Beauty Boss: Culinary Esthetician Jennifer Villegas Sanford Created Shimmer Chef in Her Kitchen With Nourishing Ingredients and Skin-Healing Recipes

Jennifer Villegas Sanford.

Our latest Beauty Boss is Jennifer Villegas Sanford, Founder of Shimmer Chef—a living skincare line that features all-natural, nourishing ingredients and skin-healing family recipes passed down from her Mexican grandmother, along with recipes that Sanford has created through experimenting in her kitchen.

As a teenager, she discovered the power of Mexican Folk Medicine through her grandmother Juanita, who shared an ancient family salve recipe that successfully treated Sanford’s chronic cystic acne when prescription and OTC medications weren’t able to help.

Sanford eventually became a licensed esthetician and graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute Culinary School, and while she was working as an official Health-Supportive Culinary Arts Chef at Provenance Meals, she learned all about how living foods protect, heal, and transform our bodies, inside and out.

She also expanded her knowledge on Ayurveda while earning her yoga and meditation certification, and ultimately decided to create Shimmer Chef using herbs, vegetables, and fruits that rebalance, fortify, and sustain skin. All of the brand’s formulas are organic, Made-Safe Certified, and require refrigeration in order to maintain peak freshness and efficacy.

We chatted with Sanford who shared the inspiration behind the brand, secrets for success, best advice, and much more.

Shimmer Chef is a living skincare line formulated with all-natural ingredients and skin-healing family recipes.

When was Shimmer Chef founded and what does the name mean?

Shimmer Chef has been evolving, growing, and refining our products for the last seven years, but we officially launched in November 2024.

“Shimmer” is a unique, happy, and mysterious word—it captures both an internal and external energy of light and beauty. As a trained Culinary Arts Health Supportive Chef, I chose the name Shimmer Chef because we intentionally craft superfood formulas that affect both mood and appearance in such a positive, shimmery way.

What inspired the creation of your brand?

There were a few things in the mix. I had personally benefited from my grandmother Juanita’s handmade poultice—it was seriously the only thing that helped when I was struggling with chronic cystic acne as a teen. The positive results predisposed me to a natural approach to skincare.

But it was finding my four daughters in neon face masks filled with chemicals that really pushed me into the kitchen. I became obsessed with creating superfood products for my family and friends. The results were so striking that I went on to train as a chef and a licensed esthetician to work with experts in both fields.

And when we all started seeing and feeling the difference—and people started asking what we were using—we knew we were onto something!

Do you have a hero product?

Our Honey Lime Polenta Face & Neck Plaster is the OG. It’s the very first product we made, and it was inspired by my grandmother’s poultice.

But our Apple Cider Mignonette Vitamin C Accelerator is our secret mother sauce. It’s a nine-day labor of love: we use our proprietary Vitamin C Infusion Technique to ferment a rotation of citrus peels to create living, concentrated, bioaccessible nutrients that support the skin’s acid mantle.

The finished formula is in six of our nine products. It’s so incredibly versatile and works wonders to support the skin barrier and acid mantle. Truly, that’s the key to happy, balanced skin.

Favorite products from the brand?

They’re all great, so it’s hard to pick. I love the Apple Cider Mignonette as a cleanser and acid mantle fueler, and the Citrus Cider Whip Hair & Scalp Plaster is so incredible for reviving hair, leaving it nourished and silky soft.

Where are your products sold?

Right now, we’re selling Shimmer Chef products solely DTC on our website and on Amazon. But stay tuned—we may have exciting retail partners we can talk about soon!

As a trained esthetician and chef, Sanford draws on her extensive knowledge of plant superfoods and how they help to rebalance, fortify, and sustain skin.

Future plans?

We are working to bring Shimmer Chef into spas, wellness studios, and health-focused stores. Educating the consumer on the benefits and importance of fresh, living, preservative and chemical-free products is a big but critical leap. We all deserve to have healthy skincare!

Who inspires you?

Wanting to set a good example for my four daughters inspires me! I want to motivate them to be brave, to take risks, and be passionate about what they believe in.

Secret to success?

Perseverance and a good team. Recognizing that I can’t do everything single handedly really drives home the value of surrounding myself with people who have the right skills. We have a brilliant team of all women, all working toward the same goal, and that’s really powerful.

Beauty secrets?

Sleep, exercise, and consistent use of healthy, living skincare is essential for looking and feeling our best . I’m not a fan of unpronounceable ingredients. The best ingredients really can be found in nature.

Wellness tips?

Staying in tune with our minds and bodies is critical to wellness. There are obvious “don’ts” that we hear a lot about, but besides those, I find that surrounding myself with loving, generous, and inspiring friends really is the cornerstone of being well.

Best advice?

Have faith in yourself and your dreams. If you suffer a loss and have to pivot, be sure to take the time to mourn—then celebrate when you find a new direction.

How do you like to relax?

I grew up in California surrounded by  nature, exploring open fields and riding horses, so I love being outside. Whether I’m running or hiking in fresh air, being in that world gives me peace. I also love a good novel to calm my mind.

For more information about Shimmer Chef, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @shimmerchef

[Images courtesy of Shimmer Chef]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk