Three-day event centers on wellness and the Hyaluronic Serum milestone
Dr. Barbara Sturm will open a temporary retail and educational space in New York’s SoHo neighborhood from May 16 to 18, located at 214 Lafayette Street. The five-story activation is titled “Anti-inflammatory Haus: Hydration Edition” and marks the 10th anniversary of the brand’s Hyaluronic Serum.
In addition to sales, the space will host master classes, expert panel discussions, EveLab skin consultations, and wellness-focused programming. Nutritional components centered on anti-inflammatory living will also be included. The concept reflects the integration of wellness and beauty that has become increasingly prevalent in the past decade.
“People are highly educated, but get overwhelmed with so much information on social media, press and Google,” Sturm said. “Sometimes, I meet people and I’m surprised that they still haven’t understood certain consequences on their health and the basics of healthy living.”
Sturm emphasized that product development has always been led by clinical need, not by marketing trends. “When I started doing the serum, there was no brand with a hyaluronic serum on the market. I was injecting the ingredient into the skin but wanted a topical one for the outside. Now, it’s a household name,” she said. “The intention was not, ‘Oh, let’s create a hero product and make a lot of money.’ My intention was that it would be so great for skin and for my patients.”
She said the brand’s product development strategy has not been driven by consumer trends. “The ideas of creating a product are so different. Skin care brands come out for all the wrong reasons; it’s all marketing and getting it to catch fire,” Sturm said. “That’s not how a serum should be discovered; it should come to market because it’s working, it’s effective and you see the results.”
While Sturm acknowledges changes in consumer knowledge and a shift in the beauty landscape, she maintains that she does not monitor trends as part of her product pipeline. “I’m not sitting in my office wondering what could be a trend, or how to make a product stand out on Instagram every two minutes. That’s not how I work,” she said.
The pop-up follows a similar event held in London, which Sturm described as successful. The initiative comes after Puig’s acquisition of the brand. The Spanish group reported a 19.8 percent increase in skincare sales, totaling 516.2 million euros in its most recent financial period.
“They’re super organized, super on the case, and masters of retail,” Sturm said of Puig. She noted that the company will continue expanding physical retail, including the addition of travel retail and branded counters. “You will soon see travel retail and great counters in the best locations. We’re also working on the best new products.”