Jennifer Yen understood healthy hair starts at its roots as she embarked on her next beauty venture.
The serial entrepreneur founded JooY, a scalp care brand dedicated to expanding the hair and beauty community’s focus on scalp care. JooY launched in April with a collection of five new products. Inside the collection are the brand’s Clarify Shampoo, Clarify Conditioner, and Scalp Energizing Brush, with its hero products being the Soothing Scalp Serum and Scalp Resurfacing Serum.
Tackling the beauty industry is not a new feat for Yen, who is also the founder of skincare and makeup brands Pürlisee and Yensa. Since forging her lane, the decision to expand her empire into scalp care came from a personal experience on her self-care journey.
Image Source: @jenyen1
Yen battled hair loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and was puzzled by the shedding. While searching for a solution, she leaned on her cultural roots for healing. In her youth, Yen said her grandmother and mother would emphasize the importance of maintaining a healthy scalp. As part of her Asian heritage, she grew up using fermented ingredients for skincare. She applied those lessons from her childhood and improved the health of her hair.
Yen infused her family’s haircare rituals into JooY’s formula by incorporating fermented superfood ingredients. Apple cider vinegar, algae, peppermint, avocado, rice water, ginger, and aloe are a few plant-based ingredients in the brand’s products.
NaturallyCurly spoke with Yen about the importance of scalp care, JooY’s mission, and the definition of success for a newly launched brand.
What inspired you to create a scalp care line, and what takeaways from your previous business experiences helped you build JooY?
My grandmother, mother, and aunt were obsessed with beauty while I was growing up. Hair was important, but my grandmother always told me that healthy hair starts at the scalp. They would use home remedies like black sesame oil, avocado, apple cider vinegar, and seaweed on their hair…When it comes to the scalp, it’s truly an extension of your face and skin and should be treated the same way.
After all the years of developing skincare, we took that knowledge and applied it directly to the scalp. I know the scalp is always an afterthought because we don’t see it. The same way you exfoliate your face once a week or every two weeks is the same idea with the scalp, with our Scalp Resurfacing Serum that clarifies, exfoliates, and cleanses it.
What other influences did you pull from your Asian heritage when developing your products and formula?
I always believe in remedies used for thousands of years by women and within the generations of women in my family. My aunt, grandmother, and mother have beautiful hair and skin, so I look at them and trust that these remedies were also used by their grandparents and aunts.
It 100% influenced the ingredients we used. Growing up, we ate a lot of fermented foods because they are really good for our digestive system. The fermentation process helps break down ingredients and gives rise to amino acids that help with deeper penetration. I learned about the fermentation process in my childhood, too.
Our tagline is “Never forget your roots.” In Asian culture, our roots go back thousands of years. We are raised to never forget where we’re from. The root of your life and family is the foundation for flourishing and growing.
How did you create the brand’s name, JooY?
Image Source: @officialmorejooy
If you look at our logo and icon, you will see that it’s the number eight. Eight is the luckiest number in Chinese culture. It symbolizes prosperity, great health, and infinite possibilities. So, each one of our products is infused with eight fermented superfoods.
I came up with JooY after reading an article in 2008 in which Gwyneth Paltrow said she used the two “o’s” in Google to come up with the name of her brand, Goop—Gwyneth Paltrow two “o’s.” I remembered that and thought JooY would be even better. So, it’s my initials with two “o’s” turned upside down to symbolize eight.
How are these products formulated to address and serve the needs of all hair types and textures?
We’re targeting the scalp, not so much hair. But we do have a clarifying shampoo and conditioner that is great for all hair types and textures. The gentle JooY Clarify Shampoo removes residue and buildup and prevents itchiness. The JooY Clarify Conditioner is lightweight enough to be used on the scalp and hair.
Why was sustainability an essential and intentional business decision that you upheld as part of the brand’s identity?
Image Source: @officialmorejooy
I always considered sustainability when developing JooY. By the time I developed it, more packaging options were available, and it wasn’t cost-prohibited. All of our products and tubes use 30% post-consumer recycled material. We also have large refillables.
We need that for our environment, and the new generation needs to be conscious of sustainability. I would love to see more packaging innovation around that.
What does growth and success look like for you that’s unrelated to a monetary value?
Partnering with the right retailers with our ethos – clean beauty and sustainability. For women and men, they genuinely love our beauty products and know what we’re doing. This is a product you need to feel. It’s not like makeup, where you can see it right away. But you’re able to feel it right away.
Have you checked out JooY’s products? Let us know in the comments.
