1. What was the moment, life event or inspiration behind starting your brand?

My cofounder Annie went into early menopause at the age of 35 and suffered from vaginal dryness and itch. She tried everything – nothing worked until she had a vaginal massage using a TCM cream. We realized she wasn’t suffering alone and I convinced her to quit her high-flying career as a luxury brand CEO to start Antevorta together and provide TCM-based feminine care solutions to women around the world.

2. How has your AAPI heritage and culture shaped and informed your brand?

I grew up in Hong Kong on herbal remedies and Annie’s family business in Taiwan is in traditional Chinese medicine. Western medicine is about fixing symptoms and eastern medicine is about prevention, so for Antevorta we created a daily hygiene bundle for feminine health. We take what makes us healthy and happy and share that with women around the world. 

3. Is there a specific TCM ingredient (or practice) that you use in your products that you are most excited about right now, and why?

Our proprietary complex Yin-5 Renew is rooted in a traditional Chinese medicinal formula called Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin. This is a skin medicine used for over a thousand years in TCM and there are countless clinical studies showing how WWXDY removes heat, detoxifies skin and supports skin renewal. It is a super ingredient that can help with odor, dryness, acne, UTIs, yeast infections, psoriasis, eczma…it is across all of our wash, wipes and sprays and our customers even use them beyond the intimate area on their face and body.

4. We love how Antevorta is blending timeless TCM formulations with women’s needs today. Do you have any modern TCM best practices for women who are struggling to stay balanced in their daily lives?

I live by 3 daily TCM practices. Firstly, I only drink hot water (and carry a flask around me at all times) which helps with digestion and menstrual cycle. Secondly, I wear slippers at home because there are so many nerves in the feet and cold surfaces will lead to damp-cold getting into the body, which negatively affects feminine health. Thirdly, I always blow dry my hair immediately and thoroughly to avoid damp-cold entering the scalp which leads to colds and migraines later in life. Give it a try!