Editorial

Gntl has built a loyal following with two multifunctional products designed to replace an overwhelming routine. Sydney Dake founded the brand wanting to support a foundational skincare routine after finding success with fewer products. I reached out to ask a few questions about how they formulate across skin needs and the philosophy that inspired the brand. I learned a lot from her insights, and am excited to share her thoughtfulness with you! The way she presents simplicity as a luxury is an inspiration: understanding that abundance can be found in less and how that impacts her commitment to sustainability. Early Experience You’ve talked about beginning your career at Elf Cosmetics and later becoming Chief Brand Officer at the brand incubator Gloss Ventures. What did this experience teach you, and how has it shaped your perspective as a founder? I will forever be grateful to e.l.f. for giving me my start in the beauty industry. I met lifelong friends and mentors there, and I can't say enough about the leadership. It’s always been a unique company where great ideas can come from anywhere. Despite its large scale, the culture still expects everyone, at all levels, to understand higher-level strategy, company goals, and do ‘real work’.Working at a publicly traded beauty company that launches at an incredible pace gave me a strong foundation. I learned how to move quickly without sacrificing quality, how to make decisions with imperfect information, and how much can be accomplished by a small, highly capable team.I left e.l.f. to start Gntl, but continued consulting to get the business off the ground. I had the opportunity to work with several consumer incubators, including serving as Chief Brand Officer at Gloss Ventures. This meant building brands from zero, which was an entirely different discipline than launching products within an established company. You're not just creating products; you're defining positioning, building systems, establishing trust, and making hundreds of decisions that eventually become a brand's identity.Looking back, those experiences complemented each other perfectly. e.l.f. taught me how exceptional brands operate at scale, and the incubator world taught me how they're built in the first place. Multifunctional Products Gntl has a considered range of two multifunctional products that cover both facial and bodycare needs, or ‘skin needs’. How is the process of creating a multifunctional product different from that of a traditional product with specific use in mind? Multifunctional products have earned a certain reputation, and in most cases, it's deserved. People hear "multi-use" and think of a 6-in-1 body wash or a conditioning shampoo. As someone who was once a skincare maximalist, I completely understood that skepticism.The distinction is that Gntl isn't bodycare you can use on your face; it’s facial skincare you can use everywhere else. Most people aren't following elaborate skincare routines, despite what the industry might tell us, and even fewer extend that level of care to the rest of the body. They’re treated as entirely separate categories, with different products for every surface. From my perspective, that division has always been more commercial than biological.When we develop a formula, we begin with the face, which immediately raises the technical standard. A cleanser has to be effective at removing body sunscreen while gentle enough to remove eye makeup without irritation. A moisturizer has to feel elegant on the face while being satisfying to apply from the neck down. Those are surprisingly difficult formulation challenges, because bodycare has historically relied on fragrance and harsh sensory cues to communicate efficacy. My personal experience helped shape this philosophy. I struggled with eczema and acne since I was a tween, and tried everything from drugstore products to prescriptions and luxury skincare. Ironically, my skin was at its worst when my routine was overcomplicated. I had so many products in my skincare routine as a product developer, and the constant trial & error wasn’t supportive of healthy skin. Everything changed when I simplified. I started using my facial cleanser and moisturizer all over my body, which reduced the number of competing actives, and built a routine around consistency. My skin became calmer, more resilient, and far easier to understand. When I added something new, I could evaluate it in isolation, rather than guessing what was or wasn’t working.That was the beginning of Gntl. I realized the opportunity wasn't another product; it had to be a different philosophy. If we can associate satisfaction with finishing a product instead of opening a new one, that's better for our skin, our countertops, and the environment. Sustainability Sustainability is also important to the brand, with better packaging, refillable options, and plastic recovery through rePurpose Global. How do you recommend a beauty founder find value alignment within the supply chain? Sustainability has always been one of the more challenging parts of building a new brand. In the early days, every decision competes with cash flow and profitability, so it's easy for sustainability to become something you plan to address later. For me, it couldn't be an afterthought — if Gntl was going to reflect my values, those decisions had to be built into the business from the beginning.One lesson I've learned is to design systems that encourage the behavior you hope to see. Our Skin Wash refill pouch is intentionally priced to make refilling the obvious choice, even though it's actually our lowest-margin product. The formula itself is expensive to produce: we use exceptionally gentle, baby-safe surfactants, aloe, glycerin, and a custom fragrance developed for sensitive skin. Refill pouches are also expensive to ship, but I knew that if we wanted customers to adopt a refill habit, we had to make that decision easy. Material selection is another great opportunity for sustainability, with both Skin Wash and Skin Emulsion being packaged in aluminum. I love that it's highly protective, infinitely recyclable, and develops a beautiful patina over time. It's almost like a small sculpture — with every use, your hands leave their mark, and the packaging takes on personality. That said, our sustainability philosophy extends beyond packaging. We recently signed The Climate Pledge, committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, though we aim to reach that milestone much sooner. We also fund plastic recovery through our partnership with rePurpose Global, and I recently brought on Danielle Azoulay, an incredible leader in the ESG space, as our Chief Sustainability Officer. I firmly believe that sustainability deserves the same level of expertise as formulation or finance, particularly as new regulations like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reshape the beauty industry. If you're building a consumer brand today, I highly recommend getting ahead of those requirements rather than reacting to them later. My advice to other founders is to stay close to innovation by attending trade shows and building relationships with suppliers. Small brands are in the best position to experiment, as suppliers operate on a smaller scale, making new materials feasible. As is so often the case, what starts as a limitation can become an advantage. Intentional Living ‘All You Need is Less’ is more than a marketing slogan; it’s an invitation into a more minimalist way of being. I really love the description of wanting less and living more. When did you begin to understand this, and how do you incorporate it into your daily life? The philosophy behind Gntl grew out of my own experience with overconsumption. For most of my life, I bought clothes, shoes, and beauty products because I was searching for a feeling. My bathroom was filled with half-used bottles, and my closet was full of clothes with tags still attached. Eventually I realized I wasn’t looking for more products; I was looking for the person I was trying to become. I had wanted clarity. To me, that’s true luxury: less noise, less mental load, and fewer microdecisions competing for your attention every day. It’s why Steve Jobs had a uniform: you can reduce decision fatigue to conserve mental energy for the things that really matter. I don’t want to take the joy out of skincare; I want people to create a steady foundation so that everything else becomes more intentional. I always cleanse with Skin Wash and moisturize with Skin Emulsion. Beyond that, my routine changes depending on what my skin needs. If I’m feeling dry, I’ll add a milky toner. If I’m breaking out, I’ll use a spot treatment. Recently I transitioned from adapalene to prescription retinol, which my skin hadn’t tolerated before because my routine had finally become steady enough to support it.For me, “All you need is less” extends beyond skincare. My closet is smaller, my kitchen is more organized, my countertops are clear. When you’re more intentional about what you allow into your life, it becomes much easier to recognize what’s actually serving you. Community How have you best attracted the right audience in a crowded industry, and how can our community continue to support you? I'm proud that almost all of our growth has been organic. I’ve been saying this a lot lately: your expertise becomes your operating system. My background is product development and brand building, so that's where we've invested the majority of our resources. We focused on creating exceptional formulas and a brand with a clear point of view, rather than relying on paid acquisition.That approach has led to strong partnerships, particularly with Credo Beauty, where most of our discovery happens today. Retail can be a hard nut to crack, but both Skin Wash and Skin Emulsion are bestsellers, without any paid promotion. DTC, our repurchase rate is extremely high, which gives me a lot of confidence and makes me happy. Once people experience the products, they stay with us.The most meaningful way this community can support us is simply by trying Gntl and telling a friend about us. Word of mouth is always the most valuable way to grow. We don't take that trust lightly, and we're incredibly grateful to the people who have believed in us from the beginning. Shop Gntl Thanks so much for reading, and comment below with any thoughts about this conversation! I’d love to discuss, and of course, follow Gntl on IG. I’d recommend the Skin Wash, which I use as a face and body wash, but also as shaving cream, which is a game changer for soft legs. It’s refillable and formulated with a unisex fragrance that’s safe for sensitive skin. Don’t forget to subscribe and share with a friend for our ongoing ShopMy challenge!

CMPRESSD Beauty is changing consumer behavior with elevated shampoo and conditioner bars that are performance-driven from design to formulation. Ramya Viswanathan launched the brand after leading product development as a cosmetic chemist at popular brands, including JVN Hair and Biossance. She initially formulated the concentrated shampoo and conditioner bars for international travel, giving extra samples to friends and the local community. She began to see how these waterless bars were changing the way people thought about sustainable products as a whole, prompting her move from chemist to brand founder to bring the formula to market. On Performance Design She knew, first and foremost, that she didn’t want customers choosing sustainably to have to compromise. She had developed a shampoo and conditioner bar with a formula competitive to bottled products and was intentional about creating a luxury experience to match the product's quality. “I had to go through a whole bunch of designers before I found the one designer who completely understood. We liked the same kinds of brands, premium fashion brands and those little fashion houses, and everything,” she explains. The small product development details took the most time, she shares, such as giving the bars an edge to stand and drain properly. “I felt that sustainability is cool, but you want the product to be enjoyable rather than something you get used to — I didn’t want that responsibility to be left on the customer.” On Performance Ingredients Ramya led with clinical data to show the hero ingredient, cationic hyaluronic acid (called hyaluronic acid+), conditions and softens hair to reduce breakage. “It’s ionic bonding, which pairs really well with a concentrated product. You can actually feel the difference since it has better adhesion to hair,” she shares. She has a less-is-more ingredient approach to clean beauty, noting, “There are only a few ingredients that do heavy lifting, called functional ingredients.” They keep education interesting and approachable, expanding on the science behind haircare and the anatomy of product ingredients on their blog. “We have new photography coming in, which I’m super excited about because it’s capturing science and ingredients on film in a prettier way,” she says. “I feel like that can make a really unique experience and make the ingredients a little more tangible.” As featured in Kara McGrath’s Allure Magazine article questioning why shampoo bars haven’t become popular, Ramya clarifies that “it’s still an education issue.” The concentrated products can deliver competitive performance, are more cost-effective, and are a plastic-free solution. On Sustainability Ramya shares that she didn’t want to “make any disclaimers,” having worked in manufacturing and seen firsthand the impact of waste in the beauty industry. “I feel like nobody properly tackled the root cause of sustainability. I don’t need to bottle shampoo bars, which eliminates waste at the source,” she explains. They keep all their manufacturing and ingredient suppliers in the US, reducing their carbon footprint and allowing for a traceable supply chain. “It’s about looking at sustainability holistically, so I examine every phase of the supply chain to ensure that there is responsibility there,” she says. "I’d say being a sustainable company isn’t hard because I’m starting it from scratch. The biggest challenge has actually been building awareness around the brand." Brand awareness has grown slowly, but intentionally, through word of mouth and grassroots marketing. As a bootstrapped company, Ramya calls it a “slow build,” with a focus on content for better product understanding. They’re currently growing their community to gain more website reviews, offering the Stéibel community a free sample bar at checkout with code SAMPLE5 through June 25. I also love their quality detangling brush that minimizes static in dry hair. Shop! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Don’t forget to share the newsletter below and comment to let me know what you want to see next. You can always shop product, people, and planet-led brands on ShopMy and also join the community on IG!

Atmo Home has built a mission-led brand around a refined hero product: clean, refillable candles that feel as elevated as they are safe and sustainable. I had the opportunity to speak with founder Margaret Trainor, and the intentionality behind the brand and product development came as no surprise. Margaret lived in Germany for 10 years and was inspired by the culture of preservation. “There was an emphasis on caring for things that last over time, and that really inspired me in creating Atmo Home, with quality being a core pillar for us,” she explains. She studied abroad in college and moved back to Europe upon graduating to work in social change communications, later progressing to venture capital. “In general, Europe has really good social infrastructure and has just created sustainable systems that everybody adheres to as a community,” Margaret says. She collaborated with TU Berlin’s Chemical Invention Factory on product development to launch Atmo Home aligned with green chemistry frameworks. “We talk to our Chief Science Adviser about how we can actually make an idea happen. We get into the weeds on the chemistry to really understand how a product works, and then we look for opportunities to innovate and create a better product.” Bringing the business to the US in 2024, Margaret has had to debunk many myths around clean candles. “A clean candle really comes down to perfect combustion. Similar to a car engine, if the combustion isn’t perfect, you’re going to get exhaust in a car or smoke and soot in a candle,” she explains, “We optimize for the interaction between the fragrance, wax blend, and wick to be as perfect as it can possibly be.” They’re mindful of every ingredient, working with a certified toxicologist to develop safe, science-backed formulations that go beyond beeswax and essential oils. The stronger-fragranced candles include FDA-approved paraffin. “Paraffin has a bad reputation in the industry, but it’s a recycled byproduct,” Margaret notes. “It’s important that we remember that a lot of the things that we experience today, people had good intentions when they were making them,” Margaret says, explaining that plastic was developed as an alternative to ivory, which had impacted the elephant population. “We just know more now, and we can do better now.” “That’s why I’m so excited about the green chemistry frameworks. It brings together synthetic chemistry, which creates materials, and analytical chemistry, which measures impact. You bring these two together to start developing products that are environmentally benign by design.” “I do think that as a brand, I can build better so that people can enjoy without needing to worry about the impact on the broader world,” she shares. She sees the beauty in consumerism and has enjoyed building the business in America, where there is a “joyfulness and excitement” in experiencing novelty and sharing it with one another. Margaret continues to take “small, consistent steps over time” to improve sustainability within the business, conducting internal research on new materials and trials on new types of feedstocks. “I’m an impatient person, so this is hard for me, but we focus on incremental progress over time,” she says. Atmo Home will soon launch an updated website that allows customers to dive deeper into product science and sustainability, and aims to host more in-person events this year. “I really believe in pouring into the people who see something in you as a community,” she says, “and for us, our influencers are our community, so we’re going to treat them like they’re an influencer.” “I think when you lead with the impact that you want to have in the world, everything else will fall into place. You will find your people, and they’ll really respond to that authenticity.” Not overly rigid about routine, Margaret balances time at the gym and sauna with therapy and journaling, cooking at home, and going out with friends. “Most of my life is the preparation that I put into it,” she says, “I just try to give myself what I feel like I need.” Behind the scenes, the Atmo Home team continues to work hard, launching two new products this year: an introduction into air care and another to expand on their candle collection. They’re also working on a fragrance collaboration that is “pushing the boundaries” in product ideation. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. You have to get really comfortable with the mentality that you will never be done,” Margaret shares. Shop Atmo Home when you’re ready for your next candle, and use Stéibel20 for 20% off your purchase! I love the lightness of the Atmosphäre fragrance for spring, and also highlighted the bestselling Santal fragrance in Worth the Shelf Space. You’ll be blown away by the quality! Shop

Dianna Cohen launched Crown Affair, an intentional haircare brand, in 2020 and has since become an inspirational entrepreneur to many, myself included. Crown Affair empowers consumers to redefine their relationship with haircare through simple, efficacious, non-toxic products alongside an educational community, implementing small rituals into moments of self-care. But she wasn’t an influencer with a built-in audience ready to support at launch; instead, she had built a steady career behind the scenes at a multitude of consumer goods brands that have influenced and impacted culture.¹ She was actually named to Forbes 30 Under 30 before launching the business for her expertise in brand marketing at high-growth consumer businesses.² Crown Affair is a culmination of all that experience, but high-growth start-up culture also informed her vision and philosophy. She didn’t chase growth at all costs. She built with an intention that takes time, weaving the brand ethos directly into the business. I was lucky enough to ask a few questions about her philosophy, as she was the first person I wanted to talk to about building the Steibel community. She built a brand where external values match internal culture, with care for the people who support it. I admire her commitment to that above all, and know this community will too! Intentional Consumption What does intentional consumption mean to you? “For me, that means fewer impulse buys and more thoughtful investments — a well-made brush, linen sheets, or a product that earns a permanent place in my ritual. It’s about valuing durability, usefulness, and how an object makes you feel over time, not just the moment you first see it. Intentional consumption is also ethical: knowing where something came from and that it was made responsibly matters just as much as how beautiful it is.” Sustainable Growth What’s your best advice for building intentionally while also pursuing business growth? “Clarity and boundaries are everything. You need to know not just what you want to be known for, but also what you’re willing to say no to in order to protect that vision. Growth can happen in a way that’s steady and deliberate — testing, learning, refining — without sacrificing the essence of why you started. My advice is to stay rooted in your north star, and let that guide the opportunities you pursue and the ones you let pass by.” Sustainability How do you think about sustainability across products, people, and the planet? “At Crown Affair, sustainability is about building thoughtfully at every level. We create products designed to last — from durable tools to formulas in recyclable packaging — so that our community isn’t constantly replacing or discarding. It’s also about the people behind the work: we care deeply about the partners we choose, the artisans and manufacturers who make our products, and the long-term health of the communities we touch.” Creativity & Inspiration When your creativity needs a spark, where do you turn for inspiration? “I go where the senses wake up: museums, quiet mornings by the water, or wandering in cities I love. Japan always resets me — the attention to craft and quiet design there is endlessly generative — and time in places like Boulder or the desert gives me a different kind of clarity, a reminder to simplify. I also return to collage, journaling, and my Substack; putting images and words next to each other often surfaces my next, small experiment.” Inspiration Who has inspired you as an entrepreneur? “I’ve learned so much from people who build with curiosity and patience — founders who care about craft and community. Early in my career, I was fortunate to work alongside people who taught me the importance of creating something that feels both useful and beautiful. Emily Weiss taught me how powerful storytelling and community can be for building a brand; that experience shaped a lot of what I try to do at Crown Affair. I also learned a ton from Ara Katz about grassroots marketing and the patient work of growing a product-driven company, and my time at Away showed me how a focused product idea can change how people think about everyday objects. Those lessons — craft, community, and thoughtful growth — are the through line of how I try to lead.” Thanks for reading, and shop on ShopMy to support this publication! Footnotes ¹ Dianna Cohen’s work experience includes Into the Gloss and Away, leading product collaborations with Madewell, West Elm, the NBA, etc. ² Dianna Cohen founded Levitate, a brand marketing agency, in 2017, working with Harry’s & Flamingo, Outdoor Voices, Buck Mason, etc.