Meet Dr. Barbara Sturm, the Brain Behind the Vampire Facial Craze

If you don't know the name Dr. Barbara Sturm of Molecular Cosmetics, you really should.

by SunHee Grinnell

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Based in Dusseldorf, Germany, Dr. Barbara Sturm was part of a medical discovery known as the “Kobe Procedure” (as in Kobe Bryant) where a patient’s own blood cells are used to produce proteins to jumpstart the healing process. Since then, she has garnered the attention of numerous athletes and celebrities, now flocking to her clinic.

In 2003, she applied the same principle to develop her famed face cream, Dr. Barbara Sturm MC1, where a patient’s blood is drawn, then spun into a custom-blended cream for each patient. She had developed the concept to address her very own sensitive skin issues, and it exploded from there, spawning what the industry called the Vampire Facial.

She expanded from there, and in 2014, her non-toxic Molecular Cosmetics skincare range was born. The line consists of thirteen skews and growing. One common ingredient thread throughout is the highest grade Purslane, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, and Hyaluronic Acid. There’s a lot to love about this line – not only do all the products perform extremely well, but they are housed in glass bottles that are uniform in size. Their clean, simple non-fussy design (meaning you can see what you are buying) makes you want to clean out your medicine cabinet to start everything over with this regimen.

Some of the hero products are Hyaluronic SerumGlow Drops, and her genius Sun Drops SPF 50. Used in tandem each morning they will guarantee lifting and glowing results, and provide excellent shield all day long. At night, the Super Anti-Aging Serum is a must, it can be used alone but also can be blended with the Hyaluronic Serum (there’s a special formula for darker skin tones as well) and for those red-faced days, adding the Calming Serum does wonders. By following up with her Face Cream (she makes one for men too!) and Eye Cream, your program is simplified and you’ll be hooked as it was all developed for sensitive skin and is highly effective on normal to distressed skin.

And to take that skin protection one-step further, there’s more good news from the good doctor. Launching February 5th is the Anti-Pollution Drops, formulated with her signature ingredients Purslane and Hyaluronic Acid, plus a new biomimetic shield to protect the skin from oxidative stress and sun damage by chelating heavy metals on the surface of the skin – these are environmental aggressors such as urban pollution, fumes, and smog. Formulated with a conscious mind, it is tailor-made for 21st century city-dwellers.

sunhee grinnell