Hello, Mantle
By: xxx Published: d/m/Y
It all started when Stina Lönnkvist tried CBD for the first time. It was an instant love. When she met Josefin Landgård at a breakfast event months later they bonded over how Scandinavia have been able to evade picking this life-changing product up. They decided to launch MANTLE in a mission to create kick-ass wellness and beauty products that inspire modern people with modern lives to infuse some more zen into their lives.
Mantle talks a lot about balance, what is balance?
If I had the secret recipe for balance, I’d be richer than Jeff Besos. No but seriously, it’s an ongoing struggle – even for CBD entrepreneurs and yoga teachers like myself. I actually think a common misconception is that people who are into yoga or wellness or CBD are naturally balanced people. My experience is that we are the top-tier crazy ones, desperately seeking grounding! For me, balance is an ongoing process in need of almost daily attention. You never get there, you just keep realigning yourself with your energy levels and core values. Like, you know, when you have too much milk in the bowl and need to add more cereal. But then you have too much cereal and need to add more milk. And like that you keep going…
Stina Lönnkvist and her co-founder Josefin Landgård.
Why does the world need CBD?
Because CBD can be that splash of milk (or cereal, I already lost my metaphor) for balance. No, CBD cannot replace a meditation routine or the need of quitting a toxic job – but it can be a simple additional health hack for people yearning for balance but who will not sell their apartment and move to a temple in India. Because we live in a fast-paced time with tons of social and professional pressure, fueled by 24/7 technology, there’s no surprise that CBD is becoming the trendiest ingredient in beauty and wellness right now.
What has it been like to introduce CBD into a country as drug conservative as Sweden?
Tough. And fun! When I say I work with CBD, the most common first questions are a) is it legal (answer is yes – sort of) and b) will I get high (the answer is no – to some people’s relief and others’ disappointment). People have many prejudices, and it’s still in a regulatory grey zone which makes some things challenging. Sometimes I wish I sold something household, like swimming trunks, but then again, it wouldn’t be near as fun and rewarding.
How do you feel about the prejudices people have about CBD? Do you have a fact or a quote you tell these people that usually turns them around?
The first thing is to educate about the many misconceptions. Yes, CBD comes from the cannabis plant, but is not to be confused with the (in)famous compound THC – known for causing a high. The cannabis plant has an unfairly bad rep because people’s minds are immediately drawn to weed, but in reality, the plant can be used for hundreds of purposes. At MANTLE, we want to reclaim the multi-functionality of the cannabis plant. However, I think the most powerful move is to actually get people to try the products and experience the magic.
The first CBD product you launched was an oil, but now you are taking market stakes within the beauty industry, how come you chose to focus on beauty?
Josefin and I are passionate about both wellness and beauty. From the start, we knew we wanted to create a CBD universe for both needs – because they’re so interconnected. Stress and lack of sleep are, together with sun exposure, two of our skin’s most evil enemies. If you only sleep two hours per night, it doesn’t matter how expensive creams you’re buying. More importantly, CBD is the holy grail of skincare. Its de-stressing, balancing, and barrier strengthening properties make wonders for most skin types. We hate talking anti-age but as CBD boosts collagen production and is packed with antioxidants, which are the most important factors to maintain and restore youthful elasticity and bounce – we can at least say that it helps you age with grace. Cannabeauty is definitely here to stay. We think we’ve only seen the beginning of it!
Tell us more about your hero product The Calm Balm?
The Calm Balm is the ultimate first-aid kit of beauty. To honour the multi-functionality of the cannabis plant, we created a 24/7 product that serves tons of different purposes, helping with everything from dry spots and styling to skin irritations. Dry cuticles? A tense neck? Eyebrow styling? Chapped lips? Highlighter? The Calm Balm has got your back. I have one in my bag, one on my desk and one by my bed. We’re actually developing more packaging options for this one to suit people’s different needs.
What does the future of cannabeauty look like? Are you planning any new launches this fall?
We recently launched a multi-functional toner-in-a-mist (The Must Mist) and a calming cannabis cleanser (The Magic Milk), which means that you can now have a full skincare routine of only MANTLE products. But keep an eye out, we still have a few more product drops this fall to be really excited about.
First drops, then beauty, where is the CBD industry and Mantle heading next?
As CBD is becoming less stigmatized and more people are catching on to its de-stressing powers – you’ll start seeing it pop up in more and more products. If we’re going in the same direction as the US, we will see CBD in nearly everything. At MANTLE we are working on a few exciting extensions and collaborations, but we want to use CBD in product categories where it makes sense to have CBD, and not just because it’s trendy. I also think that consumers are going to become more aware of the quality of the CBD itself.
The CBD is the main character of your products, but tell us more about the other ingredients?
That’s right! If our CBD is Beyoncé, we have the worlds best backup dancers: e.g. hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, bakuchiol (gentle vegan alternative to retinol), vitamin E and fruit enzymes. Our cannabeauty is all vegan and made locally in Sweden with organic Swiss CBD, and 95-99% natural ingredients.