Jeannie Mai Jenkins tells ET why she started using clean beauty and wellness products after welcoming her daughter.
Mom on the go! Jeannie Mai Jenkins welcomed her daughter, Monaco, with husband Jeezy in January 2022. Since becoming a mother, the TV personality has found a new way to balance her career, marriage, and more, all while making time for self-care.
Before going about her day, Jenkins makes sure to reset by having time to herself, which she refers to as her own personal "happy hour."
“My current wellness hour starts with a good happy hour of my damn self. That means doing whatever I want in that hour of me. It means watching my most ratchet reality shows, or taking a nice bath where I extra exfoliate the good parts. [It means] I'm not going to breast pump, and instead, feed my baby formula because it causes me too much stress," she tells ET while at the Owl’s Brew Boozy BeauTEA Lounge at the 2022 BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, California, on May 13.
When it comes to managing her various roles, The Real co-host's motto is to just do it.
"I think every mom is balancing many things. Even in childcare, it's not just balancing the baby. It's balancing the laundry for the baby, it’s the sanitizing of the bottles, it's breast pumping, it's making sure to refill and stock the essentials that the baby needs. Whatever it may be, there is a lot of balancing, so just doing it is exactly what women are so good at doing. We just get it done," she explains.
Jenkins also notes the importance of taking care of herself, so that she can instill the same healthy practices in her daughter.
“The only way I can teach Monaco about a healthy lifestyle is to do it myself. ... I want to instill confidence in Monaco by teaching her to own her truth. ... I'm starting now by cleaning my cabinet of things that aren't clean, making wise choices, and being more conscious that my dollar has power to support companies and founders who care," she shares.
One line Jenkins is loving right now is Owl's Brew boozy tea, a female-owned hard seltzer brand, where she is Chief Brand Officer.
"Every time I drink Owl’s Brew, I feel that the party's about to start, and I’m also taking care of myself in the process. Tea has such great natural botanicals that are good for your skin and good for your mind," she says.
The same sentiment applies to her skincare regimen, which the 43-year-old switched up after becoming a mom.
“I used to just use any product that would clean my skin or fuel me, and I didn’t really pay attention to labels or ingredients. When I became a mother, one of my first jobs of breastfeeding was making sure I was consuming the right ingredients so that it would be healthy for the baby, and when I saw that a lot of the things I was consuming were not healthy for the baby, I was shocked," she reveals.
"I was told during the time of breastfeeding, I should look out for myself and use more clean products. I thought, 'Why only do that when I'm breastfeeding? I should do that all the time!' Because of Monaco, I've been able to live a completely clean diet from makeup, to bath care, to beauty essentials, to food and diet and beverage," Jenkins adds.
Another aspect of her life that has changed is her workout schedule, led by her husband.
“My husband has become my trainer, and Jeezy runs a mean ship. He adds extra reps, he adds extra weights, but he also adds extra kisses at the end, so it’s been working out good," she jokes.
Owl's Brew boozy teas are gluten-free and vegan and spiked to 4.8% ABV. The brand is available at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Total Wine, GoPuff and more.
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