Augustinus Bader: an unbiased review of the $265 moisturizers

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

To be honest, I’d never heard of Augustinus Bader until they reached out offering free product. After a quick google search, I was definitely interested. The brand has an almost cult-like following for their products- almost all of which cost upwards of $200. Don’t get me wrong- I’m willing spend a fair amount of money on skincare. But upwards of $100 is A LOT of money… more than $200? Is it magic? You could say I was very skeptical from the get go.

A little history..

Agustinus Bader: the founder.

Augustinus does not fit the typical mold of a beauty brand. First and foremost, he’s a scientist, researcher and doctor. He’s also considered one of the world’s leading experts on regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. To this day, Augustinus is the Director and Professor of Applied Stem Cell Biology and Cell Technology at the University of Leipzig in Germany. Supposedly, the story behind the creation of his beauty company is from research on healing burn victims. Augustinus and his research partner were able to significantly heal scarring from burn victims without invasive, expensive surgical procedures, which was a major innovation in the field. Augustinus started his skincare brand as a way to bring the same science he researched to your bathroom counter.

After reading his background, you could see why I would be VERY interested to read the science behind his skincare. What could be better than such an esteemed scientist bringing the fruits of his labor into the skincare world?

The Skincare…

The Rich Cream. $265 for 50ml. (Click here to purchase).

From Augustinus Bader’s site:

“An intensely luxurious, super hydrator that stimulates skin’s natural processes of rejuvenation to dramatically improve the complexion’s appearance.

USER TRIAL RESULTS*

• 94% of people agree that dull skin appears brighter
• 87% of people agree that their skin feels protected, stronger and more energized
• 92% of people agree that their skin appears healthier
• 70% of people agree that the appearance of scars and age spots have never been less noticeable in such a short time
• 85% of people agree that the product lessens the appearance of unwanted redness of the skin
• 79% of people agree that the product improves the appearance of skin damaged by sun exposure”

These are pretty strong claims as far as efficacy. So lets take a look at the ingredients. The main ingredient in all of AB’s skincare products is the TFC8 Complex:

“Our Trigger Factor Complex® (TFC8®), the proprietary technology at the heart of the Augustinus Bader skincare products, is the result of over 30 years of clinical research. Rather than using a single “hero” ingredient, it’s a complex of more than 40 different ingredients–medical grade vitamins, lipids, proteins, amino acids–which, in exact quantity and combination, constitute important building components for healthy skin. TFC8® is essentially a toolbox, providing the skin with everything it needs to fix the things that go wrong, whether that’s age-related or from things like pollution. When you’re able to do that, you can support epigenetic factors that enable the body to rejuvenate your skin according to your own needs. “

So the main ingredient is a secret magic weapon. They claim that TCF8 basically helps jump-start your epidermal stem cells to get your body to produce fresh skin cells, to help battle wrinkles, pores, and dark spots. I’m kind of bummed we don’t get more information. Here are the rest of the ingredients, and what they do:

My experience and opinion from testing the product..

There’s no doubt that the ingredient list here is excellent. There isn’t a single problematic or questionable thing included (outside of not knowing what TFC8 is). It’s a super hydrating, soothing, and antioxidant rich formula, which I certainly look for in a moisturizer. It also does contain a small amount of the AHA lactic acid, which is an excellent chemical exfoliant.

But this isn’t just a moisturizer. This is meant to combine and simplify your entire skincare regime into basically one product (outside of cleansing and SPF, of course). So theoretically, this should combine your toner/treatments/serum and moisturizer into one step. It also claims to b suitable for every skin type and tone- which is a HUGE statement in the skincare industry.

Since the science behind the product is so cryptic, it’s difficult to ascertain just what it’s doing for your skin. However, from my personal experience of using it, I can definitely say it’s a great product. My skin was supple, hydrated, and glowing when I used it- and ONLY it. For five days, I took a break from every other beauty product I use (except cleanser and SPF) and used this product only. I was impressed that by itself, it seemed to carry on the effects of my normal routine (which is minimum five products in the AM, usually 6-7 in the PM).

I suppose, if you looked at the cost of all the products the cream replaced, it may not be all that far off in terms of price difference. But for some reason, the idea of spending over $200 on the cream alone was still mind-blowing to me, despite how well it worked.

Final thoughts..

The Rich Cream is a GREAT fit for you if:

• it is financially feasible
• you have sensitive/picky skin
• you don’t want to spend a lot of time on your skincare routine
• you don’t want to have to put much effort into coming up with a routine
• you are confused/unsure of how to layer products effectively

The Rich Cream is NOT a goof fit for you if:

• you’re on a tight skincare budget
• you’re a newby to skincare (better to start with more affordable products)
• you enjoy layering products/using ingredients (like Vitamin C or Retinol) which are not included in the formula
• You have super oily skin (the formula is pretty rich – but if this is the only thing holding you back, just try “The cream” instead

If you’d like to check out The Rich Cream, click here.

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WHEW. That was A LOT of info. If you hung in all the way through, kudos to you! Not at all offended if you only skipped to the end 😉 Hopefully, you found this detailed review helpful. I know not everybody goes this in-depth to research their skincare, but for the price tag of this product, it felt warranted!

Until next time,

Amanda Kennedy

Follow along on IG: @amandadev4

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