
@jembyjem
Some of Jessica Monzalvo‘s favorite childhood moments were spent creating DIY face masks with her grandmother. Now, the makeup artist turned beauty founder is honoring those special memories with SKIN by jem, an all-natural skincare line that pays homage to Monzalvo’s Mexican roots. We sat down with Monzalvo to chat about the inspiration behind the brand, her skincare routine, and the importance of Latinx representation in the beauty industry.
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“Whether it’s your skin healing, or whether it’s your healing…whatever that journey might be, it all takes time.”
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Papaya Glow Oil has a combination of different carrier oils that go really well with oily and dry skin. There’s a crazy myth that if you have oily skin, you should stay away from oils. But when your skin actually lacks oil regulation, it produces more oil! When you use an oil on oily skin, it helps regulate the oils that your skin is producing. We use jojoba seed oil, which is one of the oils that resembles our natural sebum, sunflower oil, which gives you this really amazing glow, and Grape seed oil, which is really great for acne-prone skin. The key ingredient is papaya seed oil, which has natural enzymes that remove dead skin cells. It’s very mild, and it gives you this beautiful glow.
Strawberry Dreams Facial Steam is such a bougie blend; it smells so amazing. It was created to give you that sense of being at a spa. Whenever I did facials before the pandemic, my favorite part of the experience was the steam. It cleanses the skin, promotes blood circulation, and makes you feel nice and relaxed. It has jasmine green tea, which is detoxifying and soothing, strawberry leaves which are anti-aging, ashwagandha which helps when you’re taking long, deep breaths to relieve stress, and hibiscus flower is also super detoxifying.

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This entire journey has been such a humbling experience. I truly don’t take anything that has happened for granted — everything that has happened is just such a blessing. Many people don’t talk about God, or they feel embarrassed when they do. But for me, growing up Mexican, it’s such a big part of our culture. Not to say that I’m a super religious person, but I’m definitely very spiritual, and at the end of the day, I feel like none of this was created by myself. I always feel like a higher power is guiding me and helping me through these situations.
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Pictured above: Jessica and her grandmother.