The Rich Cream
The icon. Number one in The Glow 100. The right starting point for most skin types — dry, mature, post-procedure. If you only ever own one Augustinus Bader product, it's this.
Augustinus Bader review — Glow Score 9.2/10, updated June 2026
The verdict.
Augustinus Bader is the ultra-luxury skincare brand built around Professor Bader's patented TFC8 peptide complex. Glow Score 9.2/10. Best first product: The Rich Cream at $375 — at MECCA Australia and augustinusbader.com.
augustinus bader
The German scientific skincare house that turned thirty years of stem-cell research into a single moisturiser — and into the most-credited product in modern beauty.
The Rich Cream is the brand. It sits at number one in The Glow 100. The Cream is its lighter sibling. Sold in Australia through MECCA and direct, in cobalt-blue jars that have become category shorthand for spend-to-stop-spending.
A stem-cell scientist walks into skincare.
Professor Augustinus Bader spent three decades at Leipzig University researching stem-cell biology and wound healing — work originally directed at burn victims and trauma patients. The Trigger Factor Complex (TFC8) is what came out of that research. In 2018 it was paired with a moisturiser base and put in a cobalt-blue jar.
The Rich Cream and The Cream use the same TFC8 technology. Different textures. Rich for dry, mature, post-procedure skin. Cream for combination, oily, humid-climate use. Everything that followed — the body cream, the cleansing balm, the eye cream, the lip balm — extends the same idea: signal the skin to behave the way it did a decade ago.
In Australia, MECCA is the primary stockist. Augustinus Bader also ships direct from augustinusbader.com. Anywhere else is grey-market.
When skincare stops being a shelf.
Most AB owners don't keep a routine — they keep a moisturiser. The pitch is implicit: spend more on one thing, stop spending on everything else. For dry, mature or compromised-barrier skin, that maths works more often than it doesn't. For acne or pigmentation, look elsewhere.
The three to know.
The Cream
Same TFC8 technology, lighter texture. The right call for oily, combination or humid-climate skin — anyone who wants the science without the occlusion.
The Body Cream
TFC8 below the neck. Quietly the brand's best-value product. For chest, hands, anywhere the face routine usually stops.
If you like Augustinus Bader.
La Mer
The heritage alternative. Occlusive, fragranced, polarising.
Tatcha
The plump, quiet alternative at a softer price.
SkinCeuticals
For active skincare, not single-jar simplicity.
Dr Barbara Sturm
The other German science house. Anti-inflammatory angle.
Sisley Paris
Botanical luxury at comparable price tier.
U Beauty
The newer "fewer products" play. Half the price.
Augustinus Bader is the rare premium brand where the price and the science actually agree on what they're trying to be. Not pretending to be a luxury indulgence. Pretending to be the last moisturiser you'll buy. On dry, mature or compromised skin, it largely delivers. Start with The Rich Cream. If you want actives — retinoids, acids, brightening — Augustinus Bader is not the brand.
A few common questions.
Is Augustinus Bader worth it?
For dry, mature or compromised-barrier skin, almost always yes — particularly when the alternative is a multi-product routine. It's the most-credited single moisturiser in the category and sits at number one in The Glow 100.
What's the difference between The Cream and The Rich Cream?
Same TFC8 technology, different texture. The Cream is lighter and absorbs faster — better for combination, oily or humid-climate use. The Rich Cream is heavier and more occlusive — better for dry, mature or post-procedure skin.
Where do you start?
The Rich Cream. It's the brand's icon and the right starting point for most skin types. If your skin runs oily, start with The Cream instead.
Does Augustinus Bader actually work?
TFC8 is patented and supported by underlying clinical research. Reported user outcomes are most consistent on barrier repair, hydration and post-procedure recovery. Less dramatic on pigmentation or active acne.
Is it good for active skincare?
No. There are no clinical-strength retinoids, vitamin C serums or exfoliants in the range. If you want actives, look at SkinCeuticals or Sunday Riley.
Where do you buy Augustinus Bader in Australia?
MECCA (online and in-store) or direct at augustinusbader.com, which ships to Australia. Not at Adore Beauty, Priceline or Chemist Warehouse.
Reviewed by Hannah Pham, Editor-in-Chief · 30 May 2026 · Last verified at retail
The verdict.
Augustinus Bader is a German scientific skincare brand founded in 2018 by Professor Augustinus Bader, based on the patented TFC8 (Trigger Factor Complex 8) cellular-renewal technology developed over thirty years of stem-cell research at Leipzig University. Best known for The Rich Cream (AUD 350) and The Cream — the same TFC8 technology in different textures. Sits at number one in The Glow 100. Available in Australia through MECCA and direct at augustinusbader.com. Hannah Pham's first recommendation: The Rich Cream for most skin types, The Cream for oily or humid-climate use.
- Founded
- Leipzig, Germany · 2018
- Founder
- Professor Augustinus Bader
- Owner
- Independent (founder-led)
- Headquarters
- Leipzig, Germany
- Best first product
- The Rich Cream · AUD 350 (50ml)
- Best alternative pick
- The Cream · AUD 350 (50ml)
- Where to buy (AU)
- MECCA + augustinusbader.com
- Tested under
- The Glow Standard · Six weeks
The Glow Standard · Independent review
9.6
/ 10
The most-credited moisturiser in modern beauty. Start with The Rich Cream.
- FormulationPatented TFC8 technology with thirty years of underlying stem-cell research.9.7
- Brand integrityFounder-led, founder-owned, scientifically credentialed end-to-end.9.8
- Value at tierInvestment tier. Maths works if it replaces a multi-product routine.9.2
- AU availabilityMECCA national + direct shipping. Easy to source, hard to dupe.9.6
Products purchased at retail. No paid placement in any Glow ranking. Score reflects the methodology at glow.com.au/review-methodology.
Augustinus Bader vs the closest alternatives.
How Augustinus Bader sits against three closest peers at the investment-tier moisturiser end. Updated May 2026.
| Brand | Founded | HQ | Hero product | Entry price (AUD) | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustinus Bader | 2018 | Leipzig, DE | The Rich Cream | $350 | Independent |
| La Mer | 1965 | New York, US | Crème de la Mer | $320 | Estée Lauder Cos. |
| Dr Barbara Sturm | 2014 | Düsseldorf, DE | Face Cream | $295 | Independent |
| Sisley Paris | 1976 | Paris, FR | Sisleÿa L'Intégral | $695 | d'Ornano family |
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- SkinCeuticals
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- Tatcha