The story of Blank& began with a big dream: a life without pain.
It was the summer of 2023. The company’s Content Director, Fanni Koliseva, was researching posts in social media discussion groups. The term CBD kept appearing over and over again.
People were talking about a compound extracted from hemp and its external benefits for treating nerve pain in intimate areas.
A couple of weeks later, the idea of a lubricant containing CBD was born—a product that could help ease vulvodynia pain symptoms.
The company’s COO and founder, Miro Koliseva, loved his partner’s idea and decided to take action. A few summers later, Blank& launched Europe’s first condom-safe and Ecocert-certified lubricants containing CBD.
“When I realized how many intimate products contained plastic-derived chemicals, I wanted to develop a more natural alternative. So together, we came up with Etna—a CBD-infused lubricant that also contains anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing CBD, which many women already use directly for intimate pain,” Miro Koliseva explains now, in summer 2025.
Many people don’t realize that the skin of the mucous membranes is thinner than elsewhere on the body and contains plenty of blood vessels. This means that ingredients applied to intimate areas absorb into the body more quickly than usual.
As the development process of Etna progressed, the team also received requests for a lubricant suitable for anal use. The idea evolved into a finished product during the company’s Creative Director Noora Shingler’s trip to Berlin. The product was eventually named Glisa.
“While I was in Berlin in the autumn researching the local CBD scene, I got confirmation of this need when local contacts wondered why the needs of sexual minorities are so often overlooked. We wanted to create a natural, effective, and chemical-safe product especially with them in mind,” Shingler says.
CBD’s anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing effects make these lubricants truly multi-purpose—they moisturize dry or irritated skin while also enhancing pleasure.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is currently one of the most talked-about ingredients in the beauty and wellness world—and for good reason. International interest in CBD has exploded in recent years, and now the trend has reached Finland as well.
But what is this phenomenon really about?
CBD is a compound extracted from hemp and is the focus of active research. In cosmetics, CBD is particularly beneficial for skin prone to atopy or acne. CBD is derived from hemp, which does not intoxicate—unlike THC, the compound in marijuana that many people are familiar with.
Blank& is Finland’s first CBD natural cosmetics brand. The company’s products are now also sold in a flagship store located in the historic Torikorttelit district by Helsinki’s Senate Square.
Etna and Glisa are a continuation of the cosmetics line Blank& launched in April, making CBD skincare more accessible to everyday life in Finland. Blank& lubricants are available in Ruohonjuuri stores, Apteekki360, Twistbe, Kaalimato, and here in our store.
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