Augustinus Bader’s The Cream Immediately Made My Skin Silky Smooth

We put Augustinus Bader's The Cream to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review. 

When it comes to testing a product like Augustinus Bader The Cream, it’s hard not to go in with high expectations. As my sister said when I told her the price, it better give you a facelift or something. Maybe that’s a lot to expect from a moisturizer, but with the celeb-backed hype and big claims from the company (like glowier skin, diminished scars and age spots, less redness, and healthier appearance), I was looking forward to seeing some serious results. I tested The Cream (along with its more hydrating formula, aptly named The Rich Cream) for two weeks to see whether the results were worth the cost.

Ahead, my honest thoughts about Augustinus Bader The Cream.

About My Skin: Prone to breakouts 

While I have my acne mostly under control, anyone who’s dealt with it knows there’s always the fear of another major breakout. And while trying to keep my pores clear, I’m also going through the worst of the winter, with cold temps and dry air. Typically my skin leans to the oily side, which this moisturizer is suitable for, however recently my skin has been drier thanks to the weather. 

I kept my skincare routine pretty pared-down while testing The Cream, and just kept it to what I consider my essentials: Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, Biologique Recherche P50 1970 (sometimes P50 PIGM 400), Good Skin Days C’s The Day Serum, and now, Augustinus Bader The Cream both morning and night. Typically I’ll use the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, but I put that away while I tested The Cream.

While some of my products aim to clear dark spots and keep my skin clear, my hope for The Cream was that it would keep my skin healthy and hydrated without clogging my pores or causing breakouts.

The Feel: Light and smooth

The moisturizer applies lightly, and I only need two small pumps to cover my face and my neck. It spreads easily and seems to melt into the skin, so makeup applies over it cleanly (and with no waiting period). My skin stayed evenly hydrated the entire day, never veering too dry or too oily.

Even the bottle feels expensive (and at $170 for an ounce, it better be), but the bottle style means you’ll never know when you’re down to the last drop.

Ingredients: Unique to the brand

TFC8 is the power behind the skincare line and built over 30 years of research. Trigger Factor Complex, as it’s more formally named, is a combination of amino acids, vitamins, and synthesized molecules of the same kind naturally found in the skin. The magic of TFC8 is that it guides key nutrients to skin cells, and allows the skin to heal itself.

The Cream also has aloe vera, vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as antioxidants and amino acids. There are no parabens, fragrance, mineral oils, SLS, SLES, or DEA, and their products are never tested on animals.

The Results: Immediately softer skin

The first morning after I used The Cream, I washed my face and noticed my skin had a silkiness it was usually missing. And while I expected that good feeling would disappear as soon as I had washed off any residue from the night before, I was pleasantly surprised to find the smoothness stayed even with bare skin. Despite trying out many moisturizers, this was the first time I was actually noticeably shocked at the immediate difference in my skin. 

But while I felt my skin’s hydration levels were good enough, I didn’t feel like it was completely restored to normal levels, and if your skin is typically very dry you might need something stronger (there is a thicker version of this cream, which I’ll cover soon). 

I only have very fine lines, the worst of them being on my forehead, and I did notice a significant reduction in them. This most often happens when my skin is properly hydrated, so it’s clear that the formula was good for my skin.

Overall, my skin actually does feel healthier after using The Cream. While I can’t tell what’s happening below the surface—like whether my skin is healing from the inside out—from what I can see, Augustinus Bader The Cream makes my skin very happy.

I should note that the few weeks I used The Cream were probably not long enough to see the product’s full results. Specifically, the brand suggests waiting until 27 days have passed before best results can be seen because this magic number is one full skin cycle and how long it takes for “every skin cell in the body” to regenerate. After this time, the brand claims (based on its own studies) that everything from wrinkle depth to pore size can be lessened.

The Value: Expensive

Augustinus Bader The Cream is a luxury product and priced like one too. The biggest size, 50 milliliters, sells for $265 and will last about six weeks. The 30 millimeters size (which I tested), costs $170 and lasts about a month. The smallest size, 15 milliliters, is $85 and will last two weeks. 

It’s hard for me to say that the product is worth it, especially when I’ve been happy with my First Aid Beauty moisturizer that sells for less than $40 (for around 6 times the product). It’s not that the product isn’t good—it surely is. But a $200+ monthly moisturizer budget doesn’t make sense for many people.

Similar Products: Other pricey options

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream - Upgrade ($265): If your skin is on the drier side or you just need to bulk up your moisturizer for winter, The Rich Cream might be a better option for you. Everything about the two products is the same, but the addition of argan, avocado, and evening primrose oil means The Rich Cream goes on thicker and feels more emollient. It’s more ideal for nighttime hydration as its thickness can interfere with makeup application during the day.

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer ($70): If using stem cells in skincare intrigues you, this more affordable moisturizer that uses fruit stem cells might be of interest. It’s packed with ingredients skin loves like vitamin C and resveratrol, and like The Cream, is clinically proven to give you serious results.