In 2023, Susanne Kaufmann celebrated 20 years of her namesake brand. As one of the earliest pioneers of the natural beauty and skincare movement, the secret to her success isn’t difficult to unlock. Born and raised in the Austrian Alps, Kaufmann brought the herbs, plants, and flowers that grow around that region – and are known for various healing properties – down from the mountains and into her products. (She began formulating said products for face and body, to be used in the medical spa of Hotel Post, a retreat in the Bregenzerwald that has been in her family for five generations).
Today, she’s speaking to me over a video call, having just marked the launch of her first-ever face oil. And, I have to ask: why has it taken so long for her to launch one? ‘We have always used the best natural oils in our body products, whether that’s sunflower, apricot, rosehip, broccoli, or celery,’ she explains. ‘They are so very appreciated by our customers, and a lot of them would ask me why we don’t make an oil for the face. It took us a long while to develop it because, in every formula we do, we start from scratch. And taking the time to do proper research into the product is also key to what we do.’
