Over the past few months, I have become a loyal customer of a European bath and body line that has become mine and my girls go-to personal care products.
The brand is Kneipp (pronounced ken-ipe) and although most Americans are not familiar with this German brand, it has been around for over 125 years!
I literally stumbled upon the Kneipp Store while walking around Roosevelt Field mall with Kelsey, back in December. Trying to find a gentle face wash and moisturizer for my 11 year old girl, we came upon the lovely and inviting bath and skin care products store. My interest was piqued, by the words "Vegan" and "Natural" in the window and the delicious aromas emanating from inside.
My enthusiasm was growing as we entered this boutique, whose name, I was not yet sure how to pronounce, as I began to visually scan the displays full of body washes, lotions, hand creams, bath salts, bubble baths, essential body and bath oils, skin care and more.
The realization that this store could be a great find for my family's personal care products needs as well as a resource for gift giving, was becoming increasingly clear as I was drawn in deeper by the history and mission of this German brand. Having just purchased a few Christmas presents at a competitive retail store in the mall, which cannot make the same healthy and compassionate claims as Kneipp, I began to experience some buyer's remorse. Oh well, I still had several gifts to buy!
The story of this natural, botanically-based line of products is depicted in-store on a visually engaging timeline, having its humble beginnings back in the 18th Century, in a small village in Bavaria, Germany. Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897), a naturopath and priest, cured himself of a severe case of tuberculosis using the very nature around him in combination with cold and hot water therapies (hydrotherapy). At that time, the disease was usually fatal, but Kneipp came across an eighteenth-century book about hydrotherapy that inspired him to immerse himself several times a week in the icy Danube River. These brief exposures to cold water seemed to bolster his immune system, sending his disease into remission.
I was fascinated as I read the historical account, and Michele and Colleen filled in with additional product details. It all resonated strongly with me as I am a strong believer that the earth has everything necessary to keep us healthy and heal us from disease, and Sebastian Kneipp had proved this through his life's mission.
Having cured himself, Father Kneipp began a lifetime of devotion to providing all people a simple plan to improve and maintain good health with the healing powers of water, plants and herbs. His reputation and fame grew as a healer and thousands of people would journey to the foot hills of the German Alps to learn the naturopathic methods he developed and to be "cured" and achieve optimal health.
everything we need to remain in good health"
-Sebastian Kneipp
The Five Pillars refer to the elements of water, plants, exercise, nutrition, balance, used in combination to improve health and well-being. Kneipp developed treatment methods using hydrotherapy with plants and herbs that proved very beneficial for a holistic way of life.
Realizing the need to make these healing remedies available to greater numbers of individuals, Sebastian Kneipp partnered with a Würzburg pharmacist who shared his conviction for using naturopathic medicine and using only natural plant essences and pure ingredients as a base, together, they created the formulas that are still used in the company's bath, body and wellness products today, according to the company's website.
Kneipp Today
With headquarters in Würzburg, Germany, the Kneipp Company is an independent company within the Hartman Group, with a modern production site located in Ochsenfurt-Hohestadt, near Würzburg, along with research and development laboratories that continues the legacy and holistic philosophy of its founder, Sebastian Kneipp. Throughout Europe, the brand is well recognized, and the plan is to bring that same consumer recognition to America, through Kneipp-owned retail stores along with an online presence.
As a travel blogger, I was ecstatic about the company's tie-in to travel! In the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, an entire town is devoted to Kneipp Wellness. It is Kneipp Town-the spa village of Bad (Spa) Wörishofen, where every hotel and guesthouse offers the "Kneipp-Kur" and the doctors practice Kneipp's Five Pillars of Wellness.
I can assure you that my travel bucket list now includes Bad Wörishofen!
"The story of Kneipp is just as relevant today as it was,
over a century ago and the core principles of its
founder, Sebastian Kneipp are an integral part
of the landscape and decor of the store."
-Kneipp.com
I've been known to suffer from lower back pain, and was encouraged to know there was a naturopathic option to over the counter painkillers.
Having tried most of the Kneipp scents to date, my favorite shower foam is White Hibiscus and Shea Butter and my gang of three's overall favorite Kneipp Shower Wash scent- hands down - is Passionfruit and Grapefruit!!
There are currently eight Kneipp stores in the United States along the east coast, which include two right here on Long Island in the Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall in Garden City and Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove.
Their prices are super reasonable too and when you sign up for the Kneipp Family loyalty program, (which, of course, I did!) it saves you an additional 5% of all purchases in store and online!
Thanks Kneipp, for giving consumers an animal friendly, botanical, natural, vegan alternative in the bath and body care category!
- Elisa
Kneipp.com