She Invented The Vampire Facial. Now Her Business Has Exploded (#GotBitcoin?)
She’s treated Gwyneth Paltrow, Angela Bassett and at least one Hadid. How Dr. Barbara Sturm, 47, has grown her skincare business 300 percent over the last two years—entirely on word of mouth. She Invented The Vampire Facial. Now Her Business Has Exploded (#GotBitcoin?)
A Day in the Life of Dr. Barbara Sturm, Facialist to the Stars
Dr. Barbara Sturm, the founder and CEO of her eponymous skin-care brand, has an itinerary that would make any frequent flier dizzy. She often visits five different countries in a month. It’s all in support of Dr. Barbara Sturm Molecular Cosmetics, which she launched in 2003. In 2006, she opened a clinic near her home in Düsseldorf, Germany. Thanks in part to a fan base that includes Bella Hadid, Angela Bassett and Gwyneth Paltrow, and the buzz surrounding what’s known as her Vampire Facial (a treatment that involves injecting the client’s own blood proteins back into the skin), sales have increased 300 percent over each of the past two years—without any advertising. “I think product gets transported best through word of mouth,” says Sturm, 47.
Born in Bad Salzungen, East Germany, Sturm fled the country’s communist regime at a young age with her family. “We had to leave everything behind,” she says. She studied medicine at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, eventually becoming an orthopedic doctor. A career in skin care never crossed her mind until she was developing treatments for arthritis and joint aging: “I learned that inflammation basically triggers aging. As soon as you stop inflammation, you stop the aging process. I translated that into skin care,” she says. This has become her company’s core claim.
The privately owned brand now offers 40-plus products. Last year Sturm launched a baby skin-care line, featuring a $65 face cream. Sturm’s own family—a Brady Bunch mix she shares with her second husband, lawyer Adam Waldman (who’s also her company’s executive chairman)—includes five children, ranging in age from 4 to 23 years old.
She Invented The Vampire Facial
Today she is in New York to visit her new flagship location, a retail store complete with two treatment rooms for facials, which opens this month in NoHo. Sturm says she has her eye on London and Los Angeles next. But despite her frenetic schedule, she takes a relaxed approach. “I don’t like to plan ahead. I like the floating of life,” she says, as she prepares to jet off to treat clients at a spa in the Austrian Alps.
Barbara Sturm By The Numbers
300 Days: Time Sturm spent traveling last year, mostly for work.
1 Gallon: Amount of whole milk Sturm recommends pouring into one’s bath as a remedy for dry skin.
10 Sets: Number of china dinner services Sturm has collected during her travels.
4 Years: Time Sturm spent developing her brand’s lip balm (a process that involved 35 different formulations).
$300: Retail price of Sturm’s Hyaluronic Serum, one of her brand’s best-selling products.
168,000+ Followers: Number of Instagram followers for Sturm’s skin-care brand. (Sturm’s personal account has 27,500+ followers.)
1,200 Square Feet: Size of the newly opened New York City–based flagship location.
2016: Year Space NK began carrying Sturm’s product line, which has since become the retailer’s best-selling skin-care brand.
2 Facials: Treatments Sturm receives from other professionals each year.
Related Articles:
Carolyn’s Natural Organic Handmade Soap
We Now Live In A World With Customized Bar Soaps, Lotions And Shampoos (#GotBitcoin?)
Which Lipsticks Contain The Most Lead, Cadmium, Aluminum And Other Heavy Metals? (#GotBitcoin?)
Why Interior Designers And Home Stagers Prefer Bar Soap Over Liquid (#GotBitcoin?)
Ultimate Guide To Financial Resources For Cancer Patients
He Conquered Cancer, Then 15 Spartan Races In A Year (#GotBitcoin?)
Fighting Cancer By Releasing The Brakes On The Immune System (#GotBitcoin?)
Over-Diagnosis And Over-Treatment Of Cancer In America Reaches Crisis Levels (#GotBitcoin?)
Cancer Super-Survivors Use Their Own Bodies To Fight The Disease (#GotBitcoin?)
Your Questions And Comments Are Greatly Appreciated.
Monty H. & Carolyn A.
Go back
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.