(Beauty)

This Doctor-Created Skincare Brand Is Backed By Science (& Celebs Love It)

Behind every radiant red-carpet face, there’s a bottle or two of Dr. Barbara Sturm serum.

by Lindsay Cohn
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Originally Published: 
Courtesy Of Dr. Barbara Sturm
Dr. Barbara Sturm The Better B Niacinamide Serum - Best Barbara Sturm Products
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I’m very much into a daily indulgence. If you have a favorite perfume, don’t just stash it in a cabinet for safekeeping and only pull it on for big events — use that baby everyday! The same could, and should, be said about facial care. If you find something that feels super luxurious and actually works, it’s a daily essential in my book. It’s that line of thinking (and some very good advice) that ultimately led me to my selection of the best Dr. Barbara Sturm products.

I was first introduced to the Dr. Barbara Sturm product line by a fabulous editor friend of mine. She raved about this incredible doctor who created a skin-care brand, how it had totally changed her complexion, and how I needed to try it — stat. We’d known each other since college and she’d always had great skin but it was without question more luminous, pore-less, and even than ever. A glowing endorsement and results I could see with my own eyes? I was sold.

It certainly didn’t take the countless celeb fans to convince me. However, I know that’s a selling point for many people, so it’s worth noting that Hailey Bieber, Molly Sims, Sabrina Elba, Ashley Graham, Devon Windsor, Olivia Culpo, and Emma Roberts are just a few of the dozens of A-list disciples.

So what’s worth the splurge from this celeb-loved line? Let’s get into it...

First, The Backstory

Many of us were taught to believe that the more intense the formula, the better it works — a sentiment that was (and, sadly, still is) promoted by many skin-care experts and marketing departments. Dr. Barbara Sturm has a decidedly different attitude towards complexion-related matters, one that’s served her patients and customers extremely well.

Her approach to product development is all about healing skin not stripping and pillaging it. So when it came to the creation of her own product line (which includes covetable cleansers, serums, moisturizers, eye creams, and face masks), she traded aggressive, inflammation-causing actives for effective, high-performance alternative ingredients that are proven to work with skin — not against it. Think: marine plankton extract to strengthen the skin barrier, provitamin B5 for its intensely hydrating properties, and glow-getting purslane and sweet almond oil.

With these innovative ingredients, the products deliver real results whether you’re strutting down the catwalk, posing on the Met Gala red carpet, or snapping a selfie when that good light streams in the window.

But which are the best of the best?

The Best Dr. Barbara Sturm Products

Amongst my faves from this science-backed skin-care collection, Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum stands out as a hydrating superhero that’s powered by (you guessed it) hyaluronic acid.

But it’s not just any HA in this formula: It’s a super-concentrated combination of low and high weight hyaluronic acid molecules that dive deep below the surface layers for instant and long-lasting hydration. So you get that immediate hit of thirst-quenching goodness and it also helps improve overall skin health over time, leaving your complexion with that plump, bouncy youthfulness we’re all chasing.

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Dr. Barbara Sturm The Better B Niacinamide Serum just launched in February 2022 and it’s also already secured a place in the starting lineup for so many devotees (myself included).

This workhorse of a formula combines the pore-refining, brightness-boosting effects of niacinamide and hydrating panthenol (Provitamin B5). It also contains vitamin B3 and amino acids to guard against environmental damage, as well as marine plankton extract which helps strengthen the skin barrier and supports the natural renewal process.

Finally, a blend of polygonum bistorta root, wild rose extract, purslane, and hyaluronic acid makes Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops a magic dullness-eraser in a bottle.

One pipette of this unicorn-like elixir lights up skin for a more even and dewy appearance. It’s also super versatile since you can apply it solo after moisturizer, mix it with your fave serum to rev up radiance, or add a few drops over makeup for an extra lustrous finish.

The Bottom Line

Are these potions pricey? Sure, but no more so than other ultra-luxury skin care. And this line was actually created by a doctor and backed by science. There are no gimmicks or shiny packaging to distract you from the fact that what’s inside the bottle isn’t actually that great. When it comes to the best Dr. Barbara Sturm products, it’s the formulas that do the talking. And what they’re saying is “I will give you the best skin of your life.”

P.S. If you aren’t ready to commit to a whole bunch of new full-size products, many of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s most loved complexion saviors come in mini versions and travel-friendly kits, offering a low-stakes way to sample some of their best-selling formulas. (And I can pretty much promise you’ll eventually end up buying the bigger size!)

TZR Shop brings you the editor-approved buys we can’t get enough of and think you’ll adore, too. Best of all, you can shop all of the products above directly on this page without visiting multiple retailers. Simply click on an item to learn more, choose your size or favorite color (if applicable), and then hit “add to cart.” When you’re done, you can click over to your cart in the top right corner of your screen to purchase all your stellar selects at once. How easy is that?

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