She’s widely credited with popularising the “Vampire Facial” and boasts a client list including Rosie-Huntington Whiteley, Jennifer Aniston, Cher and Kim Kardashian- Dr Barbara Sturm is something of a skincare celebrity.
Founded in 2014, Sturm’s eponymous skincare line has finally arrived in Australia at Mecca Cosmetica and while she’s become famous for using her clients’ blood in their salon skin treatments, the home-care line is (thankfully) free from it.
What it does contain, however, are seriously potent ingredients. One such example is found in the Hyaluronic Serum, which contains pure, highly concentrated long- and short-chain hyaluronic molecules (I’ve talked about Hyaluronic Acid at length both here and on Instagram as it’s the very best hydrating ingredient, holding up to 1000 times its own weight in moisture). The serious serum comes at an equally serious cost, however after over a month of use I can confirm that it really is an effective hydrator if you can afford the splurge.
The Face Mask is another collection highlight for me, as it’s an intense and immediate hydrator despite being a clay mask (clays are traditionally used for extracting, which is often a drying process). This mask is the best of both worlds- Kaolin, or China Clay, is an effective gentle exfoliant while Aloe is a beautiful hydrator and has a soothing effect on dry and sensitive skin. The Face Cream, too, has an immediate plumping effect on the skin without the feeling of heavy oils thanks to the inclusion of active Vitamin E, Purslane and Skullcap. This one is a good all-rounder- light enough for day, hydrating enough for overnight.
Due, in part, to Sturm’s notoriety, her Molecular Cosmetics collection comes at a price. Is it worth it? If you can afford it, yes. While I’ve only tried the aforementioned three products, I’ve given them over a month of consistent use and can confidently say that they all work for my skin. Perhaps it’s a “paying for quality” situation- the Hyaluronic Serum, for example, is the most expensive of the Dr Barbara Sturm products I’ve tried and while their are plenty of Hyaluronic Acid packed products out there I’ve never tried one this concentrated. If skincare is a priority to you and you can safely afford this, then I would recommend this range to you.
This product has been gifted courtesy of Mecca Brands however all views are, as always, entirely my own.
