Dr. Barbara Sturm has built a global skincare empire since the beginning of the millennium. For the first ACHTUNG Schönheit dossier she told us how.
She has been the ubiquitous blonde with the short bob, dressed in sexy dresses roaming the international red carpets and fashion shows. From the Fashion Trust Arabia in Doha, Qatar to a tennis tournament in Berlin Grunewald, the German Bundestag for a meeting with legislators on beauty packaging or the Cannes Film Festival and Paris Fashion Week. You cannot miss Dr. Barbara Sturm at the moment. And she had the foresight to position her beauty brand in the heart of the fashion and entertainment world. Sure, two industries where beauty matters, every day, every minute and second. So we sat down with Barbara when she stormed in and out of Berlin on a hot summer day to hear about how she used her academic background to build a beauty brand.
The Better B Niacinamide Serum
“I have become the face of the brand during Covid when I was doing online classes on skincare.”
Markus Ebner: Your personal history?
Dr. Barbara Sturm: I was born in East Germany in a spa town called Bad Liebenstein in Thuringia with younger and older brothers who both work with me now in store design and finances. Of course, the older one is looking after the money. We lived in the GDR until I was 12 and we moved to Düsseldorf before the wall came down. I studied at the university in Düsseldorf and ended up with a doctorate in orthopedics. Then the life of science intrigued me and I traveled the world from one medical congress to the next. I became interested in esthetic matters but pursued science meeting doctors and health care professionals all over the world. In 2001, I came up with the idea of the blood facial, which is called by some the vampire facial. I was very skilled at injecting people due to my knowledge of the human anatomy and developed a first skincare line around 2002. My focus was always to help people who have problems with their skin. And find solutions based on their complexions and needs. So a good word of mouth built and I ended up with a lot of Hollywood clients. Even now with more prominence, I am crusading for solutions and was just meeting MPs in the Bundestag to convince them that a QR code should be enough in terms of packaging for skincare products. Of course the law demands the lengthy disclaimers and packaging.
ME: What makes Dr. Sturm products different?
DBS: The beauty business is essentially about marketing. Many products have inferior ingredients but nice ad campaigns. My grandmother was a pharmacist and she taught me how to make my own creams. For my first version I added elements, which are all about anti-inflammatory effects. My own skin easily gets a rash and redness so I could experiment first-hand and scientific thinking comes natural to me from my studies. Anti-aging is a key result but more important is to avoid infections. To bring this aspect to the market was new. I started experimenting with Telomerase, which is a protein and an incredible source of rejuvenation for skin. We also use a lot of Portulaca, which has incredibly soothing effects on skin. The result is non-aggressive ingredients science that heals and protects the skin barrier function rather than attacking it in order to stimulate repair.
“My grandmother was a pharmacist and she taught me how to make my own creams.”
Super Anti-Aging Face Cream and Face Cream
ME: What’s your view on Germany and collabs?
DBS: I find German product design is about minimalism. I love that. That’s why my packaging is about clear lines and easy fonts. I just did a collab with Aquazzura and we made shoes where I brought in my understanding of orthopedics. I can imagine more like this. We also did a foot spray for them.
ME: Your style?
DBS: I wear mostly vintage clothes. I am definitely non-mainstream. I like to mix and don’t like labels, more like old Galliano. But I like home objects and recently bought a 50s Italian bar through a friend and it’s now in my house in Gstaad and my new pride. I bounce between London, Los Angeles, Gstaad and Düsseldorf at the moment. My style icons are Johnny Depp and Kate Moss and ironically they were a couple back then.
ME: What’s in your fridge?
DBS: Oat milk, avocado, carrots, tomatoes. I like eating Thai food and spicy curries. But I love oat milk lattes and face masks.
Dr. Barbara Sturm photographed in Berlin by Julia von der Heide exclusively for ACHTUNG 44.
ME: What’s your routine?
DBS: I never use makeup, scents are not healthy for your skin, so I never use perfume. My morning skincare routine is surprisingly simple: I cleanse, use a serum and a cream as a minimum and when needed I use targeted skincare products for specific issues. I also work with a woman in the South of Germany by phone who teaches me about emotional coding and helps me to overcome certain blocks. I also do Pilates every day and play tennis. And I have my best thoughts in the shower.
ME: Your motto as a mom?
DBS: I let them be, they can develop freely and most importantly, they are happy.
ME: Oh, and the secret of your Glow Drops?
DBS: My Glow Drops are a skin-perfecting serum with instant results. Their secret is the formulation, which is a unique blend of botanical extracts like polygonum bistorta root, which optimizes skin tone and strengthens the collagen synthesis and wild rose extract, which refines the pores. And I added light reflecting mineral pigments which instantly create a visible, youthful radiance and even out any irregularities in the complexion. You can use them after your moisturizer for a natural, healthy glow, over makeup, or combine them with your preferred skincare product. They are truly an all-rounder.
Balancing Shampoo
