Do we really need a S$400 celeb-approved skincare product in our routine? We speak to Augustinus Bader and Charles Rosier to find out

In order to get the inside scoop on a celebrity red-carpet glow, we’re often zooming in on skincare products that line their bathroom shelves or taking notes of the ones that they spotlight in their “get ready with me” videos.

Our efforts may very well have paid off, because we’ve come across a miracle-working cosmetics brand that’s been appearing with increasing fervour amongst Hollywood’s A-listers’ beauty must-haves – and it’s decked its skincare products in an iconic, elegant sparkle of blue and gold.

It’s Augustinus Bader, of course.

Augustinus Bader: the celebrity-approved skincare brand

Touted for delivering science-backed luxury skincare formulas, Augustinus Bader has received a wave of attention from celebrities in recent years.

British model Kate Elson revealed her pre-runway routine in a Vogue video. After admitting with a laugh that she’s a “high-end beauty addict”, she picked up a blue-gold skincare product, pumped its contents onto her palm, and spread it over her skin.

“This thing here, Augustinus Bader, this is sort of like the secret elixir for my skin. This tends to be my go-to for all things,” she disclosed.

When Jennifer Aniston posted an InstaStory featuring her “Dream Team” (makeup artist and hairstylist) in front of a vanity mirror, complete with a slew of skincare products on the table, we quickly recognised an Augustinus Bader skincare product in the midst.

A big advocate for moisturiser, Hailey Bieber also shared in an interview with The Skincare Edit that Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream is one that she uses every day.

Others like Victoria Beckham, Demi Moore, Dakota Johnson, and Gemma Chan, are also but some of the many celebrities who use Augustinus Bader’s products to achieve a royal radiance, on and off the red carpet.

Really, with Augustinus Bader in celebrities’ skincare arsenals, it’s no wonder that they flaunt a million-dollar glow.

If there’s one thing that holds us back from using these wonder-working skincare products decked in blue and gold, it would be the products’ really steep price tags. One 50ml bottle of Augustinus Bader’s most sworn-by The Cream, alone, costs a whopping S$430.

Million-dollar glow aside, the big question for us is: do we really need an over S$400 celeb-approved skincare product on our bathroom shelves?

We sat down with founder Augustinus Bader himself, as well as co-founder Charles Rosier, to find out whether Augustinus Bader’s products are truly worth their price!

Augustinus Bader: the brand backed by science

Since the brand’s inception in 2018, science and biotechnology have been woven into Augustinus Bader’s narrative.

The elegantly bottled skincare formulas aren’t supposed to give you youthful-looking skin temporarily or superficially. Instead, they’re designed to really renew and rejuvenate the skin for long-lasting results, and that’s all thanks to 30 years of Professor Bader’s research.

Meet Augustinus Bader, scientist and founder

To appreciate Augustinus Bader, the brand, you would have to understand something about Augustinus Bader, the person.

Wearing thin-framed spectacles, with golden hair, rosy cheeks, and suited up with a bow tie, the man had the quiet air of a research scientist. His eyes lit up when he explained the science in careful detail to me across a table cleanly stacked with gold-blue bottles, each one bearing his name.

“What I focus on now is the idea of self-healing – looking into how you navigate or control repair processes in the human body based on your stem cells […] through signalling technology,” he explained.

The director of Cell Techniques and Applied Stem Cell Biology at The University of Leipzig, Professor Bader has already spent over 30 decades researching and developing technologies that encourage the body’s self-healing processes at a cellular level.

It was there at The University of Leipzig that Augustinus used a Wound Gel that he created to treat a young girl who suffered from second-degree burns – no scarring and, ultimately, no need for a skin grafting procedure.

But how did science meet cosmetics?

Where science and cosmetics meet is where Charles Rosier comes in. When Rosier heard the story of the Wound Gel, he was impressed. “It’s crazy that something like this exists but is not available to people,” he wondered, as he shared with me how the brand came to be.

The Wound Gel wasn’t available because pharmaceutical companies weren’t willing to take the risk, Rosier explained. Wanting to do something about it, he asked Bader, “Can you do an anti-wrinkle cream that works?” Bader replied, “Yes, why?”

Rosier’s proposal was that they set up a skincare brand, potentially using the profits to fund clinical trials for Bader’s medical research.

It took two years for Charles Rosier to convince Augustinus Bader to take the idea more seriously, and finally, they launched their skincare brand bearing Professor Bader’s name – a not-so-subtle nod to the science behind the cosmetics.

What makes Augustinus Bader so unique?

Doctor-developed brands are not new in the beauty industry, so the question remains: what makes Augustinus Bader a cut above the rest?

Uses technology, not just ingredients

With Professor Bader’s title being the director of Cell Techniques and Applied Stem Cell Biology at The University of Leipzig, you might think that stem cell ingredients are what’s unique about the brand.

Well, yes… and no. Augustinus Bader skincare formulations don’t actually contain stem cells, but what they do is awaken your body’s natural stem cells so that your skin can flaunt a healthy glow.

Professor Bader explained the science in detail, and Charles made the point abundantly clear.

“The mainstream stem cell science is all about cultivating stem cells outside the body, and reinjecting [them],” he emphasised. But the problem is not the body’s lack of stem cells or ageing stem cells.

Rather, it’s the diminishing ability of the body’s signals to awaken your stem cells. “Augustinus is the only researcher in the world today who found the signals to awaken your own dormant stem cells,” said Charles.

When it comes to skincare, it simply means that the brand has found a way to encourage the body’s stem cells to “make the right decisions” so that people can enjoy optimal skin health.

Enter: the brand’s proprietary TFC8 complex, infused into the formulas of every single one of Augustinus Bader’s skincare products.

“The TFC8 is a technology more than an ingredient,” Charles filled in. “It’s a combination of amino acids, lipids, and vitamins – the exact concentration and assembly of it is the know-how of [Professor Bader’s] 30 years of research.”

“It nourishes the environment of the specialised stem cells in your skin, and tries to create an optimal environment [for them] so that they make the right decision,” he detailed.

When it comes to Augustinus Bader’s skincare products, you’re not just getting a mix of raw ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, peptides, and ceramides, which can be found in any other skincare product. Instead, you’re paying for proprietary technology, born out of three decades of research, that you can’t find anywhere else.

Transforms skin from within

While products from other skincare brands might give your complexion a temporary glow, Augustinus Bader’s promise is to transform your skin from within.

“The TFC8 bring results to your skin health. It’s not just about [reducing] wrinkles – we have fantastic results for people with acne, rosacea, and different [skin concerns]. It’s all about improving skin health,” said Charles.

Less is really more

Since every skincare product from Augustinus Bader uses the same TFC8 complex, there’s no need to slather layers of formula onto your skin in a multi-step routine to achieve the best effects.

“We don’t think that it matters which product someone uses, because every product has the TFC8 in the right concentration,” reassured Charles. “We have clinical trials for all our products and [every product’s] performance is very similar. You get a consistency in the quality of the product and the result.”

Just one product is enough for your skin to reap self-renewing benefits, as Charles transparently reassured.

When it comes to picking the best product(s) to add to your arsenal, it’s easy: simply narrow down on the one you think would feel best against your skin.

“It’s more a preference of texture,” offered Charles. Those with a preference for a really lightweight formula might opt for the brand’s The Serum, or if they like a creamy moisturiser, then The Rich Cream will do the trick.

“Some products also have targetted benefits depending on what type of area of the body or face it is,” said Charles.

For instance, The Eye Cream is spiked with specific ingredients to combat under-eye puffiness and dark circles; these are in addition to TFC8, which supports the body’s innate renewal processes and boosts skin’s health.

Augustinus Bader must-haves in Singapore

Since our humid weather often means that we’re on the hunt for formulas that are lightweight and less greasy on the skin, we asked Charles Rosier and Professor Bader for their best picks for Singapore.

The Light Cream

The Light Cream (S$265) is a lightweight version of the brand’s fan-favourite The Cream.

Charles invited me to test out the formula, handing the beautiful capsule bottle to me from across the table. I pumped the formula onto the back of my hand and spread the cream across my skin: it was velvety and luxuriously light.

A few quick swipes later, the product had disappeared completely into my skin, leaving it oh-so-smooth and grease-free. Placebo effect? Maybe, but I couldn’t help but feel like my skin was fresher, brighter, and more supple too.

Since The Light Cream also has mattifying properties, Charles recommends this formula for people who want to avoid oily skin.

Augustinus Bader The Light Cream retails for S$265 at Sephora’s online store and Sephora’s new Raffles City outlet. 

The Serum

The Serum (S$535) is another lightweight formula that’s ideal for Singapore’s hot, humid climate. I spread the clear concentrate across the back of my hand and the formula sunk quickly into my complexion, leaving my skin feeling more supple than before.

Besides Augustinus Bader’s propriety TFC8 complex, The Serum also features energising vitamin C, nourishing rice bran oil, and free-radical-fighting pomegranate seed concentrate, to give you your glowiest skin yet.

Augustinus Bader The Serum retails for S$535 at Sephora’s online store and Sephora’s new Raffles City outlet. 

The Cream & The Rich Cream

The talk of the Hollywood town is Augustinus Bader’s The Cream (S$430) and The Rich Cream (S$430).

Both penetrate the skin quite quickly, but the Rich Cream has additional argan, avocado, and evening primrose oil ingredients, which make it thicker and more emollient than The Cream.

Charles’ suggestion is to apply The Rich Cream when indoors or just before going to bed, since air-conditioning can be especially drying on the skin.

Professor Bader himself uses The Cream after cleansing his face and pre-shave. “The skin is softer and the razor blade glides better, so I don’t have to use any soap, which dries out the skin,” he said as he gestured toward his chin.

Augustinus Bader The Cream retails for S$430 at Sephora’s online store and Sephora’s new Raffles City outlet.
Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream retails for S$430 at Sephora’s online store and Sephora’s new Raffles City outlet. 

Skincare tips from Augustinus Bader and Charles Rosier

Apply on clean and bare skin

The golden rule when it comes to using Augustinus Bader’s skincare products is to apply them on clean skin. Not just clean skin, but bare skin too, which means early on in a multi-step skincare routine.

“We want people to avoid using TFC8 after too many ingredients. In order to have the optimal effect of the TFC8, it’s good to use it at the beginning of your routine, so you’re sure that the TFC8 is in contact with your skin,” said Charles. This enables the TFC8 to penetrate the skin and work its skin-renewing magic.

Of course, since a single-step routine works just as effectively as a multi-step one when it comes to Augustinus Bader’s skincare, there’s no real need for you to pile on products after you’ve applied a layer of, say, The Cream on your complexion.

Mix instead of layer

Should you want to combine several Augustinus Bader products in your daily skincare regimen, it’s best to mix instead of layer.

“You don’t need to layer. It’s more like a mixing, where you can use less of one product and less of the other, so that you have the optimality of the concentration. More doesn’t mean better,” Professor Bader advised.

This could mean tapping The Eye Cream onto the skin around your eyes and using The Light Cream to moisturise the rest of your face, instead of layering The Eye Cream over The Light Cream under your eyes.

So, do we really need a S$400 celeb-approved skincare product from Augustinus Bader on our bathroom shelves? After speaking to Professor Bader and Charles Rosier about the science behind these wonder-working formulations, we’re starting to believe that it’s possible we do.

Augustinus Bader is now available in Singapore! Shop Augustinus Bader exclusively at Sephora’s newest Raffles City outlet or on Sephora’s online store.