Firstly, my skin is between combination and oily, acne-prone and my tone ranges from C3.5 to C5 depending on the season, though regular SPF use keeps my face on the lighter end.

Product Link : https://www.sephora.com/product/dr-barbara-sturm-face-cream-light-P449601?skuId=2278653&icid2=products%20grid:p449601:product

I’ve had a backlog of empties I’ve been meaning to review, and I’m finally getting around to it, well, kind of.

Let’s start with Dr. Barbara Sturm. Fortunately, this wasn’t a purchase as I was gifted the Face Cream Light by a friend who no longer wanted it. When I saw the retail price, I was floored. If you want the short version of this review, I'd say no, it’s not worth it. Not even close. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I still wouldn’t be budgeting this into my skincare routine.

But let’s get into the details.

What It Claims

According to Mecca

A vegan, 24-hour lightweight face cream that provides lasting, non-greasy hydration. Infused with an anti-ageing cocktail of ingredients designed to boost skin vitality and youthful radiance.

Based on that description, it seems to target combination to oily skin types, possibly even normal skin while appealing to anyone looking for light hydration with anti-aging benefits.

That describes me quite well, so I’d say I fall firmly within the target demographic.

Texture & Performance

The cream has a lightweight, lotion-gel consistency that absorbed nicely into my skin. It was comfortable to wear and provided just enough hydration to act as a decent base under my morning SPF.

I used it consistently for about six months. The jar was still fairly full when it was passed on to me, though it's worth noting that it’s a small container to begin with. Because of the price and the light hydration it became my AM-only moisturizer. During the day, I prefer products that don’t contribute to excess shine, and this did fit the bill in that regard.

Results

In terms of anti-aging or radiance? I didn’t notice a difference. Then again, I regularly use retinoids and vitamin C, so any improvements in tone or texture are likely due to those products, not this moisturizer.

At best, this cream delivered basic hydration. And at $247, that’s just not good enough. There are countless other options that can achieve the same, if not better results at a fraction of the price.

Eventually, to be fair, this wasn’t a bad product as it didn’t irritate my sensitive, acne-prone skin and wore well under makeup and SPF. But the value just isn’t there. For such a high-end price tag, I expected more than "light hydration and plays nicely with others."

Unless you're buying this purely for the name or packaging, I wouldn’t recommend it.

If you have any questions about the product or my experience, feel free to ask, I’m happy to share more.