Our Story

Born from Memory, Rooted in Herbs

In Chinese, 艾 (mugwort) and 愛 (love) share the same sound — Ài. That is no coincidence to us. By Àì began with a memory — the kind that lives in your skin.

Growing up in Lingnan, southern China, I was surrounded by the quiet rituals of herbal care. The bitter warmth of summer herbal teas. The earthy, calming scent of mugwort— a herb my mother's family brought from Hubei, where it grows wild and abundant. When my skin was sensitive, and I refused the sticky feel of creams, my mother and grandmother would draw me a warm bath steeped with mugwort, Chinese sophora root, and other botanicals passed down through generations. Those baths were not just skincare. They were acts of love.

By Àì is our way of carrying that tradition forward — reimagined for wherever you are in the world. We believe in the gentle power of Lingnan botanicals: herbs that have cared for skin and spirit for centuries, without fuss, without excess. Just warmth, intention, and the wisdom of those who came before us.

More collections and rituals are on their way. Thank you for being here at the beginning.

— The By Àì Team

Our Story

Born from Memory, Rooted in Herbs

In Chinese, 艾 (mugwort) and 愛 (love) share the same sound — Ài. That is no coincidence to us. By Àì began with a memory — the kind that lives in your skin.

Where It All Began

Growing up in Lingnan, southern China, I was surrounded by the quiet rituals of herbal care. The bitter warmth of summer herbal teas. The earthy, calming scent of mugwort — a herb my mother's family brought from Hubei, where it grows wild and abundant. When my skin was sensitive, my mother and grandmother would draw me a warm bath steeped with mugwort, Chinese sophora root, and other botanicals passed down through generations.

Those baths were not just skincare. They were acts of love.

The Botanicals

By Àì carries that tradition forward — reimagined for wherever you are in the world. We believe in the gentle power of Lingnan botanicals: herbs that have cared for skin and spirit for centuries, without fuss, without excess. Slow-grown, gently dried, and carried into your home.

The Ritual of Slowing Down

Each of our bath formulations is a quiet invitation to pause. To draw a bath. To let the warmth and the botanicals do what they have always done — soften, soothe, restore. No instructions needed. Just water, heat, and time.

A Note from the Founder

By Àì is more than a formulation — it is a bridge. Between the wisdom of the past and the care of the present. Between the hills of Lingnan and wherever you call home. We hope every bath, every carefully chosen herb carries something of that original warmth.

— A.W