Jul 25, 2016 8 Question w/ 5YINA
We were introduced to 5YINA from Shirley Chau, a former colleague from our sister agency, interTrend Communications. The best referrals to founders are from people in our network, and thus it is no surprise that 5YINA is a wonderfully storied brand with thoughtful philosophies, beautiful packaging, and an impeccable product line. 5YINA offers modern skincare based upon holistic principles, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and grounded across five seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and All Seasons). I can attest that the line is quite unique in positioning and formulation, as I found the products very high quality. More than a skincare brand, 5YINA promotes holistic values and the lifestyle of achieving harmony of mind, body, and spirit.
The Co-founders Angela Chau and Ervina Wu were able to share some of the highlights of their experience thus far. Angela has a B.A. in integrative biology from UC Berkeley, with a Masters of Science from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She also completed a nutritional culinary program as well and has worked as a personal chef. Ervina has a Doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine with an emphasis in dermatology and auto immune diseases from Zhejiang Chinese Medical University in Hangzhou, China.
Describe how you came up with the 5YINA concept and why you focused on traditional Chinese medicine and holistic living as a differentiation point.
The concept of 5YINA happened spontaneously while developing our first product. It didn’t perform well when we used it in a different climate. Instead of reformulating, we created products for different seasons to encompass the major climate patterns, which at the same time, also solve common skin issues. Seasonal skincare is just as important as eating and dressing with the seasons. The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classics, an important 2000-year-old text on Chinese life sciences and medicine, documented the importance of living with the seasons.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is beyond science, as this ancient medical system is a mind-body-spirit medicine that remains more relevant today than ever. Having witnessed the profound effects of this medicine, we want to share this knowledge with more people.
Both of us are trained herbalists, and we believe that inner wellness and outer beauty are inherently intertwined. We also share strong entrepreneurial instincts, so starting a holistic skincare company seemed like a natural progression after we finished graduate school.
With more people embracing healthy holistic lifestyles and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) becoming mainstream, we believe that our products have a viable marketplace. When we couldn’t find any high-performing, cleanly formulated Chinese medicine based skincare, we knew that we had a good niche to fill.
What is your longer term vision for the 5YINA brand?
We have plans to develop a full spectrum of holistic hair/body/food products, all based on Chinese medicine, of course! We envision having our very own stand-alone boutique and wellness spa. Angela is also an accomplished chef who specializes in medicinal food therapy, an important modality in Chinese medicine. So we have visions of having our own farm and restaurant one day.
5YINA is more than skincare, it is about reconnecting with nature and learning to heal ourselves. We hope to make a positive impact with our business by cultivating relationships with suppliers and farmers with sustainable practices. We contribute to non-profit organizations that support education, culture, and women empowerment.
Talk about the journey to date, including some of the exciting milestones that you are most proud of.
5YINA turned out to be a lot more work than we’ve imagined. Each product took years to develop. We are creating something that is complex, unique, and revolutionary; while making sure it’s high performing, safe and sustainable.
We are still at startup mode, and every step seems like a milestone for us! When we launched our first products in late 2015, after 4 years of R&D, it was a major achievement for our entire team.
Ervina also finished her doctoral thesis the same time 5YINA launched. This was an incredible feat in itself.
We also cannot be more proud of Angela when she received an award from PAAWBAC (Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition: http://www.paawbac.org/) this June, for being a visionary and a new young generation of Pacific Asian American woman leader.
Are there challenges, insights and learnings that you can share as an entrepreneur?
Having a small team has been both a blessing and a curse. While a small team allows us to work intimately at many levels, we are limited on how much we can accomplish. We are proficient at product development and design, but we experienced a big learning curve in other areas. There are days when we get overwhelmed and wish we had more manpower. We thought that we could do it all and we had to slow down and learn to ask for help. That has been a humbling experience.
Another learning is to be gentle to others and oneself. There is so much pressure to get things done, that sometimes we forget about taking time for ourselves. This is why we constantly remind ourselves to take deep slow breaths throughout the day and at least one full day off to rest.
What does your typical day look like?
A: I wake up at different times depending on the season but I’m usually up by 7am. I start off my day with a warm glass of water before my morning meditation. I can’t live without breakfast. I usually eat rice porridge or a bowl of oatmeal before heading to the office. At the office, I check on all of our herbal infusions, giving each batch a good shake with positive intentions. I respond to emails, fulfill orders, take a break and stretch. Early afternoon I’m usually in our lab making a batch of our seasonal product or researching and blending a new creation. Late afternoon usually involves team meetings over a good cup of tea. I eat an early dinner around 5:30pm and take a walk after my meal. Sleep is very important to me so I’m usually in bed by 10pm.
E: When I’m not on the road, I’m usually up around 7am. I do some breathing exercises and meditation, have breakfast, and begin office meetings by 8am. The rest of the day I am reading, researching, writing, and creating content. My job tends to be more cerebral and sedentary, so I try to get 30 minutes of exercise every day. I also try to find time to have some good tea. Once a week, I see patients.
When I’m on the road, it’s less predictable, I may be in meetings with clients, collaborators, and suppliers one day or in a remote mountain sourcing for ingredients another day.
What are some of the trends in the skincare/wellness/beauty categories?
Clean beauty is one of the fastest growing trends in the beauty world and will continue to be so. It says a lot when mass market retailers like Target started carrying organic skincare products. There are more options in clean or green beauty products right now compared to 5 years ago. With green beauty being mainstream, there will be an inevitable diversification, from vegan, to artisanal, to locally sourced products and so on. We hope to be a leader in our niche.
What is one of your favorite objects in your home?
A: My ceramic cup, Rouge. I made it a few years ago during an introspective time in my life. Every time I see Rouge, it reminds me of patience, perseverance, and kindness.
E: My tea ware collection (including one stunning item made by Angela), an old sweater hand-knitted by mom, an exquisite 9-piece ceramic wall painting in my tea room, and my precious stash of Chinese medical texts.
Where do you find inspiration?
A: I’m deeply fascinated by Chinese Mantic Arts, which is an important but lesser practiced branch of Chinese Medicine. There is so much information to uncover and discover, inspiration flows whenever I’m reading. I find inspiration when I sit back and just observe my environment; the sway of trees, chirping of birds, movement of bees, and vivid colors of flowers. Ideas also pop up whenever I use my hands. Whether it’s cooking, blending ingredients, creating magical elixirs or throwing pottery; inspiration is fueled by both stillness and action.
E: Traveling is one of best ways I find inspiration. I spend 6 months a year in China and being here inspires my work for 5YINA and my lifelong study of Chinese Medicine. Hangzhou, my homebase in China, is an important cultural hub, as there is an immense depth, history, and beauty here. I love reading, and I’m constantly inspired by poetry, from Song poems to Hafiz. It’s hard not to get inspired when you have an open heart and mind, as Henri Matisse once said: “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”