The luxury skincare sphere is hardly short on its bold promises, but few brands have generated quite as much hubbub as Augustinus Bader.
Loved by celebrities (think: Margot Robbie and Hailey Bieber), dermatologists and beauty obsessives alike, the science-backed range has built a reputation around its patented TFC8 technology, with claims that the complex can do everything from smooth texture to ensure firmer, brighter skin. Of course, that prestige comes at a price, with many of the brand’s best-known formulas costing well into the triple digits.
As someone with oily, rosacea and congestion-prone skin, I approached testing with a healthy dose of scepticism. Could one moisturiser really justify a spend exceeding £200? And would the brand’s famously gentle retinol actually deliver visible results without irritation? To find out, I spent weeks putting some of Augustinus Bader’s most talked-about products through their paces.
From the rich cream to the viral retinol serum, these are the formulas that got my thumbs up and felt worth the spend. Scroll on for my honest thoughts.
Read more: Best anti-ageing creams, reviewed
The best Augustinus Bader products of 2026 are:
- Best overall – Augustinus Bader the retinol serum: £290, Augustinusbader.com
- Best for dry skin – Augustinus Bader the rich cream: £250, Augustinusbader.com
- Best for sensitive skin – Augustinus Bader the rich eye cream: £170, Augustinusbader.com
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Augustinus Bader the retinol serum
Rating: 4.5/5
Key ingredients: Retinol, TFC8 inc. peptides, squalane, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ectoin, shea butter, rice protein, vitamin E, niacinamide, vitamin C, amino acids
Suitable for: All skin types
Vegan and cruelty-free: Both
Sizes: 15ml, 30ml, 50ml
Why we love it
- Smooths into skin quickly and without dragging
- Seemingly endless skin benefits
- Non-irritating
Take note
- Even more expensive than other AB formulas
The Augustinus Bader retinol serum is the star of the trio and would have earned a full five stars if it weren’t for the price, which is too high to overlook. Packed with every skin-loving ingredient under the sun, from a brightening vitamin C derivative to thirst-quenching hyaluronic acid, Bader has ensured that no stone has been left unturned when it comes to making your face look and feel good.
The serum is practically weightless and sinks into the skin almost instantly, giving you just enough time to smooth it into the right areas before it quickly dries down.
I experienced no inflammation to my irritation-prone skin; instead, it simply made my skin less textured with each subsequent use. If you’re new to retinol, you should still approach the formula with caution and introduce it into your routine slowly. But the repairing components in the TFC8 complex will help to minimise the potential for redness, peeling and dryness that are often part and parcel of vitamin A actives.
It’s recommended that you use your retinol in the evening, as it can increase the risk of sun damage. But I wanted to see how it fared under makeup – and I did find it caused pilling, so even more reason to use it at night.
The formula helps to slowly reduce imperfections, be it bumps and graininess or fine lines and loss of elasticity. Personally, in two weeks I saw the congestion across my cheekbones lessen and the volume across my forehead begin to increase – and I’m hoping to see these results continue to improve, with most formulas taking a total of six weeks to reach their potential.
Ultimately, this is my favourite of Augustinus Bader’s products and I’d recommend it to anyone at a loss for how to improve their skin. It’s a serious outlay, but it’s also a big-time multitasker and features more impressive components than most anti-ageing serums I’ve tried. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.
Read more: Best retinol creams and serums, reviewed
Buy now £290, Augustinusbader.com
Augustinus Bader the rich cream
Rating: 4/5
Key ingredients: Patented AB TFC8 complex inc. peptides, squalane, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, argan oil, rice protein, vitamin E
Suitable for: Normal to dry skin (but I've found it suits oily skin too)
Vegan and cruelty-free: Both
Sizes: 15ml, 30ml, 50ml, 100ml
Why we love it
- Non-greasy
- Hygienic product dispensing
- Leaves skin comforted
Take note
- Expensive
There’s something distinct about the rich cream that – if you can afford it – makes it worth the investment.
Bader recommends the rich cream for normal to dry complexions (it’s certainly a hero for these skin types), but I have oily skin, and I’d argue it’s suitable for all. The texture is akin to a sun cream, but it smooths into the skin without the greasiness or stickiness that you’d expect from a typical SPF.
It leaves a layer of moisture on the skin, likely from the included shea butter and squalane. In theory, this helps to lock in all the nourishment from the other ingredients, particularly the elusive TFC8 complex (more on this below). It struck a great balance between maintaining hydration and overly lubricating things, and several hours later (with a full face of makeup), my skin felt quenched without looking shiny.
You’ll likely need four to five pumps to cover your forehead down to your décolletage, which means you’ll get through a bottle fairly quickly. While this is an annoyance given the price, the formula doesn’t contain silicones, which can be irritating for sensitive and acne-prone complexions.
After several weeks of use, my skin looked plumper. My skin responds well to consistent peptide use, and the two peptide types included in the rich cream have gone some way to softening the fine lines between my eyebrows and across my forehead. The AB retinol serum will have undoubtedly played a part, but I’m certain the cream was responsible for my skin’s comfortable, relaxed feel throughout the testing period.
While many brands have tried to emulate the rich cream, none have succeeded. You’ll likely need to combine several affordable products, such as a separate peptide moisturiser and barrier-boosting rice serum. The rich cream is a true one-and-done skin comforting solution for dry complexions (and everyone else). If you have the disposable income, of course.
Read more: Best moisturisers for dry skin, tested
Buy now £250, Augustinusbader.com
Augustinus Bader the rich eye cream
Rating: 4.5/5
Key ingredients: TFC8 inc. peptides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, rice, vitamin E, jojoba oil
Suitable for: All skin types
Vegan and cruelty-free: Yes, both
Sizes: 15ml
Why we love it
- A little goes a long way
- Tub lasts, despite high cost
- Soothes sore, dry eyes
Take note
- Creases under make-up
You only need the tiniest amount of the rich eye cream to cover both undereyes and eyelids – less than a sesame seed-sized dollop. At more than £150, this discovery was welcome, and I’ve yet to make so much as a dent in my tub. (Senior shopping writer Daisy Lester informed me that she still has product remaining in her rich eye cream after six months.)
The consistency is thicker than the rich cream and has good slip to it, which I appreciated greatly when moving it around the delicate orbital area.
After use, the skin surrounding my eyes felt hydrated, awake (no mean feat given the heatwave that’s been keeping me up at night) and slightly plumped. I’ve also noticed that my smile lines look smoother and my skin less sunken and dry.
After a full two weeks of use, I’m not sure the formula worked to reverse any signs of ageing in the way that a retinoid eye cream might, but I wasn’t expecting it to. Rather, I see the rich eye cream as a preventative measure for further fine lines and volume loss, and a truly lovely one to use, at that. If you can afford it, it’s a great pick; my eyes felt all the better for the addition to my routine.
Read more: Best eye creams, reviewed
Buy now £170, Augustinusbader.com
Your Augustinus Bader questions answered
Are Augustinus Bader products worth it?
The rich cream impressed me with its ability to deeply hydrate without leaving skin slick-looking, while the rich eye cream delivered seriously comforting and subtly plumping results around tired, dry eyes during a heatwave. At the end of the day, though, my favourite product from Augustinus Bader’s skincare line was definitely the retinol serum, which noticeably improved texture, congestion and early fine lines on my 29-year-old skin without the irritation I’ve experienced from many vitamin A formulas.
Are the products eye-wateringly expensive? Absolutely. But unlike many luxury skincare launches, the formulas feel thoughtfully engineered and actually packed with hard-working ingredients. You can replicate similar results with cheaper products, but you’ll likely need multiple steps to do it. So if your budget can stretch, Augustinus Bader’s products are more than just beautifully packaged #shelfie material.
What is TFC8?
At the heart of every Augustinus Bader formula is the brand’s patented TFC8 complex, which stands for trigger factor complex 8. While the science-heavy name can sound a little intimidating, when you boil it down it’s a blend designed to support the skin with a cocktail of nourishing, repairing and barrier-strengthening ingredients.
According to the patent breakdown highlighted by Skinskool (a reliable beauty-tech platform that analyses ingredient lists) the formula combines hydration heroes such as water and glycerin with skin-replenishing ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol, all of which help support a healthy moisture barrier. There’s also a mix of amino acids (including energising taurine) alongside antioxidant vitamins C and E, and peptides to support smoother, firmer-looking skin over time.
How we tested
I tested Augustinus Bader’s rich cream, rich eye cream and retinol serum over several weeks, using them exclusively in the mornings and evenings as directed. My testing took place in warmer weather, which gave me a good indication of how the formulas performed under makeup, during stuffy conditions on my oily complexion. I assessed each formula against the following criteria:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As a senior shopping writer, Lucy Smith spends most of her days reviewing beauty products, including a number of Augustinus Bader competitors in her guides to the best moisturisers for oily skin and the best hyaluronic acid serums. Previously, she also reviewed an Augustinus Bader rich cream alternative and has penned a guide to the best anti-ageing routine (with the help of a dermatologist), meaning she’s across the best formulas for mature skin and everything the experts have to say on the topic. As such, she knows whether AB’s high-cost formulas are worth their salt or not.
