I've Tried Dozens of Moisturisers and This One Beats Them All
I’m pickier than anybody I know when it comes to skincare. It takes a lot of effort to find what works for me, so when I do, I don’t deviate from it; I don’t get facials because I really don’t like to mess with my routine, I’ve been using the same face wash for nearly a decade, and aside from that face wash, I only use two products on a daily basis—Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Clarifying Face Cream and Better B Niacinamide Serum.
Okay, sure, I’m 24 years old and my skin isn’t really facing the ever-looming threats of aging or wrinkles yet. But, I was very recently a teenager, and one with finicky skin at that. Plus, being South Asian, my skin is very prone to hyperpigmentation. In the past ten years, all throughout my teens and early twenties, I’ve experimented with everything when it comes to skincare—the 10-step routine, trendy sheet masks and clay masks, everything from “slugging” to the latest products that the Internet swears by.
I even used to be a beauty and skincare editor, so I’ve tried hundreds of products from all the best brands out there. Through all of this trial and error, I’ve come to realise something: for me, the simpler my skincare routine is the better. I don’t need 100 different steps that I have to layer on every single night, and most likely, neither do you. Instead, it’s all about curated minimalism; finding the products that really work for you, and sticking to those. For my skin, which gets very dry in winter but tends to lean more towards combination-type in summer, I have a few specific targets in mind: to get rid of blemishes and hyperpigmentation, and to balance my skin. I want my complexion to be smooth and radiant and baby-soft, and I swear, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Clarifying Face Serum is what gets me those results.
Clarifying Face Cream
Why I Love It
My entire skincare routine is the same in the morning and at night, and it’s this: wash my face, put on my Clarifying Face Cream. That’s literally it. A couple times throughout the week, I might layer in the Better B Niacinamide Serum if I feel like my skin needs an extra hydration boost, but for the most part, I’m using just two products, and my skin is smooth and soft. That’s not due to genetics or luck, by the way; as soon as I stop incorporating this specific moisturiser into my routine, my skin gets dull, dry, and just bad, even with my go-to face wash still in the rotation. I’ve done the experiments, and it really is down to this product.
There was a time, many years ago, when I didn’t even wear moisturiser in fear that it’d clog my pores. I was wrong, obviously; I just hadn’t found the right moisturiser. I like my skin to feel breathable, but never dry, so for me, finding a moisturiser that has a balance between offering moisture and coverage without being too thick was tricky. Then, one fateful day, I tried the Clarifying Face Serum, and my life was changed forever.
Even as a writer, I struggle to find the words to describe how damn silky this moisturiser is. I didn’t even know face creams could feel like that; smooth and buttery-soft to the touch, somehow always slightly cold, with a consistency not-overly-rich that spreads fluidly as water on my face. It feels different to any skincare product I’ve ever tried, and the best way I can describe that feeling is as “luxurious.” Esquire readers, I wish you could all dip your fingers into a pot of the Clarifying Face Serum right now, just to know I’m not even slightly exaggerating here.
Whether my skin is feeling parched or normal, when I apply this moisturiser in the morning and at night, it looks and feels instantly better—softer, fresher, and more radiant. I apply more or less depending on the day ahead; if I’m traveling, I’ll apply a lot so my skin doesn’t dry out on the plane; if I’m just going to work, a small amount underneath my makeup will do the trick. The cream instantly hydrates, and not only that, I feel like it actively cools and refreshes my skin and readies it for the rest of the day.
The Ingredient-Packed Formula
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what’s in the Clarifying Face Cream. Obviously, looking at the ingredients for any skincare product is important; you should know what you’re dealing with. Dr. Sturm advertises this face cream as being “an anti-aging moisturiser specifically developed for blemished, acne-prone skin”—the first part of that doesn’t really apply to me so much, but I can absolutely speak to the latter part. Since using this cream, my blemishes are very rare, if there at all. The reason I went for this cream as opposed to Dr. Sturm’s many others is because I knew it would be lightweight and clarifying enough for temperamental skin, and it is.
The formula has zinc in it, which evens out your sebum levels and reduces clogged pores and blemishes. You may have used zinc and niacinamide products before, as have I, but the Clarifying Face Cream, in my opinion, is the best at doing what it says it will. Other active ingredients include balloon vine, viper's bugloss, and sunflower seed oil, all of which work together to boost the moisture barrier. Usually, I’d never add more oil to my skin, but in this cream, it works; rather than producing more oil like I'd feared, the sunflower seed oil acts as a balancing agent for my skin. It’s still getting enough oil to not produce so much of its own, but not getting so much that it clogs my pores and causes breakouts.
The last two active ingredients to know are purslane and bistorta root extract. Purslane isn’t just a garnish for your meals; it’s also, apparently, incredibly effective at smoothing and calming your skin, leaving it looking and feeling refreshed and even. As for the bistorta root extract—according to Dr. Sturm, that’s the ingredient that leaves me looking glowy and radiant after using this cream.
Is It Worth It?
Okay, I know that it can feel like a pretty high price tag to pay for a face cream. I’m 24 years old, after all! But to be entirely honest with you—this is well worth the money. Skincare isn't known for being cheap, and in my experience, opting for a drugstore product just to save on the cost leaves you with a formula that doesn't give you the results you want—so it's money burnt, anyway. Then there are high-end moisturisers that will give you the results you want, but those usually run for between £300 and £500—more than you'd pay for this one.
You can skimp on other products in your life, but why would you want to skimp on something you’re putting directly on your skin? On your face, no less? So, yes, this is a bit of an investment, but it's an investment that actually delivers results.
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