Key Takeaways

• This guide compares against two Dr. Barbara Sturm products: the Hyaluronic Serum and the Face Cream. Between them, the brand names three ingredient ideas: Hyaluronic Acid, purslane and skullcap, and a short set of lipids (Squalane, Shea Butter, Panthenol, Vitamin E) in a light cream.

• Our first pick is The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty. Its INCI puts Squalane second and Shea Butter fifth, adds Panthenol, and carries five Hyaluronic Acid forms, so one moisturizer covers ground the two Sturm products split between them.

• Torriden DIVE IN Serum is the pick here whose INCI names both purslane (Portulaca Oleracea Extract) and skullcap (Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract), at $24 for 50 ml.

• For skin that feels reactive, Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Serum and Paula’s Choice CALM Rescue & Repair Intensive Moisturizer list no fragrance ingredient.

If you like Dr. Barbara Sturm but want to spend less, avoid a specific ingredient, or simply try something else, the useful question is which part of her routine you’re replacing. A serum built on Hyaluronic Acid and a lightweight cream are two different jobs. This guide reads both Sturm ingredient lists first, then matches eight alternatives to them by INCI.

What Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Serum and Cream Contain

The Hyaluronic Serum

The Hyaluronic Serum is $325 for 30 ml on the brand’s site. Its full ingredient list is short, eight entries: Water, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, and three preservative-system ingredients. So the third ingredient is a fermented purslane extract, and the fourth is Sodium Hyaluronate. In Dr. Sturm’s words on the product page, the formula carries “low, medium and high weight Hyaluronic Acid molecules.” The page marks it fragrance-free and says to apply a few drops to the face, eye area, and neck, then follow with a serum or cream.

The Face Cream

The Face Cream is $240 for 50 ml. The brand calls it a “Light-weight, fast-absorbing cream” and says skullcap and purslane “calm the skin and reduce the visible signs of irritation.” The active ingredients it names are Purslane Extract, Skullcap, Vitamin E, Panthenol, Squalane, Shea Butter, Corn Oil, and Glycerine. The page shows a fragrance-free icon. We couldn’t see a complete ingredient list on the page when we read it, so the cream is compared here on the ingredients the brand names.

Three Ingredient Routes to an Alternative

Route 1, Hyaluronic Acid: This one’s the serum’s job. Hyaluronic Acid and its salt, Sodium Hyaluronate, are humectants. A 2020 review of nonprescription moisturizers explains that humectants attract water, while occlusives help slow its loss, so a Hyaluronic Acid serum is usually paired with a cream on top. On an INCI, look for Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, or Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer. Several forms on one list is one way a brand covers more than one molecular weight.

Route 2, purslane and skullcap: These are the botanicals Sturm puts forward for visibly calmer skin. On an ingredient list they appear as Portulaca Oleracea Extract (or a Portulaca ferment) and Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract. Of the alternatives below, only one names both. Where an alternative doesn’t, the closest substitute here is a formula built for sensitive-feeling skin with no fragrance on its list.

Route 3, the cream’s lipids: Squalane, Shea Butter, Panthenol, and Vitamin E give the Face Cream its comfort. A light cream that lists Squalane and Shea Butter near the top of its INCI covers the same ingredient families, even though the formula itself is different.

For the hydration side of a routine in more depth, our explainer on hydrating versus moisturizing covers how humectants and occlusives divide the work.

At a Glance

1. The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty: best single step for Routes 1 and 3

2. Torriden DIVE IN Serum: best match for purslane and skullcap on the INCI

3. Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Serum: best calming serum without fragrance

4. Paula’s Choice CALM Rescue & Repair Intensive Moisturizer: best night cream for sensitive-feeling skin

5. Avène Hydrance BOOST Concentrated Hydrating Serum: best Hyaluronic Acid serum with Niacinamide

6. L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum: best low-cost Hyaluronic Acid serum

7. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Gel Cream Fragrance Free: best drugstore gel-cream

8. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule: best short-list soothing serum

How We Compared These Alternatives

Nothing here was tested on skin. In October 2026 we read each brand page and ingredient list, including the two Sturm products, and compared them on four things:

• Ingredient route: which of the three routes above the product covers, and where those ingredients sit on its INCI.

• Format: serum, gel-cream, or cream, since the Sturm routine pairs one of each.

• Fragrance: whether a fragrance ingredient appears on the list or the brand labels the product fragrance-free.

• Directions and price: as listed by each brand when we read the page.

Every claim below is reported as that brand’s statement. No product here is the same as a Sturm formula, and none is presented as one.

Dr. Barbara Sturm Alternatives Compared

1. The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty: Best Single-Step Alternative to Both Products

The Sturm routine asks you to buy hydration and comfort in two bottles. The SUPER Hydrator, the Cult-Status Moisturizer from U Beauty, carries both ingredient routes in one. On its INCI, Squalane comes second and Shea Butter fifth, then four plant oils (Argan, Avocado, Grapeseed, and Sweet Almond), with Panthenol at 16th. Squalane, Shea Butter, and Panthenol are three of the lipids Sturm names for her Face Cream. From 23rd to 38th, the list carries three Peptides, starting with Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, and five Hyaluronic Acid forms, from Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer to Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate. The formula is powered by proprietary SIREN Capsule Technology™.

What that adds up to for you is a single moisturizer step that combines the benefits of both routes, designed to leave skin feeling nourished and hydrated.

Key features:

• Hydration figures: U Beauty reports two independent 30-volunteer instrumental studies. In the first, hydration measured 28% higher 15 minutes after a single application. In the second, 97% of volunteers saw increased hydration after 30 days of consistent use, twice a day.

• Five Hyaluronic Acid forms: the serum’s ingredient route, inside a moisturizer.

• Squalane, Shea Butter, and plant oils: the Face Cream’s lipid families, near the top of the list.

• Directions: 2 to 3 pumps morning and evening, after a serum, such as the Resurfacing Compound if you use one.

Tradeoff: at $168 for 50 ml it’s the most expensive alternative here, and Methyldihydrojasmonate, a fragrance ingredient, sits 13th on its INCI. It doesn’t list purslane or skullcap.

Best for: visibly dry or normal skin when you’d like one step to cover what a Hyaluronic Acid serum and a light cream do together.

Price: $168 for 50 ml; $68 for 15 ml.

2. Torriden DIVE IN Serum: Best Match for Purslane and Skullcap

If the purslane in Sturm’s serum is the reason you bought it, this Korean serum is the alternative to read first. Its INCI lists Portulaca Oleracea Extract 16th and Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract 32nd, the INCI names for purslane and skullcap. Before them, Glycerin is third, Panthenol sixth, and five forms of Hyaluronic Acid run from seventh to 11th. Madecassoside, Ceramide NP, Beta-Glucan, and Cholesterol appear lower on the list.

Key features:

• Five Hyaluronic Acid forms in a row: Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, and Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate.

• Both Sturm botanicals named: purslane and skullcap, by INCI name.

• Torriden’s panel: 100% of 22 participants agreed it feels gentle, moist, fresh, and non-sticky after four weeks, in a self-assessment.

• Fragrance: no fragrance ingredient appears on its INCI.

Tradeoff: it’s a water-light serum, so drier skin may still want a cream on top, as with the Sturm serum.

Best for: anyone who wants the Hyaluronic Serum’s ingredient idea, including purslane, at a fraction of the price.

Price: $24 for 50 ml.

3. Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Serum: Best Calming Serum Without Fragrance

Kate Somerville says this serum’s Cucumber Seed Oil, Omega, and Ceramides “bring a gentle wave of calm to soothe redness and tightness.” It takes the second Sturm idea, calm, down a different ingredient path. Glycerin is second on its INCI, followed by three Ceramides (NP, AP, and EOP) at ninth to 11th and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 at 12th.

Key features:

• Three Ceramides: lipids the skin also makes, listed together.

• A Peptide: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8.

• No fragrance term: on the ingredient list.

• Directions: 1 to 2 drops morning and evening, gently massaged in.

Tradeoff: it doesn’t list purslane, skullcap, or a Hyaluronic Acid form, so it covers the serum’s calming role rather than its humectant one.

Best for: visible redness and tight-feeling skin that wants a serum step with no fragrance.

Price: $99 for 1 fl oz.

4. Paula’s Choice CALM Rescue & Repair Intensive Moisturizer: Best Night Cream for Sensitive-Feeling Skin

Sturm suggests the Face Cream for morning and night. If your use is mostly at night, this richer Paula’s Choice cream is the one to compare. Its 36-item INCI lists Glycerin third and Sunflower Seed Oil fifth, with Allantoin at 18th and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 further down. Paula’s Choice says to use it as the last step of your nighttime routine, on the face, neck, and eye area.

Key features:

• No fragrance entry: on the full ingredient list.

• Plant oil and Glycerin near the top: for a cushioning, comfortable feel.

• Face, neck, and eye area: per the brand’s directions.

Tradeoff: there’s no Ceramide on its list, and Paula’s Choice formulates it for dry to very dry skin, so it’s richer than the light Sturm cream.

Best for: sensitive-feeling, visibly dry skin at night.

Price: $42 for 2 fl oz.

5. Avène Hydrance BOOST Concentrated Hydrating Serum: Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum With Niacinamide

Avène says this serum “Soothes tightness and discomfort common with dehydrated skin.” Glycerin is third on its INCI, Diglycerin fifth, Niacinamide seventh, Sodium Hyaluronate eighth, Betaine ninth, and PCA 12th. That’s several humectants on one list, which is the serum route, with Niacinamide added.

Key features:

• Several humectants: Glycerin, Diglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betaine, and PCA.

• Niacinamide: seventh on the list.

• Directions: 1 to 2 drops morning, evening, or both, on the face, eye contour, neck, and neckline.

Tradeoff: Fragrance (Parfum) is on the INCI, so it isn’t the pick if you chose Sturm partly because her serum is fragrance-free.

Best for: dehydrated-feeling skin that wants a Hyaluronic Acid serum with Niacinamide in the same step.

Price: $42 for 1 fl oz.

6. L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Best Low-Cost Hyaluronic Acid Serum

The Sturm serum has eight ingredients. This drugstore serum has 14, with Glycerin second and Sodium Hyaluronate fourth, and L’Oréal Paris gives the Hyaluronic Acid figure as 1.5%. A Peptide, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, sits eighth.

Key features:

• A short list: 14 ingredients.

• Fragrance-free, paraben-free, mineral-oil free, and non-comedogenic: per L’Oréal Paris.

• Directions: applied after cleansing, then followed with moisturizer.

Tradeoff: one Hyaluronic Acid form on the list, and no botanicals from the Sturm formulas.

Best for: anyone who wants a plain Hyaluronic Acid serum under their own cream for well under $40.

Price: $32.99 for 1 fl oz.

7. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Gel Cream Fragrance Free: Best Drugstore Gel-Cream

The Sturm Face Cream is sold on lightness. A gel-cream is one drugstore route to that feel. Neutrogena’s version lists Glycerin second, Dimethicone third, and Sodium Hyaluronate sixth, then amino acids, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, and Trehalose, which are humectants too.

Key features:

• Fragrance-free and non-comedogenic: per Neutrogena.

• Formulated for normal to dry skin: per the brand.

• Face and neck, daily: a light layer that works in the morning.

Tradeoff: with Dimethicone third, it’s a poor match if you avoid silicones, and there’s no Squalane or Shea Butter on the list.

Best for: normal to dry skin that wants a light daytime gel-cream.

Price: varies by retailer; 1.7 fl oz.

8. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule: Best Short-List Soothing Serum

The Sturm serum’s appeal is partly how short its list is. This ampoule is shorter still: seven ingredients, with Centella Asiatica Extract fourth after Water, Glycerin, and Butylene Glycol. SKIN1004 describes it as “Soothing, Hydrating” and says it suits all skin types, especially dry and delicate skin.

Key features:

• Seven ingredients: short enough to read at a glance.

• Centella Asiatica Extract: the botanical the ampoule is named for.

• No fragrance listed: none on the INCI.

Tradeoff: no Hyaluronic Acid form and no purslane, so it covers the calm side only.

Best for: anyone who wants a minimal soothing layer before moisturizer.

Price: varies by size (30 ml, 55 ml, and 100 ml).

How to Choose and Layer a Sturm Alternative

1. Decide which bottle you’re replacing: If it’s the Hyaluronic Serum, look at #2, #5, #6, or #8. If it’s the Face Cream, look at #1, #4, or #7. If it’s both, The SUPER Hydrator covers the two ingredient routes in one step.

2. Read the INCI for purslane: Portulaca Oleracea Extract on the list is the clearest sign of Sturm’s botanical. Torriden is the alternative here that lists it.

3. Check fragrance against your reason for switching: Both Sturm products show a fragrance-free icon. Among the alternatives, Avène lists Fragrance (Parfum) and The SUPER Hydrator lists Methyldihydrojasmonate; the rest list no fragrance ingredient.

4. Layer thinnest to thickest: A Hyaluronic Acid serum is applied first, on damp skin, and a cream follows to help hold the water in. For more serums to put under a cream, see our roundup of hydrating serums.

5. Add one product at a time: Give a new serum or cream a week or two before adding the next, so you can tell which one your skin likes.

When to See a Dermatologist

If visible redness, stinging, or flaking keeps coming back whatever you use, a board-certified dermatologist can look into the cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is purslane on an ingredient list?

Purslane is listed as Portulaca Oleracea Extract, or as Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract when it’s fermented, as in the Sturm serum. Skullcap appears as Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.

What are the best alternatives to Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Match the product you use. For the Face Cream, The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty lists Squalane, Shea Butter, and Panthenol, plus five Hyaluronic Acid forms. For the Hyaluronic Serum, Torriden DIVE IN Serum lists five Hyaluronic Acid forms with purslane and skullcap.

Should I replace the serum or the cream first?

Start with whichever you use more. If you only want one product, a moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid and Lipids, such as #1, covers more of the routine than a serum alone.

Do I need several forms of Hyaluronic Acid?

Not necessarily. Several forms on one list is how some brands cover more than one molecular weight, but a single Sodium Hyaluronate serum still adds a humectant layer under your cream.

Are any of these alternatives fragrance-free?

Torriden, Kate Somerville, Paula’s Choice, Neutrogena, and SKIN1004 list no fragrance ingredient, and L’Oréal Paris labels its serum fragrance-free. Avène lists Fragrance (Parfum), and The SUPER Hydrator lists Methyldihydrojasmonate.

Related Reading

• The best creams for a stressed-looking moisture barrier

• The best gentle cleansers for visible redness

• The best moisturizers for sensitive skin