Latest news with #DrBarbaraSturm
Telegraph
29-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
We've tried dozens of lip balms – these are 10 of the best
Let's be frank, up until a couple of years ago lip balm wasn't anything to get excited about – no more precious than a bar of supermarket soap. Now, the global lip care product market is valued at £1.84 billion – and is predicted to grow by 5.9 per cent in the next five years. Hence lip balms in various nuances can now volumise, firm, gloss, tint and protect your lips from sun damage in one dinky tube. We've tested dozens and dozens of new and existing balms – some tinted, some not, in a range of budgets. These are our top 10 buys. Best for everyday hydration Lip Balm, £10, Dr Barbara Sturm For a brand that sells skincare at prices the average person can't/won't stretch to, this teeny back-pocket lip balm (a little goes a long way) from anti-inflammatory skin doctor Barbara Sturm, is great value. Including lip conditioning heroes lanolin, beeswax, Shea butter, avocado, coconut and sunflower seed oils along with vitamin E, it's an antioxidant protectant and hydrator in one. Not too slippy, it makes an ideal primer for under lipstick. Best for overnight repair Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip Mask, £15, SpaceNK It goes on thick but before long this intensive lip mask seeps into dry, lined lips seamlessly, leaving you with lip skin that feels like it's been in therapy for decades. Apply it before bed for an all nighter or before makeup while you do your skincare. Great for those times when you just need more. Best holiday pick-me-up Glossier Balm Dotcom Lip Balm in Banana Pudding, £16, SpaceNK Nothing extraordinary about Glossier's new sheer Banana Pudding Balm – other than the scent is a welcome reminder to not take life too seriously. Packed with antioxidants that combat free radicals, the perfect ratio of oils and waxes mingle together for a semi-sheen finish that doesn't slip and slide outside of the lip line. We're taking this one on holiday. Best for plumping and firming Bounce Balm, £17, Vieve A soft cushiony balm with tripeptides to plump and firm delicate lip skin by a whopping 45 per cent, it also contains bakuchiol (nature's retinol) to soften lip lines. We particularly like the soft sheen finish that stays put to lock in hydration. Best tinted treatment Belif Super Knights Berry Tinted Lipcerin £17, Boots Made in Korea where women take their skin more seriously than most, this twist top pot is air tight to protect the active ingredients and prevent double dipping. One to leave on your desk or bedside table for whenever you need a hit of hydration, this glycerin packed balm was developed over five years using learning analysis of 57,000 lip images. The formula harnesses vitamins C, E, B3 and B12 along with peptides and ceramides to boost collagen and replenish lipids, while soothing botanicals strengthen the barrier. Oh and it imparts lips with a bonus pink sheen and berry scent. Best cool-girl essential Peptide Lip Treatment, £18, Rhode Including peptides, shea butter and vitamin E, this super cool balm is as suitable for Gen-Xers as it is for Alphas thanks to its skin repairing amino acids, nourishing emollients and protective antioxidants. Aside from being good for lips, you'll score street cred with your teen when you pull it from your bag. Best for sun protection Lip De-Luscious SPF20, £20, Mecca Cosmetica Vitamin E, hyaluronic filling spheres and a soft pink tint that's ever so slightly opalescent, this shea butter, vitamin E and pomegranate seed oil balm lasts and lasts. The first thing to put on after you've brushed your teeth, the SPF20 coverage is a safety nod from the Aussie founders who make sun protection a top priority. Expect visible plumping and clinically proven hydration. Best summer gloss Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Pink Guava, £23, Cult Beauty Glossier than some of the balms we've tried but without feeling sticky, this tinted lip balm is full of seed butters and botanicals that properly take care of dry lip skin while dousing lips in a pretty pink veil. And it's not just us who thinks so – thousands of five star reviews agree it is a no-brainer purchase for the summer. Best for high SPF and barrier care LipidRestore Volumize + Condition Lips SPF40, £25, Sunsolve Technically more of an oil than a balm, this clever lip conditioner by Sunsolve gets a big thumbs up from us. Great for holidays or the city, this high factor lip balm in a universal nude shade has something called 'Lipiderma Technology' that locks in hydration, while the mineral sun protection complex contains micronised zinc oxide particles and reparative actives that shield from UV and boost the lip's skin barrier. Best luxe treatment balm Balm Amour, £27, Violette FR French makeup artist Violette Serrat has yet to produce a product we didn't agree with, and her first balm is no exception. Six years in the making, Balm Amour is a high end treatment and everyday balm in one. A clear under-or-over makeup essential, a phyto-collagen activator increases lip volume by 13 per cent without that uncomfortable tingling sensation, while a potent tripeptide increases collagen and hyaluronic acid naturally within the skin. All this is combined with oils to nourish sooth and protect the lips from environmental aggressors. Moreover, the glass finish is super sexy.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The $325 Skincare Serum Defying A Decade Of Beauty Trends
Dr. Barbara Sturm's Hyaluronic Serum Defies A Decade Of Beauty Trends Courtesy of Dr. Barbara Sturm Dr. Barbara Sturm's Hyaluronic Serum has achieved something quite remarkable: the cult skincare item is celebrating its 10th birthday this year and thriving in an industry where new products launch and disappear faster than TikTok trends. At $325 for 30ml, it doesn't exactly scream 'accessible', yet it has firmly remained one of the most coveted and bestselling serums throughout the past decade. Launched as an ampoule initially, the popular formula was later introduced as the Hyaluronic Serum in 2015. The beauty landscape looked vastly different then: social media wasn't where one'd get skincare tips from, K-beauty hadn't yet conquered Western markets, and the idea of spending over $300 on a single serum seemed almost absurd to most. ''I wanted something that mimicked what we could inject into the deeper layers of the skin — but in a form you could also apply topically,' Sturm recalls. 'There was no Hyaluronic Serum on the market at the time... so I created it.' In fact, no one had even heard about the active ingredient — hyaluronic acid — before, so she often had to explain what it was, why it mattered and how it worked. Fast forward to 2025, the beauty industry has exploded into a $600 billion global market, the DTC boom has brought us everything from $20 hyaluronic acid serums to personalized skincare protocols generated by either real practitioners or AI, and countless products can be found in Space NK or Sephora promising similar benefits, often at a fraction of Sturm's price point. Yet despite this fierce competition and economic pressures that have made consumers increasingly price-conscious, Sturm's original formula continues to command premium prices and unwavering loyalty. Dr. Barbara Sturm's Summer Kit 2025, including the brand's bestselling Hyaluronic Serum that turns 10 this year Courtesy of Dr. Barbara Sturm 'Not all hyaluronic acid is created equal,' says Sturm, noting that now she focuses more on helping people understand quality: '...the importance of different molecular weights, the formulation around it — all of that determines how well it works and how your skin responds.' While most beauty companies chase seasonal trends or upgrades, Sturm does it differently. Dr. Barbara Sturm as a brand doesn't reformulates for the sake of generating buzz or creates limited editions to drive urgency. 'The truth is the Hyaluronic Serum hasn't changed in any significant way [from a decade ago],' Sturm says. She has maintained her 'white t-shirt' philosophy and says the serum is 'foundational — something every skin type needs, every day.' That consistency has proven to be both a strength and a testament to the original formulation's quality. In a recent consumer study, 96% of participants agreed it was 'the best serum they have ever used'. The clinical results released to mark the serum's 10th anniversary reiterate the reason behind the product's lasting power: a 23% reduction in fine lines, 28% improvement in hydration, and 43% boost in skin vitality. The serum's resilience also reflects broader changes in consumer behavior that have emerged over the past decade. The rise of 'skinimalism' and the shift toward investing in fewer, higher-quality products has played directly into Sturm's philosophy. While 10-step routines had their moments back in the early 2010s, today's consumers are increasingly seeking products that deliver multiple benefits in a single step. Dr. Barbara Sturm's recent Anti-Inflammatory Haus townhouse takeover in New York City Neil Rasmus/ Katie Holmes with Dr. Barbara Sturm at the Anti-Inflammatory Haus townhouse takeover in New York City Neil Rasmus/ Consumers' ever-rising expectations around transparency and education also contributed to the brand's stable growth in popularity. Sturm's medical background — she's an orthopaedic surgeon who developed innovative treatments for inflammatory conditions before entering skincare — has become increasingly valuable as consumers demand more scientific integrity from their beauty brands. Her recent Anti-Inflammatory Haus townhouse takeover in New York City, featuring expert-led panels and scientific workshops, shows the brand's consistent strategy in education-driven marketing. When asked what's next for herself and her brand, Sturm hints at 'something very exciting' coming this fall, though she remains focused on long-term innovation rather than quick wins. 'As a doctor, I'm constantly collaborating with leading scientists around the world to find new ways to improve health and longevity at every level,' she explains. In a market obsessed with the next big thing, sometimes the most disruptive approach is simply creating something that 'works' — and then having the discipline not to mess with it. As beauty brands continue to launch and fold at speed, Sturm's serum stands as a quiet testament to the power of staying the course, even when that course comes with a $325 price tag.
Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Caroline Hirons: Britain's most powerful beauty expert
Caroline Hirons is going through some of her bêtes noires with me. Face wipes? 'You do not need one. They're not biodegradable, whatever they might say. Piss off.' The 'clean beauty' movement? 'Are people even still using 'toxic' to describe products? Is it 2011? Move on!' Face sheet masks? 'My main beef is they're not eco-friendly, but they also don't work.' Her voice rises nearly an octave. 'And then Neutrogena came out with individual face wipes in their own plastic [wrap], so you could travel with them. Has everyone lost their mind?' Even if you've never heard of Hirons, the former Saturday girl at Harvey Nichols, now a 55-year-old mother of four children aged between 33 and 20, and grandmother of two, you have probably, unwittingly, been influenced by her. Her verdict on a skincare product has created, what is known in the industry as 'the Caroline effect'. Case in point: when Clinique was about to discontinue its Take The Day Off cleansing balm, after poor sales in 2013, Hirons listed it in her blog's Hall of Fame. Sales rose 1,432 per cent. It is still Clinique's No 1 selling make-up remover. Or take Clarisonic, an electric face-cleaning brush, all the rage in the early 2010s — as she said, 'the Chanel handbag of the beauty world' — but a product that gave her 'the worst acne breakout of my life'. Clarisonic was shut down in 2020. Or the astoundingly pricey Dr Barbara Sturm skincare range, about which she has expressed some scepticism. In her defence, Hirons is positive about far more brands than she's negative about. 'But the industry is terrified of her,' one beauty insider tells me. She's called the most powerful woman in the British beauty industry. 'Allegedly,' she says, with a quiet smile. 'I'm sure there'd be people like Charlotte Tilbury who'd have something to say about that. Maybe the most powerful woman in skincare. I'd take that.' OK, but I ask her if she is more powerful than the beauty director of Vogue. Hirons nods and beams even more broadly. Not that this means — in today's lingo — she is an influencer. 'I've always pushed against that term,' she says. 'I get that it's cute, but from day one I didn't want it, because I spent a lot of time and money going to college to train. I'm someone who has influence, but I'm qualified to do so. I give advice [to skincare brands] around the world and it's not cheap.' In person, Hirons is certainly a commanding — although perfectly friendly — presence. She is far more relatable to me, as a fellow Gen Xer, than the typical duck-lipped, Fake-Baked millennials who dominate beauty social media channels. Having started blogging ('How old-fashioned that sounds now') about skincare in 2010, today Hirons's posts have been viewed some 200 million times. She estimates she's answered 250,000 skincare questions. She has 779,000 Instagram followers. Her first book, Skincare, became the bestselling British beauty book of all time. Three years ago, she launched her own skincare range, Skin Rocks, which is stocked in Liberty and Space NK. Skin Rocks is reported to have brought in £10 million in revenue in three years and recently secured investment to expand internationally. The family (her husband, Jim, gave up his job with the local council to bring up the younger children as her career exploded) used to live in a flat in West Kensington. Now, with only one child left at home, they've moved to a slightly grander place in nearby Shepherds Bush. She doesn't do hobbies or holidays. Couldn't she retire on her riches? 'If I hadn't started my own brand, we'd be really comfortable. But I had to dip my toe in the pond, didn't I?' Born in Liverpool, Hirons grew up in Warrington, Cheshire, from the age of nine. Her father was a mechanic while her mother and her grandmother worked on department store beauty counters. Aged 17, she moved to London, worked at HMV ('Just a dream, such a good time') and met Jim. When her two older children were toddlers, she found a Saturday job on the Aveda counter at Harvey Nicks — then Cool Britannia AbFab central. She only wanted some extra cash, but she found her vocation. 'I thought, this is what I'm supposed to do. I called my mum and was like, 'Why didn't you tell me beauty was this much fun?' ' One Saturday, alone on the counter, she made more sales than the entire team usually managed together. She was promoted to manager and began working full-time, while two nights a week (around the births of her two younger children) studying for her beautician diploma from the Steiner School of Beauty Therapy. Her first job after that was at Space NK, then she was hired by Sylvie Chantecaille to develop facials for her brand. She moved on to companies such as Liz Earle before becoming a freelance consultant helping US brands launch in the UK. Then came social media. Initially, her blog was intended to be a place to describe the travails of family life, but almost immediately she realised hordes of (mainly older) women were desperate for definitive answers on which of the gazillion products out there worked and which was best for them — and she was uniquely qualified to advise. What makes Hirons so beloved by her 'Freaks' (the name of the 150,000 members of her Facebook group) is the fact, as she puts it, 'I never kiss or blow smoke up anyone's arse.' This made her a rarity in an industry where everyone's lovely to everyone else (at least to their faces), because brands need coverage, while influencers (or, in the olden days, the likes of Vogue) need content, not to mention enjoying access to the glitzy junkets and freebies lavished upon them. Does she ever get pushback from brands she's dissed? 'Once or twice. But it didn't end well for them. My followers are like a swarm of bees: 'How dare you?' Heads of big, big companies email their PRs — 'How do we get this post removed?' They say, 'You don't understand. This is Caroline.' You can offer me ten grand; I ain't going anywhere.' No matter how hard she tries to stop herself, she is frequently political. Past targets have included antivaxers and Boris Johnson, after he joked in parliament during the pandemic about the delay in reopening beauty salons. 'I've never felt rage like it. I'd have been over that dispatch box at him.' The Beauty Backed campaign she launched to help those affected by the lockdowns raised £600,000. She likes to joke that Jim once marvelled, 'Who would have thought that being gobby and opinionated would become a career?' Yet she doesn't appreciate the dozens of headlines describing her as 'opinionated' or 'no nonsense'. 'That's a really good way of dismissing me,' she says. 'They say, 'Oh, you're very confident.' It's fine for men to be confident, but for women it's a passive-aggressive insult. Men will still speak over me at meetings, and I go, 'When I'm finished, I'd love to hear your point. But I wasn't finished.' ' She pulls a face and flicks the bird at her imaginary interlocutor. 'It's their audacity. You can disagree with me, but in a lot of cases I can prove to you I'm right. There are people out there who don't like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. That's absolutely fine. I don't expect everyone to like me. I don't like everyone. But what I know they will do is respect my opinion. So go with God, my friends.' We're sitting in a studio in east London, where she has just finished the Times photoshoot with her only daughter, Ava, a 23-year-old TikToker with 826,000 followers, compared with Hirons's 53,000 on the same platform. 'On TikTok I call myself 'Ava Hirons's mum'. Her success is her success; it's nothing to do with me. I can't go into a Space NK without being mobbed; she can't go to Westfield [shopping centre]. I could not be prouder.' Now Hirons has written a book for Ava's fanbase, Teen Skincare, which briskly explains how young, hormonal, often spotty skin needs and (more importantly) doesn't need to be treated, with routines outlined and products recommended. As a mother of two Gen Z daughters, I wonder how it can compete with the source of all their knowledge: TikTok. 'They're exhausting, the TikTok myths,' Hirons says. 'It's mostly bad information or misinformation and it feels like you're pushing water uphill sometimes trying to correct it. So it's just easier to write a book. Point your kids in that direction and hope they read it.' I hope mine do, because the book contains — among others — an invaluable 'Pile of Shit' section, which debunks viral trends such as beauty fridges ('Make it stop') and celebrity skincare brands ('Most celebrities don't give a toss about skin. They just want to slap their name on something and get the money/glory'). 'Stop buying shit you don't need with money you don't have to impress people you don't know,' Hirons pronounces. The book is an antidote to the recent, quite gobsmacking 'Sephora Kids' phenomenon, where not even teens but girls aged as young as nine are being influenced into buying high-end beauty products at ridiculous prices, with ingredients designed for much older skin. 'I mean, the interest in the teen skincare book is because of this phenomenon, so obviously I'm being a hypocrite saying, 'Oh, it shouldn't happen,' ' Hirons says. 'But … Insanity! • Viral beauty videos have Gen Z hooked on second-hand make-up 'I'd be in Space NK, see groups of teenagers buying things and I would say, 'That's not for you. You should be buying that for your mum. You do not need it. Put it down and get a Krispy Kreme.' Obviously, they're going to take more notice of me than they are of their mum. But if a girl is 14 and she babysits, has saved £100 and she wants to spend £80 on a moisturiser, let her — she's only going to do it once. Sometimes, they have to learn a lesson the hard way.' Like many mothers and daughters, Hirons and Ava are in a great place now, but were continually 'locking horns' during the latter's teens. It didn't help that Hirons, who had just started the blog, was enduring perimenopause. 'It was a grim time. It's the clash of peak hormones on both sides. I was tired. I put on loads of weight. I was fed up. I wasn't depressed; I was just exhausted. I had no energy and brain fog. I thought, there's something wrong with me. I'm miserable. I'll show you a fat pic,' she says, scrolling her phone to show me some snaps where she's quite startlingly larger and frumpier-looking than today. 'Every part of me was bloated; I was so uncomfortable. Ava says you shouldn't say 'fat', but the body positivity movement's all good and well. I fully respect if that's how you feel. I wasn't feeling positive so I changed it.' She began lifting weights, scoffing protein and (latterly) having Mounjaro jabs, although she says these are 'for my bloods' rather than weight loss specifically. Either way, a decade on, she's 3st lighter. 'I've turned into a clichéd menopausal woman who's never more than 10ft away from a pack of collagen and I feel better than I did at 35.' In other respects, in the course of her 15-year ascent, she has certainly become glossier, her hair no longer scraped back in the bun she adopted for the school run. Her skin — obviously — is glowing, but she's frank she's had some Botox and fillers ('No amount of skincare will stop you ageing or change the structure of your skin'). Most importantly, she says, she is now on hormone replacement therapy. 'That got me a life. I'm chill.' She now tries to stay out of online arguments about, say, whether SPFs give you cancer ('I don't even hope people listen to me about that. I'm like, 'It's on you' '), but still doesn't shy from using Instagram to tackle causes bigger than pore size. Right now, she's fixated on abortion rights in the US. 'I was raging during the election because the Democrats were saying you've got to think about abortion from the perspective of a young girl who's been abused. No, you don't. You have to think about this from the perspective of women as human beings, not incubators. I've had four children, three miscarriages and one abortion. The whys and the wherefores are no one else's f***ing business.' Yet, compared with most social media personalities I've met, Hirons is notably relaxed about the vast amount of trolling she receives. 'I saw a great quote. It's a bit inappropriate – 'If I haven't been inside you or you haven't been inside me, I don't care about your opinion.' That applies to my mum, my husband, my kids. If they thought I was a horrible person, I would think, oh God, I need to look at myself. But if some fat doris from Tunbridge Wells is pissed off because I said her cleanser wasn't very good, I'm not going to lose any sleep.' Some potential Skin Rocks investors told her they would only fund her if she stopped blogging. 'I pushed back. That would be impossible. Imagine not being able to say, 'I'm so envious of this facemask — it's excellent'. It would be like having a limp.' Others have questioned how Hirons can continue consulting for other brands (in her book, she recommends a handful of her own products, alongside plenty of her rivals'). 'I'm not going to suddenly say your brand is shit and mine's the best. You'd lose credibility. Do you think Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White only eat at their own restaurants?' Teen Skincare by Caroline Hirons (HQ, £16.99) is published on June 19. To order a copy, go to or call 020 3176 2935. Free P&P on online orders over £25. Discount for Times+ members Hair: Sydnie Bones using Sam McKnight. Make-up: Amelia Hunt at The Rae Agency using Make-up by Mario and Refy
Harpers Bazaar Arabia
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Harpers Bazaar Arabia
We Spent 24 Hours With Interior Designer Nathalie Khouri To Find Out All Her Favourite Things
The founder of boutique interior design firm, Ralee, likes relaxed tailoring for work, Tashas to fuel her day, and a homecooked family meal (and Netflix) in the evening 5:00AM I won't pretend I'm bright-eyed at 5am – there's definitely a snooze or two involved. But by 5:30am, I'm up and easing into the day with a warm mug of bone broth (I know, very wellness-girl of me). It's my quiet moment before the house wakes up – just 10 minutes of calm before the beautiful chaos. I gave up coffee two years ago – I was a total addict, but I've found so much more balance without the crashes and jitters. Never thought I'd say it, but I don't miss it. 6:00AM It's gym time. I either go for a strength training session or Reformer Pilates depending on my mood (and soreness level!). I go to Seven religiously. Fitness has been such a huge part of my journey these past two years. I've lost a lot of weight along the way but, more importantly, I've gained energy to keep up with my life. Quick shower, skincare (I'm obsessed with Dr. Barbara Sturm), and a generous amount of Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint – and I'm ready to go. 7:00AM I get dressed depending on the kind of day I have – site visits call for something comfortable but polished, like The Frankie Shop sets or COS' linen co-ords. Office days? Maybe a silk shirt and wide-leg pants. I'm all about low effort, high impact. And always a chunky earring or layered necklace – because I need to be prepared if I'm being photographed for social media! 9:00AM I drop the kids off at school (non-negotiable!) and make my way to our gorgeous new studio in Al Wasl, tucked inside the beautiful Mattar Bin Lahej art gallery. It's a creative haven filled with materials, stone samples and too many coffee cups. The team is usually already buzzing – there are five incredibly talented designers on board who are the heart of Ralee. 10:00AM The real madness begins. I'm bouncing between client calls, team catch-ups and supplier WhatsApp groups. There's always a project (or three) on the go. Right now, we're deep into a dreamy Art Deco- inspired beach house by Kite Beach – think curves, brass and ocean views. We're also working on a Mid-Century luxury villa in Jubail Islands, Abu Dhabi – the kind of home that makes you want to move in the second you step inside. And then there's a sleek, clean-lined townhouse in Tilal Al Ghaf that's all about natural tones and smart, functional design. Each one is very different, which keeps things exciting and creatively fulfilling. 1:00PM Lunch is usually a quick bite from Tashas at Galleria Mall (I'm obsessed with the St. Francis scrambled eggs with sun dried tomatoes and sourdough bread), or I bring something from home – which I've been trying to do more often because, let's be real, I'm saving up for our next crazy family vacation. I'll eat at my desk or in our little studio courtyard if the weather's nice, usually while catching up on messages or moodboard edits between bites. 2:30PM Afternoons are all about deep work – approving moodboards, editing furniture selections, or sketching new custom furniture pieces (my secret love). I also squeeze in quick meetings with the team – both in Dubai and our amazing designers in Beirut who help bring the vision to life behind the scenes. Whether it's joinery drawings or sourcing that one perfect light fixture, it's a true cross-city collaboration. 4:00PM Site visits and lots of them. From reviewing marble slabs in Al Quoz to walking through an almost-finished space, I try to be present on site as much as I can. Clients appreciate it and I love seeing our ideas come to life. 5:30PM I usually leave the studio by 5.30pm – but 'leave work' is a stretch. I'm often still on calls or responding to team messages until I get home. If I'm lucky, I'll squeeze in some time with my kids, do homework with them, or hear about their drama (my 8-year-old is hilarious). 8:00PM Home is my sacred place, and I love being in it. Evenings are all about winding down with my husband and the kids. We cook something comforting, like butter chicken, or moloukhiye, which is a Lebanese dish that we love and is a bit of our heritage. I'd rather eat at home than anywhere else. Then, I'll either watch Netflix (I love real-estate shows like The Parisian Agency or Selling The OC) or read a few pages of my book, which is currently Zero to One by Peter Thiel. It's not always glamorous, but it's exactly what I need after a non-stop day. 10:00PM My bedtime routine is simple but sacred. I do a full skincare reset – my current obsession is Korean sheet masks (I stockpile them like gold). Then it's some scrolling on Instagram or Pinterest, catching up on what's trending or what other designers are up to. I also use this quiet moment to stay in touch with my family back home in Montreal – they're just starting their day, and it's my little way of feeling close despite the distance. Then it's lights out… unless something on Netflix lures me back in. Nathalie's Picks
Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Beauty heroes: Dr Barbara Sturm
There are few names as well known in the beauty world as Dr Barbara Sturm. The German doctor has spent her career redefining the skincare world with her products, concentrating on formulas that target common skin concerns with her pioneering anti-inflammatory techniques. Sturm began her career as an orthopaedics specialist, studying at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf where she learnt about treatments to alleviate the inflammation caused by osteoarthritis. Together with her team she focused on finding ways to use the body's own proteins and healing factors to lower inflammation markers and tackle joint pain. This research led Sturm to consider how some of the techniques she'd been studying might be beneficial in the aesthetics world. She also concluded that inflammation was the biggest enemy of an anti-ageing routine. By 2014 Sturm had launched a full skincare line and in the years that followed she opened spas in London, New York, Miami and LA, which feature the brand's 300 products, all of which are available over the counter and formulated in such a way that each customer can find the right combination for their skin's needs. Sturm's line has a focus on 'molecular repair', which means that the products are designed to work on a cellular level to heal and repair the skin. The one she is possibly the most passionate about is her Hyaluronic Serum formulation. 'It is basically the 'white T-shirt' of your skincare routine. This is because it's the product you use every morning and every night, like your basics,' Sturm explained. 'We make [our Hyaluronic Serum] with the highest possible integrity, quality and efficacy.' Watch how Sturm and her team make her hero Hyaluronic Serum at their laboratory. Direction: Mona TehraniDOP: Camille GuillemainEdit: Laurène VanackerProduction: Sarah Barnes
