About Lantestina
More than natural skincare, inspired by herbs and nature.
Lantestina is a Croatian brand of natural and organic cosmetics, born out of deep love for plants, family and preserved nature. Our products are more than skincare – they are an extension of a way of life in harmony with nature, inspired by the protected wet meadows of Bedekovićeve grabe, where we learn every day about the power of plants, the cycles of life, and the value of biodiversity.
Natural and Organic Ingredients
Made To Only Love Your Skin
Sustainable Packaging, Recycling
EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA
A journey to natural skincare from the heart of the meadows.
Nature has been my refuge and my world since childhood.
Growing up in a small village, I spent my free time in the meadows and woods, enchanted by plants, animals and the magical stories nature whispered to me.
In our family, knowledge of medicinal plants was passed down from generation to generation.
My great-grandmother, grandmother and mother taught me how nature heals. Our home was filled with the scents of dried herbs, patiently waiting to become teas, poultices and balms. Rejecting herbal remedies was not an option – nature was our first and most trusted healer.
In high school, I began photographing nature with a manual Minolta XG1 camera, exploring the microcosm of plants and insects. At the Faculty of Agriculture, I continued to study the plant world with new knowledge and a deep understanding of the importance of biodiversity.
Together with my husband, I founded a family business, Herbaria, dedicated to growing and selling organically certified medicinal and culinary herbs. In parallel, I studied phytotherapy, aromatherapy and natural perfumery.
All of this led to a single vision – to create certified natural and organic skincare products that connect nature, science, family and tradition.
– Ivana Ključarić, founder
Family
the story
Our family lives beside Bedekovićeve grabe, a uniquely protected area in the Croatian region of Međimurje – home to wet meadows, endangered Phengaris butterflies, and healing plants such as Sanguisorba officinalis (great burnet).
It was here that my husband Tomislav and I found peace for years. He explored the world through his camera lens, and I through the lens of plants.
Our walks were soon joined by our daughter Matilda – a wonderful, curious spirit who from an early age showed deep affection for both plants and animals.
We were also accompanied by our gentle and patient dog Blackey, who explored nature in his own dog-like way.
How it all started?
Our beginnings
LANTESTINA
A name born of childhood imagination and love for plants.
During one of our walks, three-year-old Matilda pointed to a plant and said, “Lantestina calles.” Amazed by the invented Latin-sounding name, I asked her what it meant. “It’s the name of that plant,” she replied.
Because I often spoke Latin plant names aloud during our walks – a habit from my botany studies – her imagination transformed them into a new, magical word: Lantestina. A name that exists nowhere else, yet holds within it the essence of nature, childhood and love. We held onto that name until the right moment came.
Today, Lantestina is the name of our natural and organic skincare brand, created with deep respect for the plant world and its power.
Our Mission
We are driven by sustainability, natural care & biodiversity conservation.
Our mission is simple, yet meaningful:
- to create products that respect nature, the body, and the rhythms of life
- to share knowledge about medicinal plants and traditional care practices
- to give back to the community and support the preservation of natural habitats
