about how our products make people feel.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of YENSA

HL: As the founder and CEO of two beauty companies, Purlisse and Yensa, how do you balance and differentiate the two? How do their visions and audiences differ, and what has it been like managing both as part of your entrepreneurial journey?

JY: Purlisse and YENSA share the same inspiration: my heritage, but they express it differently. Purlisse is rooted in simplicity and gentle efficacy. It’s clean, effective, and inspired by time-honored Asian rituals reimagined for sensitive skin. YENSA, which means “color” in Chinese, was born after I became a mother. It celebrates empowerment, vitality, and living colorfully. YENSA is superfood-powered makeup and  with performance-driven makeup,  it’s about facing the world with confidence and joy. Managing both is a balancing act, but they represent different chapters of my life,  and both tell the story of modern Asian beauty through different lenses.

HL: During your Power Rangers days, long hours in heavy makeup took a toll on your skin. You’ve said that rediscovering your grandmother’s white tea and herbal remedies helped heal your breakouts and rebuild your confidence. How did that experience lead to the creation of Purlisse, and what gap in the market were you hoping to fill?

JY: When I was struggling with my skin, I tried all the organic, clean, and high-end products and went to several dermatologists, and nothing worked.  I searched for products that were gentle yet effective for my sensitive skin, with healing and soothing ingredients inspired by Asian rituals.  This was the gap I wanted to fill.  I wanted products that would give me results without irritation.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of YENSA

HL: After the birth of your daughter, you experienced the traditional Chinese postpartum practice Zuo Yue Zi, where superfood-rich meals are prepared for recovery. How did that cultural experience inspire Yensa?

JY: During Zuo Yue Zi, my mother took care of me and prepared nourishing soups with black mushrooms, black rice, and seaweed along with other powerful Superfoods.  I felt incredible, and this brought back my energy and glow.  I felt the transformation.  This inspired me to bring this concept to makeup – how can my skin glow on the surface but have hardworking Superfoods underneath?  YENSA is Superfood Skincare-Powered Makeup: what you feed your skin matters just as much as what you feed your body.  

HL: Can you discuss how your Asian heritage and practices, such as incorporating black rice, mushrooms, and other superfoods, shape Yensa’s philosophy and its approach to beauty from the inside out?

JY: My Chinese-American heritage is at the heart of everything I create. Growing up, I watched my grandmother and mother use ingredients we ate from the kitchen as their beauty remedies, such as Soymilk for cleansing, Black Sesame Oil for moisturizing, Black rice water for moisturizing, Black Seaweed for brightening, and teas for balance. YENSA takes those same time-honored ingredients and transforms them into modern, high-performing makeup. Women in my family are obsessed with beautiful, healthy skin.  And the glow starts with intention and nourishment from the inside out.  

HL: Yensa is known as a superfood-infused cosmetics line powered by the 8 SuperBlacks Essence, featuring ingredients such as black sesame, black tea, and shiitake mushrooms. How do you merge ancient Asian botanical wisdom with modern skincare science when formulating products?

JY: I respect both timeless beauty secrets and science.  We start with nourishing ingredients rooted in superfoods that have been used for centuries to support health, beauty, and longevity, then work with chemists to power them with modern science and formulas.  It’s about balance: honoring my heritage while creating high-performing products for the everyday, modern woman. That’s how the 8 SuperBlacks Essence was born,  a fusion of heritage and high-tech innovation that represents the best of both worlds.

HL: What’s your process for selecting these superfood ingredients and pairing them with actives like peptides, vitamin C, ferulic acid, and bakuchiol to ensure both authenticity and efficacy?

JY: Our mission is to always marry timeless rituals with cutting-edge skin science.  Each Superfood ingredient we use has a family history and has true nutritional value, such as Black Sesame Oil and Shitake Mushroom.  Then we power them with gold-standard anti-aging, science-backed ingredients, so our products nourish and protect your skin while delivering beautiful, natural-looking coverage.

HL: The Super Serum Silk Foundation is a signature Yensa product — a foundation that doubles as skincare, enriched with peptides and age-defying vitamins. What was your vision in creating a formula that delivers full coverage while improving skin health over time?

JY: I’m at a stage and age in my life where I expect more from my makeup, and it needs to work as hard as I do.  I wanted to create a foundation that I can wear every day, that looks natural, makes my skin look flawless, but also cares for it at the same time – covering, correcting, and caring for my skin.  

HL: Your Super Silk Bounce Cream Blush is more than a color cosmetic — it nourishes the skin with the same 8 SuperBlacks Essence for a dewy, airbrushed finish. Why was it important to you that even a blush provides skincare benefits? What went into perfecting its texture and finish?

JY: I believe every step of your beauty routine should serve your skin. With Serum Silk Cream Blush, I wanted to create a formula that brought back that fresh, healthy flush we naturally have when our skin is happy. We tested dozens of versions to perfect the bouncy, cushiony texture that melts into the skin like silk.   Infusing it with the 8 SuperBlacks Essence gives it that glow-from-within look while delivering antioxidants and hydration. 

HL: The Luxe Lip Oil merges lip care and color with an 8 SuperOils blend for hydration and shine. What inspired you to elevate a traditional lip gloss into a nourishing treatment? How does it embody your philosophy of combining superfoods and science in every formula?

JY: Our lips don’t have oil glands, so they tend to get dry and parched easily.  I wanted to reinvent lip color as something that nourishes and hydrates your lips while delivering beautiful pigment and color.  Traditional lip products deliver great color, but glosses can be sticky or drying, so I formulated the Luxe Lip Oil with 8 SuperOils, including coconut, avocado, and chia seeds. It’s like a superfood smoothie for your lips, from within. 

To shop YENSA, visit their website.