Klemence Gregory: "Beauty Doesn't Begin in the Skin"

She spent years as a model, TV presenter and actress. Today, Klemence Gregory is the founder of Natural Beauty by Kannavalley – the skincare line Helsama has brought exclusively to the Nordics. We asked her fifteen questions about beauty, menopause and the art of aging with dignity. Watch the full podcast conversation in the video.

The moment Natural Beauty became inevitable

– I believe Natural Beauty was born long before the brand itself existed. I spent many years working as a model, TV presenter and actress, so from a very young age I learned to take care of my appearance with discipline. I tried many skincare brands, followed beauty routines and, for a long time, I thought that was enough.

– But when I reached a more mature stage of life, I realized that taking care of the surface of my skin was no longer enough. My body was changing, and I wanted to understand why. I wanted to feel well, not just look well.

– The pandemic became a turning point. It was a very difficult time for everyone, but it also gave us the opportunity to slow down and look at health from a different perspective. That was when I discovered CBD and became deeply interested in natural alternatives. The more I studied, the more I realized that nature has always offered extraordinary tools for our wellbeing – we had simply forgotten many of them.

– At that moment I understood that Natural Beauty shouldn't just be a skincare brand. It should become a philosophy of wellbeing, helping women care for their skin, their body and themselves in a much more conscious way.

"This is missing – I have to create it"

– Yes, absolutely. It came from my own experience. When I entered perimenopause, I felt my body changing in ways I wasn't expecting. Like many women, the first thing I did was seek medical advice. I listened carefully to the options I was given, but deep inside I felt they didn't reflect the way I wanted to approach my own health.

– I've always believed that the human body has an incredible ability to adapt and recover when we learn to understand it and support it properly. So I started studying, researching and looking for natural alternatives. Eventually I realized I wasn't alone – thousands of women were asking themselves the very same questions.

– That was the moment I thought: if the solutions I'm looking for don't exist, perhaps I should help create them. That's really how this journey began.

What she had to unlearn from the beauty industry

– I had to unlearn the idea that the most expensive brand automatically means the best product. I spent many years surrounded by fashion, media and the beauty industry. We are constantly exposed to advertising telling us we need expensive creams to take care of ourselves.

– Today, I see things very differently. Nature already provides extraordinary ingredients, and modern science allows us to understand and use them even better. For me, skincare is no longer about luxury. It's about understanding what your skin really needs and respecting your body. Once you begin caring for yourself more consciously and start seeing real changes, you realize that wellbeing doesn't come from the price of a product – it comes from consistency.

What she wishes someone had told her at 35

– I wish someone had spoken openly to me about menopause. My mother never really talked about it, and I'm sure her mother never talked about it with her either. For generations, menopause has been treated almost like a taboo.

– I also wish someone had taught me much earlier how important movement really is – strength training, stretching, posture and keeping our muscles active throughout life. Today I know that wellbeing doesn't begin at fifty. It begins decades earlier. The sooner we start caring for our bodies, the better we will experience every stage of life.

Structural Beauty – the idea born from an accident

– Structural Beauty came from my own life experience. Many years ago I was involved in a very serious accident. After several surgeries, some doctors told me I would probably need a walking stick one day, and that I should stop horse riding and many of the activities I loved. That was very difficult to accept.

– I spent years doing physiotherapy, but I still felt something was missing. So I started listening to my own body. Little by little I developed a simple daily routine based on stretching, mobility and movement, adapted to my own needs. Over time I recovered much of my mobility, my posture improved dramatically – and something curious happened. People kept asking me: "What have you done to your face?"

– At first I didn't understand the question. Then I realized that when you improve your posture, release muscular tension, improve circulation and move your body better, your face changes too. Everything is connected. Your neck affects your face. Your diaphragm influences your posture. Your fascia connects your entire body.

– That's when I truly understood something very important: beauty doesn't begin in the skin. It begins in the structure that supports the whole body.

A ritual in a real woman's week

– For me, a Natural Beauty ritual is not complicated. It has to fit into a real woman's life. In the morning, I like to start with movement – simple exercises before even leaving the bed, especially for the neck and the face. Then I drink warm water with lemon, I move my body, I stretch, and I try to release tension before the day begins.

– The CBD Balm is part of my daily routine, especially for massage – legs, back and areas where I feel tension. After the shower, I use Intima Care, because intimate comfort is something women should speak about with much more honesty.

– At night, I use the Face & Neck Oil with facial massage, facial yoga and lymphatic drainage. The hands are one of the best beauty tools we have.

– So the ritual is not only product. It is movement, touch, breathing, consistency and awareness.

Fighting age – or accompanying it

– For me, fighting age is exhausting. It puts women in a constant battle with themselves. I don't want to look twenty years younger. That is not my goal. My goal is to maintain my vitality, my posture, my skin quality, my mobility and my freedom.

– Accompanying age means understanding what is happening in your body and responding with care instead of fear. Aging is not the enemy. Abandoning yourself is the real problem. When you take care of yourself with consistency, you don't feel that you are fighting time. You feel that you are walking with it, with more dignity and more awareness.

Prevention is everything

– We often wait until something is already uncomfortable, visible or painful before we start paying attention. But the body always speaks before that. The skin speaks. The posture speaks. The energy speaks. The sleep speaks.

– For me, prevention means learning to listen earlier. It means understanding that every small habit we repeat today will become part of the way we age tomorrow. I believe beauty and wellbeing are built quietly, every day, long before menopause arrives.

Three things to start this month

– If a 38-year-old woman is listening, I would ask her to start with three simple things. First, begin strength training or some form of resistance exercise. Muscle is freedom as we age – I love my kettlebell routine. Second, stretch and move the body every day, even for ten minutes. Posture, fascia and mobility matter much more than we think. Third, clean up her beauty routine. Choose products with more natural ingredients and be aware of what she is putting on her skin.

– And I would tell her: don't wait until your body asks for help. If she starts now, twenty years later she may have more strength, more confidence, better mobility and a much more peaceful relationship with her own body.

What mothers should tell daughters

– I wish we spoke about menopause much earlier and with much less fear. I wish mothers told daughters: your body will change, but that does not mean you are losing yourself. I wish friends told friends: you are not alone, and you don't have to feel ashamed of what is happening to you.

– For too long, women experienced these changes in silence. I am happy that this is beginning to change. In my own family, my daughters are very aware of the importance of self-care. They have seen me work on this for years, and now they understand that taking care of the body is not vanity. It is responsibility.

The most underrated habit

– Facial exercise and facial massage. We train our legs, our arms, our abdomen, but we forget that the face also has muscles. We expect creams to do everything, but creams are only one part of the story. When you massage the face, release tension in the jaw, the neck and the scalp, and support circulation and lymphatic drainage, the face responds.

– It is simple, but it requires consistency. And consistency itself is another underrated habit. Small things repeated every day can change much more than dramatic things done once in a while.

Why hemp?

– My interest in hemp and CBD began when I had the opportunity to follow the early development of CBD in the wellness industry in the United States. That experience made me curious, so I started studying and researching. What attracted me was the versatility of the plant. Hemp seed oil is naturally rich in omegas and has a beautiful affinity with the skin – it feels nourishing, balanced and respectful.

– For Kannavalley, hemp was never just a trend. It was the beginning of a deeper journey into natural ingredients, conscious formulation and a more respectful relationship with the body.

What tradition keeps and science improves

– I don't think science should replace tradition. The best products happen when tradition and science respect each other. Plants like arnica, calendula and chamomile have been used for generations – there is wisdom in that. But modern biotechnology allows us to understand ingredients better, improve textures, stability and performance, and create more sophisticated formulas.

– When we develop a product, I like to look at both worlds. What has nature given us for centuries? And what can science help us do better today? Mature skin is demanding. It needs formulas that are gentle, but also intelligent and effective.

To the woman opening the box

– I hope she feels that the product was made with care. I hope she feels curiosity, elegance and trust. Scandinavian women have a beautiful tradition of natural living, simplicity and respect for quality, so I think Natural Beauty can connect very well with that sensitivity.

– Even though our cultures are different, women face many of the same changes with age. We all want to feel comfortable in our skin, strong in our bodies and confident in our lives. If a Swedish or Danish woman opens that box and feels "this was created for a woman like me" – then we have done something meaningful.

Women turning 50 in ten years

– If Natural Beauty succeeds in the way I dream, women turning fifty in ten years will not feel invisible. They will feel informed, prepared and proud of this stage of life. They will understand that aging well is not luck. It is a decision, a practice and an act of self-respect.

– I hope women will talk about menopause without shame. I hope they will start caring for their strength, their skin, their intimate wellbeing and their emotional balance much earlier. And I hope the idea of beauty will become more generous. Not about looking young forever, but about staying alive, strong, sensual, mobile, curious and free. For me, that is the real future of beauty.

Her philosophy

– I don't want to look twenty years younger. My goal is to reach my eighties with a strong body, healthy skin and the freedom to keep enjoying life.

– If there is one message I would love every woman to take from this conversation, it is this: wellbeing starts long before menopause. Don't wait until your body asks for help. Start with small habits, movement, self-care and kindness. Natural Beauty is not about looking younger; it's about living better, for longer.

Natural Beauty by Kannavalley is available exclusively from Helsama in the Nordics. Explore the products and articles in our skincare hub.