Zen Garden Aromas is a family-owned, AAPI-owned business founded in Rockville, Maryland, by Melody and Dennis, a Taiwanese-American husband-and-wife team.

Originally from San Jose, California, Melody is a physician trained in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, now practicing in Maryland. After more than a decade of rigorous medical training, her days were filled with long shifts, constant handwashing, and rushing home to care for the family. In search of a creative outlet beyond medicine, she longed for a way to cultivate new passions while finding moments of peace amid the chaos of daily life while raising two young children.

Drawing on her Taiwanese heritage and her upbringing in an immigrant household, Melody longed to preserve and pass down her cultural traditions to the next generation. She envisioned a line of Asian-inspired foaming hand soaps that would blend cultural tradition with everyday self-care. Meanwhile, Dennis—whose background spans culinary arts, photography, business administration, and the mortgage industry—recognized the potential in her vision and lack of authentic Asian cultural representation in the U.S. body care market.

Thus, Zen Garden Aromas was launched in April 2025 from their shared desire to honor the beauty and richness of the Asian-American experience. While “Asian” is by no means a singular identity—encompassing countless languages, traditions, and histories—Zen Garden Aromas strives to handcraft innovative, authentic self-care products that elevate self-care, bring communities together, and offer meaningful sensory and cultural experiences regardless of background.