Klára Horváth, founder of LYSANDE®

The first cream

LYSANDE® was born from a personal story. I made the first cream during a difficult period of my life, purely for myself. Back then I wasn't thinking about a brand or a business. I wanted a cosmetic whose every ingredient I knew and whose use could be a pleasant part of my everyday life. I soon realised that creating means more than making a cream: I experienced how much it matters to choose consciously what I put on my skin, and to make time for what supports my well-being.

From natural science to cosmetics

I've been interested in natural science and cosmetics since I was young. I started at a chemical technical school, then earned my degree as a biomedical laboratory scientist at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Pécs. After that I worked for years as a pharmaceutical laboratory manager and in quality assurance. This taught me thoroughness, consistency, and that quality doesn't depend on a single ingredient but is the result of the whole process.

How do I design a formula?

I always start by selecting the raw materials and looking at how they work together. This requires knowing the properties of the raw materials, the structure of the skin and what a given skin type may need. I don't increase the number of ingredients; I design the formula as a whole. The products are handmade in small batches.

What does LYSANDE® mean?

Lysande is a Swedish word: radiant, shining. For me it isn't a beauty ideal to achieve, but a symbol that beauty doesn't come from perfection.

“You don't have to fix yourself to be beautiful. It's enough to start paying attention.” – Klára Horváth