Hotel Post Bezau

I Went to Austria for More Radiant Skin

Enter the age of skin tourism—travelling for glow

I rarely take vacations. As an actor, I usually go wherever my work takes me, and it’s become somewhat of a luxury to be at home for longer than two weeks. So it was unusual when, last November, I found myself embarking on a bucket-list-worthy, completely self-indulgent trip—and it all spawned from a little bottle of face wash.

Allow me to preface this travelogue by debunking a myth about what it’s like to be an actor. Yes, it can be very glamorous, and yes, I have tried almost every makeup and skincare line you can think of. While that might seem like a luxury to a beauty enthusiast, it also means that my professional life is full of people blending and dabbing new products onto my face. As a result, I’ve had a whole range of not so glamorous allergic reactions, blemishes and skin crises.

A few years ago, I was smack dab in the middle of a frustrating bout of dermatitis when I decided (like many people of the last decade) to clean up my beauty routine. I wandered into the clean beauty mecca Credo in L.A. and gave the salesperson my plaintive pitch: “Look, I’ve become sensitive to everything: fragrance, pollen, pollution, cities!” She looked me over and handed me a sample of the aforementioned face wash. So began my infatuation with the Susanne Kaufmann skincare line, and its creator.

Kaufmann’s gentle but powerful cleansing gel was the answer to my tired and sensitive skin. It became the bedrock of my skincare routine. In no time, I added her Hyaluron Serum and Nutrient Concentrate to my nightly lineup. The combination left my skin feeling hydrated and soft without overwhelming it. The line quickly took over my medicine cabinet, pushing out other competitors, not only because of its performance, but also its sustainable packaging.

I worked my way through as many of the products as I could get my hands on, but because they are not mass-produced, they can be tricky to find in North America. In my mission to locate stockists, I stumbled upon a spa retreat nestled in the Austrian Alps called Hotel Post Bezau.

What I didn’t yet realize was that Post Bezau is owned and operated by Susanne Kaufmann; it has been in her family for five generations. I also didn’t know that it was the desire to find clean, locally made products for the hotel that lead her to create her own line. I scrolled through the photos of the modern mountain spa lined with endless Susanne Kaufmann products and thought, “I will go there.”

I know the word “detox” can instill feelings of anger and terror in some.

One year after that initial Google and a little burned out from a hectic work schedule, I corralled four friends to join me on a seven-day detox at Hotel Post Bezau. We are of different ages and live in different cities, but we all work demanding jobs and were all in need of a reset, which is why we all spontaneously and somewhat desperately hopped on planes to Austria with only a few weeks’ notice.

I know the word “detox” can instill feelings of anger and terror in some. There was no tyrannical authority bossing us around and no one went to bed hungry. There was no dairy, sugar, preservatives, gluten, red meat, alcohol or caffeine, but there were plenty of de-puffing lymphatic drainage massages, water therapies, facials and foot soaks, all of which distracted from jet lag and espresso withdrawal.

The hotel itself evokes a contemporary chalet and is nestled in the most charming village that calls to mind The Sound of Music. Upon arrival in my minimalist room, I opened the door to my balcony and was awestruck by the natural beauty of the mountains. A blast of crisp, clean air bathed me with its purity. I sat down on my ridiculously comfortable fluffy white bed and realized I could hear very little—the wind, a bird…near silence. That’s one of the wonderful things about Post Bezau: It’s not riddled with spa music and background noise.

The week was luxurious but simple. We ate on a schedule with four hour windows between meals and at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. The menu was mindfully designed with a local and sustainable mandate. It was November in the Alps, so there were no avocados, but there were seasonal vegetables, many grown in the hotel’s own garden, with the option to have locally caught fish or poultry at lunchtime. I particularly loved the soups, which ranged from rich and earthy mushroom to delicate and fragrant fennel and tomato.

The Wi-Fi and all transmitting devices were shut off at bedtime, so we slept as pre-internet civilizations did. It was like being a baby again: just eat, sleep and drink (zero-KM water from a local well, offered everywhere in glass bottles).

spa retreat
Sarah GadonSkincare founder Susanne Kaufmann (left) with Sarah Gadon.

The best part of my stay was that Susanne Kaufmann herself was there—she lives in Bezau, just a few doors down from the hotel. I am not easily starstruck. I was more in awe of Kaufmann in person than any leading actor I’ve worked with, and that list is long. She is incredibly chic, pairing flowy skirts and chunky knits with Common Projects boots. Her skin is iridescent, though that was no surprise.

When I introduced myself to her, she seemed slightly surprised and perhaps a little flattered that I had travelled all the way to Austria because I was so inspired by her line. (I mean, I did cross an ocean for her—did I seem crazy?!) But she was disarming and friendly, inviting me on a morning hike, taking me to some of her favourite shops and answering all my questions about skincare. She’s funny, too; she suggested that the next time I visit Austria, I should do a week of retox to experience the wine, cheese and chocolates. In an era of Instagram beauty moguls pushing endless drops, Kaufmann is a refreshing alternative, just as wonderful and authentic as the small-batch products she makes in her solar-powered factory.

Later in the week, I received a heavenly facial from Kaufmann’s protégé and brand manager Stephanie Rist, who is basically a skincare wizard. She asked me about my lifestyle in detail and tailor-made the treatment according to my answers. She stimulated my lymphatic system through a series of facial massage techniques that left my skin supple and relaxed and applied potent ampoules of vitamin C and CoQ10 to nourish and protect from pollution. I left feeling cared for in the most delicate and attentive way. I looked like I’d swallowed a glow stick.

At the end of the seven days, my friends and I all felt lighter, rested, clear-headed. Our skin was luminous. We packed our suitcases with as many Kaufmann products as they would hold and vowed to return as soon as we could. I boarded my plane and was catapulted back into my fast-paced life. I moved cities, packing up my New York apartment over New Year’s, and I am about to leave again, heading to Sundance to premiere the film Black Bear. Yet, since that magical time in Austria, every night I run a bath and add a generous amount of Kaufmann’s Winter Bath Essence. The aroma of cinnamon and cloves fills my bathroom as I massage the Glow Mask into my face. I climb into the frothy water, I close my eyes. I hear silence.

Carry-on companions

Sarah Gadon’s essential spa retreat packing list

spa retreat
Susanne Kaufmann, Ça va de soiSusanne Kaufmann Cleansing Gel, $63, wantapothecary.com, Ça Va De Soi sweater, $520, cavadesoi.com

Left: The product that started it all! This cleanser is strong enough to remove my makeup at the end of a workday, but gentle enough to use frequently without stripping my skin’s natural oils. The 100-mL size means I can throw it in my carry-on.

Right: No winter retreat is complete without some cashmere. I’ve been a fan of this Canadian company since I discovered it 10 years ago while working in Montreal. This sweater is perfect for lounging around the spa, but nice enough to wear to dinner.

 

spa retreat
Olio e Osso, QuipOlio e Osso Balm in #4 Berry, $39, bibelotandtoken.comQuip Toothbrush, $52, getquip.com

Left: I won’t travel without these little balms. They are perfect for the plane because they do double duty, combating dryness with shea butter and oils while also giving subtle colour to the lips, cheeks and eyes.

Right: My fiancé bought this electric toothbrush for me, and I love it. The holder becomes a perfect travel case and it sticks to any mirror. They also mail you a new brush head, battery and toothpaste every three months.

 

 

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