Glow Like Maya Jama With Her Face-Mask Brand, MIJ Masks

You probably know Maya Jama best for her "Love Island" presenting accolades and for being the CEO of summer-worthy looks on the reality show, but over the past few years, she's become known for something else: her love of face masks.

Yep, Jama is a fan of good old sheet masks and eye patches to hydrate every inch of her face (no wonder her skin is so dreamy!). Her dedication to them runs so deep, she decided to create her own. Not just in collaboration with another company, but through her very own brand. Introducing MIJ and its motto, "Your skin having a lovely time."

POPSUGAR caught up with Jama to find out all about MIJ Masks and her love affair with the skin-care treatment.

"I can remember my mom was really into [masks] when I was in school, so I'd already be using her skin care and things like that," Jama tells POPSUGAR. "In the last four years or so, I became obsessed with sheet masks and flinging them on." She admits she wasn't always great with her skin, but she's gotten better. "A face mask was always my go-to — my kind of skin savior." She would wear her favorites everywhere, and we mean everywhere. Think: planes, trains, and walking around the city (see here for evidence).
"People would always ask me for face-mask brand recommendations, so I thought, 'Why don't I make my own if I know I'm the consumer anyway?'" Jama says. "It's been a long process over two years, and now it's finally here."

"I knew I wanted to do a hydration mask first because that's the one I use the most," she says. Hyaluronic acid was an ingredient at the top of Jama's list during the planning stages. "I'm a minimalist on the face wash and then extra on the hydration products."

Lack of sleep occasionally leaves her with bags under her eyes, so that was another area she wanted to address. "I wanted to make a good eye mask that I know actually stays on your eye and doesn't dry out straight away," she says. Jama's top tip might not be groundbreaking but it definitely works: "I always put them in the fridge, so then when I have an early morning the masks are colder, which helps to depuff."

As for the face masks, a proper fit was important too. "I've got quite a small head, so I've never had face masks that would fit or feel like they were covering my face properly. I wanted masks that didn't hang over my face," she says. "The whole kind of mantra behind MIJ Masks is that I want people to just be able to wear them wherever."

Jama admits that making face masks sustainable is difficult. MIJ Masks are made from biocellulose, a biodegradable natural fiber made from coconut, meaning that aspect of the product is environmentally friendly. And the outer cardboard packaging is made from FSC card. However, single-use plastic packaging still encases the masks. "We've done basically everything we could to make them as recyclable as possible," Jama says.

"I just want to focus on the face masks. I'm trying to not be too ambitious and just focus one thing at a time," Jama says. "But hopefully everyone loves them just as much as I do, then maybe we can do more products." She also spoke about extending the color choices. "After this first drop, if they do well, which hopefully they will, then there'll be other types of masks other than hydration."