Our Story
Hi! I'm Jono, and together with my wife Michelle, we're the co-founders of Yan-Yee. Our brand is not just a business but a personal journey inspired by Michelle’s own lifelong struggles dealing with eczema.
Having spent her entire life bouncing on and off steroid creams, and even going through the painful process of Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) in 2016, Michelle began to realise the skincare solutions she had long relied on no longer seemed safe or sustainable.
From the day we met in 2018, I saw first hand the impact having eczema had onto not just her skin, but her overall health and wellbeing. It was incredibly tough for Michelle, but also difficult as a partner watching her go through something I had no power to impact or control.
Then in 2019 on a trip home to Hong Kong, Michelle's uncle, a Qi Gong and Reiki practitioner, introduced her to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This ancient wisdom, viewed through the lens of her chronic skin condition, sparked a transformation. Within weeks, Michelle’s skin showed remarkable improvement and her eczema began to recede.
However, upon returning to the UK, her eczema flared up again. This setback was incredibly frustrating and highlighted the need for a sustainable solution, which at that time, she was unable to find in the UK.
Determined to help, I became passionate about integrating the beneficial ingredients Michelle used in Hong Kong into skincare products back here in the UK. This marked the beginning of a two-year journey of research, testing, and refinement in our spare bedroom. I had no prior experience in cosmetics or formula development. Never worked in the industry, nor had an interest in skincare before that moment. But I had a greater purpose, and was driven by the goal of helping Michelle beat her skin condition and live a more comfortable life.
Our perseverance paid off when we finally developed a product that not only healed Michelle’s eczema but prevented its return, at last providing her with the long term relief she had been looking for. And in that moment, Yan-Yee was born.
Our mission now is simple - to share the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine for optimal health and well-being.
We truly hope our creations can help you on your journey towards that goal.
-
Jono & Michelle x