The Wild Earth Facial Oil, containing plantain, calendula, wild rose and other earth-based products, delivers a vibrant complexion. Photography by Te’ana Conley.

Not too much, not too little. In Swedish, that’s what the word lagom translates to, and it’s also the perfect description for Kristen Runvik’s skin and bodycare company, Lagom Body Co. The brand contains elements that are earth-based and safe for the skin, steering clear of questionable ingredients you might find in drug stores.

“Keeping it simple makes my life simple with the formulating process, because I have my favorite ingredients too,” Runvik says, whose product formula rarely goes above twelve ingredients. “It’s not a massive list.”

The inception of Lagom Body Co. was in 2016 back when Runvik was working for a tech startup based in Sydney, Australia, working about sixty hours a week and often feeling burnt out. Feeling disconnected from herself and her home, she began dabbling with essential oils, started her own garden and got into the plant scene outside of Washington in Portland, Oregon.

“I wanted to work with my hands because I was working online so much and I needed a ritual where I can slow down and be in the moment,” says Runvik. “It was so important for me to get my hands dirty and reinvigorate my senses. I was working way too much and being able to work with plants grounded me and brought me back to myself.”

As the story goes, Runvik’s partner Jeremy was born and raised in the Ocean State, so despite her living in Washington (and missing the mountains), the two moved to Warwick in 2019 to continue working and parenting their now ten-month-old baby.

When she got pregnant last year, she was also in the process of rebranding her business (designed by Casey and Lou at Aliado Studio out of Detroit), receiving plenty of support from her family and partner. However, Runvik won’t sugarcoat that it’s been a challenge when it comes to balancing Lagom Body Co., her part-time marketing job for another skincare and supplement company, and being a mom – all during the pandemic. It takes a lot of pressure off her and her partner’s shoulders knowing that they get to work from home and take care of the baby at the same time.

“There’s a lot of juggling which any parent knows; you don’t know how you’re doing it, but you’re making it happen. The business is something that I’m very passionate about and it’s fun for me too, I just have to stay focused on keeping this girl alive,” Runvik says, referring to her brand.

Runvik wanted to read a skincare product label that made complete sense to her and didn’t take up the length of the entire container. Of course, long lists don’t always mean toxic ingredients, but as someone who went to school in Portland for herbalism and did some further studying into organic skincare formulation, she likes to “hone in on specific ingredients that I studied,” she says. “I’d rather go deep and really understand what an ingredient does rather than just have this wide array of ingredients just because. Having a limited amount of ingredients simplifies the process for the customer.”

Besides using the infused oils and plants she grows at home herself, she gathers other ingredient necessities from Lucayda Farm based in Cranston, including lavender and plantain. Runvik also visits some farms in Vermont, focusing on elements that grow nearby to support local and regional businesses and botanicals.

Currently, Lagom’s products can be purchased online, as well as from All That Matters Yoga + Wellness on Main Street in Wakefield and local pop-ups. On the website, customers will see the Daily Ritual collection filled with items sold year round; the Seasonal Ritual collection containing a few products only available during its designated season (ingredients are tweaked according to the time of year, including a chai tea ritual mist for the fall); and soon to be introduced, the Mama + Baby line, which will offer products formulated specifically for the mother and newborn child.

Show your skin some love with Lagom’s earth-based skin and bodycare; try top products like the Meadow Rose Restore Cream for the face and the Sunspell Body Nectar, a multipurpose oil. lagombody.co