There’s hardly a more desirable way to spend the better half of your week than galavanting around the Swiss Alps. Or better yet, kicking back at a spa in the Swiss Alps. Well, that’s how I spent last week thanks to adaptogen-powered beauty brand Herbar – escaping to the land of chocolate, watches and cheese, snowy mountains and winter sports. But I wasn’t there for the snow or skiing. I was there for the Herbar facial; venturing to Schloss Hotel and Spa in the humble mountain town of Zermatt.

Founded in 2023 by Catarina Oliveira and Rui Liu, Herbar is the adaptogenic beauty brand revolutionising science-backed skincare by bridging modern technology with ancient rituals. If you don’t already know, adaptogens are an organic superpower referring to a group of plants and plant-based ingredients that work to ‘adapt’ the body to physical, biological and chemical stressors, especially affecting cortisol hormone levels and the body’s HPA (Hypothalamic, Pituitary and Adrenal Gland) axis. Herbar taps into this in its all-natural products which comprise a Face Oil, Face Nectar, Barrier Balm and ingestible Skin Pearls. Now, rather fittingly, Herbar is expanding, launching a full facial experience at the world’s first-ever CBD and adaptogenic spa at Schloss Zermatt, one of Switzerland’s most luxurious destinations. The range of exclusive treatments on offer includes Make Me Glow (“a revitalising treatment designed to bring radiance and vitality to your skin”) Detox and Go (“a detoxifying facial to cleanse and purify the skin”) and 360 Sculpting Facial (“a sculpting treatment that tones and lifts for a rejuvenated look”) while the idea behind the experience is to allow guests to “relax a bit deeper and trust the power of nature”. The treatments arrive in a bid to enhance both beauty and well-being through a holistic spa experience bridging luxury and wellness.

But before we could experience this much-anticipated wellness wonderland, we had to get there. And getting there was a whirlwind of planes, trains and automobiles. Rachel Vasdekys, PR for the brand, repeatedly reminded us, “trust me, it’ll be worth it when we get there”, and worth it, it was. After a stress-filled Uber ride to the airport, a turbulent flight, a two and half hour train ride through the mountains, another 45 minutes in a people carrier and at last, a Stimbo EV Taxi to the hotel (Zermatt has a flat-out ban on fossil fuel vehicles), we arrived at Schloss. Stepping out from the taxi, taking in the timeless Alpine architecture and breathing in that crisp mountain air was enough to melt away the travel stress. It was nighttime at this point, so we’d have to wait until the morning to see the full scope of the supposed-to-be-magnificent scenery. In the meantime, we had a wholesome night of adaptogen-powered eating ahead of us.

Cooked by Oliveira and Liu themselves, we were served up a mushroom-rich menu made up of an enoki mushroom and bitter greens salad with mushroom and daikon broth on the side to start. This was followed by an adaptogenic congee dish topped by osmanthus and lotus root. Dessert was an adaptogenic mochi in a taro and tremella mushroom bed for a Traditional Chinese Medicine infusion. Chef’s kiss. Accompanied by a selection of white or red wines, it was a meal to soothe the soul before finally hitting the hay.

When I awoke on day two and crawled my aching body out of bed, the first thing on the to-do list was to, quite simply, look outside. And so I shuffled to the window and swung open my curtains only to be met with what was quite possibly the most incredible view I’d ever had the immense privilege of laying eyes on. To my right was a postcard-perfect view of Zermatt and all its charming chalets and snow-laden rooftops; to my left, The Matterhorn (AKA the Toblerone Mountain) and a sweeping panorama of The Alps. I was in awe, with my mouth visibly hanging open and my eyes wide, just taking in the scene. What a place to be; what a time to be alive.

After a luxe continental breakfast in the Schloss dining room, we were ready to take on our first excursion: a snowy hike through the Alps, led by mountaineer and yogi Tonya Rosier. Ascending the mountain with our crampons clamped on, we trudged through the woods in meditative silence toward one of the colossal crucifixes locals had erected on the mountain. The stillness of the woods was otherworldly, broken only by the crunch of snow underfoot. On the way back down we encountered what they affectionately call The Wall of Death – an extremely steep drop down the mountain – and had to take the long way round despite myself protesting that “we’ll be fine”. We may not have been fine, but who’s to say; Rosier, as she should, put our safety first.    

Afterwards we returned to the hotel for lunch and were treated to a delicious menu of tempeh and tahini – a personal favourite – and an Asian mushroom soup filled with tremella, enoki and more. Our bellies were full, our bodies worn from walking uphill and through at least two feet of snow, and we were ready for the next activity on our itineraries. The moment we’d been waiting for; it was time to head to the spa.

This is when we got to experience the full breadth of what the Schloss spa had to offer. Starting out with the Herbar facial, the real magic began. I received the 360 Sculpting Facial which involved a facial massage using Herbar’s bespoke gua-shrooms and a nice lathering of the brand’s skincare products. About half way through Oliveira came into the room to add a little acupuncture to the treatment, piercing the skin at pressure points that align with the stomach and liver and tapping into the yin and yang, the feminine and the masculine sides of the body. It was so relaxing that I fell asleep right there on the massage table – although it’s possible that the hike just really took it out of me. Regardless, it left me glowing and revitalized. There were red and green light therapies available as well, though these weren’t part of my personal experience. Afterwards, I sat and read my true crime novel in the spa’s salt room, detoxing and warming my core. I also had access to the saunas, cold CBD showers and pool, which were truly euphoric.

This afternoon of rest and relaxation came bookended by a dumpling-making workshop in the Schloss penthouse. There, Oliveira and Liu taught us to fill and fold delicate mushroom and tofu dumplings to perfection. These were served upon a bed of adaptogenic congee that brought the workshop to a lip-smacking conclusion.

By the time we’d finished eating, Oliveira had already seamlessly begun our TCM and Ear Seeding workshop. This involved individual tongue reading sessions – which involves which involves analysing the colour, texture and shape of the tongue to assess overall health and energy imbalances – and a lesson in using acupressure on the ears to increase energy flow and balance out the body. It was emotional and informative; a truly enriching experience to call the day to a close.  

The final day was a quick one spent meandering through the quaint village, stomping in snow piles, eating potato and leek soup from a local hotspot and travelling… lots and lots of travelling. We packed our Herbar goodies into our bags, silently praying that airport security wouldn’t be fussy about our growing collection of liquids, and off we went, returning to our respective cities – London, Amsterdam, Paris… It was a truly blissful trip and I honestly couldn’t recommend experiencing the Schloss x Herbar facial yourself enough. The mountains heal. The facials rejuvenate. And Herbar? It transforms.

Photography courtesy of Herbar.

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