Why an ex-CFO is building skincare for people glued to their screens

With screen time up, our skin may be suffering — but one entrepreneur says she has a fix. 

Emerging science suggests blue light emitted from screens could damage skin cells, causing signs of aging. Jiajia Sollers, a former hedge fund CFO turned startup founder, said she was experiencing this firsthand working long, stressful hours in the office. 

Busy work seasons took “a big toll” on her skin health and complexion, Sollers told Technical.ly, which, in her opinion, can ultimately lead to greater concerns over professional image. 

“I think self-presentation is always important because in the professional world we always want to look bright-eyed, bushy-tailed,” Sollers said. “We always want to put the best foot forward … so when you work hard, and you feel stressed, and your skin’s not well maintained, it definitely impacts your overall professional image.”  

Some studies suggest blue light, also known as high-energy visible light, can trigger chemical stress in skin cells and accelerate the skin’s aging process. The extent of the impact is still debated in the research, but Sollers said she was seeing this effect on herself and wanted to find a product that protects skin from digital screens like sunscreen protects people from the sun. 

So, in 2024, she founded Matter of Monday, a skincare brand targeting workers who spend a majority of days in front of a screen both at the office and at home. 

Matter of Monday’s skincare line currently includes a cleanser, moisturizer, eye cream and a “digital SPF” serum. 

While the indie skincare brand has received endorsements from board-certified dermatologists and been featured in some wellness magazines, breaking into the market has been “challenging,” Sollers said. 

In a saturated beauty and skincare market, Sollers has focused on influencer marketing and getting her products into the hands of user-generated content creators — a person hired to produce authentic, relatable content for brands. 

“I just try to get the word out there,” Sollers said. “It’s a new issue and a lot of people don’t even realize they need it, so education is super important.” 

The entrepreneurial learning curve

Transitioning from the corporate world to entrepreneurship has been exciting but comes with new difficulties. 

“You basically have to manage so many different expectations, either from others or even yourself,” Sollers said. “Whatever issue comes, you have to figure it out yourself — find your resource to solve the problem — so it’s definitely been a learning curve.” 

But Sollers hasn’t had to navigate it alone. 

Her mother, a long-time physics professor, sold skincare after retiring, and her husband is also an entrepreneur, so she’s been able to learn a lot from them, she said. 

Plus, she just had the opportunity to participate in Milestone Circles — a free 12-week program run by the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center connecting startup founders to resources, classes and other entrepreneurs — helping her get a little bit closer to her goal of having Matter of Monday products at everybody’s workstation. 

Ultimately, founding a company has made Sollers more willing to “take challenges,” she said, “ instead of just seeing the status quo.”