NOOCI’s Stephanie Tan breaks down traditional Chinese medicine

It isn’t unusual in Hong Kong to hear people complaining about yeet-hay, or ‘hot air’. Nor is it uncommon to catch the scent of herbs as you pass shops selling traditional Chinese remedies, each more fragrant than the last.

Many in the city have no doubt grown up with family members who swear by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its principles. Even so, it’s a world that can be difficult for outsiders to understand, much less adopt themselves. So it was for Stephanie Tan, who created wellness brand NOOCI with a determination to demystify TCM and make it more accessible for all.

Deriving its name from the words nu qi, meaning ‘female energy’, NOOCI offers supplements crafted in conjunction with TCM and western integrative health specialists. 

While Tan’s original goal was to create products specifically for women – Noo Moon , for example, was developed for use during menstruation – she has since expanded her vision with products aimed at treating other health issues, like the Noo Air range for nasal allergies, as well as improving general health.

Now, the company is rapidly making a name for itself, including a new partnership with Cathay which allows buyers to redeem miles when they purchase NOOCI products, alongside collaborations with local brands like matcha café Matchali. 

The project is a deeply personal one for Tan. After growing up around her grandparents who swore by TCM and tai chi, Tan moved away to study in Los Angeles, but never fully let go of their wisdom they passed down to her.

“So much of it is just ingrained in you,” she tells us during an interview. “And when you go study abroad and do your own thing, you forget about it. But there’s a part of you where you’re like ‘oh, this is very heaty’.”

Still, it wasn’t until she moved back to Hong Kong that she began to rebuild her connection with traditional Chinese medicine. Nasal allergies first led her to seek out an ENT doctor, but after numerous appointments and various prescriptions for pills and sprays, things weren’t getting better. So, Tan turned to alternative forms of therapy. 

“I was pregnant with my second child, and I thought ‘I really shouldn't take this cocktail of medication’. So that's when I rediscovered my roots of TCM,” says the mother of two, explaining that she sought out Chinese herbs and nasal acupuncture to solve her issues. 

As she retraced the steps her family had taken before her and began to find relief, she realised that there was a gap in the market for products that served people who were brand new to traditional Chinese medicine – but could surely benefit from its thousands of years of knowledge. 

She explains: “Often going into it, it’s very confusing. You go to Mannings and you can’t read any of the names, or where they’re from or made. And then you go online for more information, but it’s really like going into this deep hole.”

“I thought, there must be something we can do to bring transparency to TCM herbs. That’s really how the birth of NOOCI came about.”

Noo ways of thinking

NOOCI is practically unrecognisable as Chinese herbal medicine, with its sleek modern packaging and minimal branding. Tan’s goal was to make everything as approachable and transparent as possible. 

Working alongside her scientific advisory board to create special supplement blends, their formulas draw on the expertise of Chinese medicine practitioners and Western integrative health doctors.

“I think a lot of times, the discussion is on TCM versus Western medicine, but we don’t see it that way. I think it's all about how they can be synergistic and complementary,” she says.

“When we pick our herbs and ingredients, you'll see some Eastern TCM ingredients, and you'll also see some Western ingredients as well.

On NOOCI’s website and packaging, you’ll also find an in-depth breakdown of the specific herbs and supplements included in each product, where they’ve been sourced and what benefits they provide. The brand is completely vegan and GMO-free, with all of its herbal products made in Japan, available as both pills and powders.

ReNoo , the brand’s signature product which aims to improve overall wellbeing, contains Japan-sourced fermented brown rice and soybeans, plus cinnamon, barley grass and vitamin C from the UK. Noo Moon is formulated using ingredients from across Japan, including ginseng, jujube, ginger and more – all of which work together to relieve menstrual symptoms and stimulate blood circulation.

NOOCI’s formulations also tackle another common prejudice people may have about Chinese herbal remedies: the taste.

“When people think of TCM they think, ‘Oh, it’s gross. It’s bitter,’” says Tan – but NOOCIs offerings are different. “If you taste ReNoo on its own in hot water, it has a mild green tea taste.” 

In the case of Noo Air , the addition of mint to the perilla leaf and reishi mushrooms creates a refreshing taste. “I have a friend who doesn’t like taking capsules, so she pours the powder into her mocha. She says it’s like having a mint mocha.”

While NOOCI has a strong foothold in the US, it’s a new challenge for Tan entering the Hong Kong market, which is already filled with established brands and caters to an audience arguably more knowledgeable about TCM. However, Tan is more than up for the challenge and her collaborations with Cathay and Matchali are just the first steps in her plan.

“We’re very excited to sort of see people’s response to a much more modern brand,” she says.

Noo lands

With its labs in Japan, internationally-sourced ingredients and presence in both the US and Hong Kong, NOOCI is on its way to becoming a global brand – making it the perfect fit for Cathay. Combined with its East meets West ethos and focus on improving customers’ lives, it’s in good company among Cathay’s numerous wellness partners including PURE and lululemon. 

Cathay members looking to enhance their own journey to good health can purchase NOOCI’s products through the company’s online store and input their Cathay membership number at checkout. For every HKD4 spent, they’ll earn one mile to put towards their next flight or Cathay store purchase.

In the years to come, Tan plans to expand her focus beyond women. “In the future, we will be thinking about men and children. But I [wanted to create something] very specific and purposeful for women to begin with.”

“It’s exciting because I think people know that good health takes time and want to understand TCM, but there hasn’t been a really modern brand out there to make it transparent for people today.”

NOOCI products can be purchased at the brand’s official store or on their website, where Cathay members can enjoy an earn rate of HKD4 = 1.