About The Scented Compass: : TCM Aromatherapy for Seasonal Living

The Scented Compass was born from a simple discovery: your body knows how to heal itself. When you listen to what it needs—in each season, at each stage of life—and respond with the right practice, health becomes something you maintain, not chase.

I'm Daphne Lee, mIFPA certified aromatherapist trained in both Western aromatherapy and TCM wisdom. I'm authorized by the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists to use professional credentials and the mIFPA designation. The Scented Compass teaches women to use essential oils through a TCM lens—the most accessible entry point into seasonal living and personalized wellness at home.

The story behind this

I have had various skin problems since I was a child. About ten years ago, in my thirties, I developed itchy red patches across my face. The doctor prescribed a facial wash, a medicated cream, and pills, none of which helped. Out of frustration, I stopped every treatment and began washing my face with water alone. What happened next surprised me: the irritation faded within a week, and my skin recovered quickly.

I was amazed by the body's own capacity to heal. That moment changed everything. I began studying how to keep skin healthy through raw food and essential oils, which led me into two larger fields, Nutrition and Aromatherapy. After formal training in both, I discovered a different way of managing health altogether. Instead of chasing hacks, I learned to listen to my body's inner state and respond with the right food and the right self-care, rather than the same routine regardless of what it was telling me.

Having been born and raised in Hong Kong, TCM was never an alternative therapy to me, it was the mainstream. For most of us, TCM is not only medicine for when something is wrong, but a way of living, through every day and every season.

I was given teas and soups as part of ordinary meals, to "clear dampness and heat" in summer, "nourish the lung" in autumn, "move Blood and Qi" in spring, and "replenish" in winter. We ate according to the season, to keep the body in balance.

"Prevent illness rather than treat it" is something deeply rooted in me. Living in Switzerland now, far from TCM prescriptions, herbs, and ingredients, I have learned to practise aromatherapy through TCM wisdom instead.

What I believe

Eastern and Western wisdom share the same root: nature itself. Across the ancient world, people everywhere drew their remedies from plants. Our ancestors understood that body, mind, and spirit cannot be separated.

Aromatherapy shares this same holistic view with TCM. An essential oil can be understood as a TCM herbal remedy in its most concentrated, volatile form, distilled from the same plants, carrying the same energetic properties. Used consistently, and with the understanding of why each oil works, which meridian it supports, which element it belongs to, which seasonal movement it follows, this builds a resilience that means reaching for medicine less often.

TCM's seasonal framework tells you what your body needs at each point in the year. Aromatherapy is the toolkit that lets you answer it.

Mission

Combining Eastern and Western wisdom to make TCM aromatherapy a simple home practice for every woman.

We believe health is not something you chase with the latest wellness trend. It's something you maintain through understanding your body's seasonal and life-stage needs, and responding with practices you can do at home without waiting for an appointment or complicated ingredients.

Credentials & Professional Background

Yours faithfully,
Daphne Lee, mIFPA

Where to begin

Your body may have been telling you something for years, or you may be frustrated about following every health tip and treatment. If any part of this sounds familiar, I'd love for you to stay a while.

Start with Modern ways of maintaining health using ancient wisdom for the bigger picture, or go straight to Topical Essential Oils: Beyond the Diffuser to see exactly how I practise this, every morning and every evening, in my own bathroom.