For today I thought I would review one of dr. Barbara Sturm’s products, which is something I don’t talk about often because I’m still not sure what my thoughts are on the brand as a whole. I know that the brand has an incredible number of positive reviews, however my experience was often disappointing. I sampled various products by this brand, but found them all to be lacking.
When I used the full sized version of a product I had previously sampled, it greatly surpassed my expectations. That was actually quite weird. I have yet to determine whether it just happened or perhaps my skin needs have changed or the products themselves have improved. I do not recall reading about any formula changes, but I could be wrong. It was quite odd that is all I am saying. However, that event, if we can call it that, made me want to give the brand another shot. Since then I have encountered a couple of products that were worth my time. Is the Balancing Toner one of them though?
Let’s see!
Dr Barbara Sturm Balancing Toner
The toner comes in Dr Barbara Sturm’s signature transparent bottle. The product is as elegant as one would expect it to be. It speaks quality. But then again what else could we expect from a product created by someone who does portray elegance as well as from a product in its price range. Yes, I did find dr. Strum to be quite elegant, at least in the photos I have seen of her. Anyway, packaging is packing and while it is nice for it to be beautiful, it does not matter in the grand scheme of things.
I have yet to find a beautiful enough product that made me feel good about throwing away £££ on something I couldn’t use or didn’t work. I doubt it even exists. Again, while nice to have and perhaps even expected above certain price points, packing does not make me fawn over a product if the product itself is crap. There, I said it.
What is the Dr Barbara Sturm Balancing Toner like?
I would say that the toner has a rather strong herbal scent. Since I knew that the product was fragrance free, I have no idea why I even expected for the product to smell nice. It does not. I haven’t really encountered many products that are fragrance free and smell nice. Nice enough, yes. Really nice, no. The Balancing Toner unfortunately falls in the not so nice category.
The toner is a clear liquid and not at all thick in texture. It is pretty much as runny as water. While I started enjoying toners that have thicker textures, I cannot say that I mind using watery ones. Sometimes they are also needed. I love using toners with such textures in summer in particular as I found that they can feel quite refreshing on the skin.
Because of the texture, I use the toner by first applying it to a cotton pad which I then swipe over my skin. There is no rocket science and haven’t found any tips that would make the product work better or anything like that. The process is pretty straightforward I would say, no gimmicks.
The product dries quickly so you can then follow with the rest of your routine. This is about it in terms of application and general features. But let’s back up a bit. There are a few things here that we need to talk about in more detail though.
The Balancing Toner from Dr. Barbara Sturm left behind a rather burning like sensation upon application. Now that is something I truly did not expect. From a product that is supposed to be quite okay even for people with sensitive skin and a product that supposedly balances the skin, I expected something calming rather than what I got. The sensation wasn’t painful per se, but definitely not one I ever want to feel when using skincare. I am sure you know where I am going with this. You would be right if you guessed that I will not be recommending this product.
I had a look at the active ingredients, which as per Dr Strum’s website are listed as Purslane Extract, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Glutathione. I have used all of these before with no issue.
Another thing that you might want to know is that the toner can also feel a bit drying. Despite the HA in its formula, the product left my skin feeling a tad dry.
I am quite disappointed in this product if I am being honest. After using that one full sized item which I loved and then encountering a couple more products that I also found to be pretty nice, I stumbled upon this one which reminded me why I have been avoiding this brand in recent years. Such a pity.
Dr Barbara Sturm products are available for purchase at:
Have you ever tried the Dr Barbara Sturm Balancing Toner before?
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