As you might know by now, a favorite thing I like to do is to review really hyped about items to see whether or not I think they’re worth it (examples: Away, Outdoor Voices, the Dyson Air Wrap, Tata Harper, and Glossier). I rarely will go out on a limb for really expensive beauty products since I don’t want to be burned by a bad product and waste my money (I haven’t purchased something expensive since my lesson learned with La Mer—it actually made my skin worse. You can read that review here). But I kept seeing Augustinus Bader The Cream talked about on blogs (like this post from Atelier Dore) and Instagram (especially by my two favorites who are really into beauty: Eva Chen and Jennifer Fisher).

If these two gals who regularly get facials and have a plethora of beauty products swear by this product, then there’s gotta be something to that right? So I did it. I bought the $265 (before taxes) cream. I know, I’m crazy.

And well…do I regret it?

NOPE.

Lol, I am surprised as you are at how much I actually love this cream. I am very picky about my skin care after years (more like decades) of acne (read about that here). Plus I have very sensitive skin that’s prone to both rashes and clogged pores. Rarely do items work for my skin, so when I find one that doesn’t break me out (like the Elemis SOS cream I’ve been using for the last 4-5 years) I tend to stick with it. So when I say I love this AB cream and “this works” I am not exaggerating (and it works so much better than my Elemis cream).

First of all, I bought The Augustinus Bader Rich Cream which is the version meant for drier skin types. I actually have a combination skin type, but since I was looking for a night cream (and this one is better suited for the night while the regular The Cream is better suited for the day, or so they recommend) I went with this one. Plus it’s the winter time so I decided the more moisturizing version might be better. Both The Rich Cream and The Cream are the same price.

I’ve been using this cream every night since early December and I’ve noticed a considerable softening of my acne scars. Within the first couple nights my skin was generally softer, but that can hold true for a lot of other creams as well. This didn’t break me out nor cause any rashes, despite the fact that The Rich Cream is quite well, rich (the first couple of nights I put it on, my husband did comment that my face looked especially shiny lol). I use this cream after cleansing and toning, and like Eva Chen mentioned in her story above, there’s no need for any serums under the cream (not that I’m one to using serums since I like my skin care to be pretty simple).

So back to my acne scars. I never had deep cystic acne, but instead a lot of little pimples. But with decades of acne along with the loss of collagen over the age of 30, my pock marks were getting deeper. So much so that I switched from powder foundations (that emphasize every single pick scar) to a very dewy sunscreen liquid foundation (that is so reflective it makes my skin look oily but then it also does a good job of hiding the small pock marks). A couple years ago I tried micro-needling to try to increase the collagen buildup behind the scars to make them less noticeable. It was only mildly successful but cost $600 a pop so I stopped. And I will truthfully tell you, the Augustinus Bader Rich Cream has done a better job of smoothing my skin than the micro-needling. So much so that I have gone back to powder foundations (because you know, sometimes I don’t want to look so shiny) without being so self-conscious about my acne scars (they’re still there of course but my skin looks so much more even overall). I never thought I would go back to powder again so I know this cream is doing something.

The blurb on the cream attributes Trigger Factor Complex (TFC8¬Æ) for the power to change your skin. As soon as I hear “stem-cell technology” I automatically doubt the credibility of the description (stem cells are highly specific cells and they are not anywhere near your skin. Plus nothing applied topically to your skin could ever stimulate stem cells). But I have to say, there’s something to this formula. I tried doing some research on TFC8¬Æ but can only find Augustinus Bader marketing material so I can’t really speak to the soundness of the science. But having used it myself, I’m a believer that it works (though I don’t believe their jargon).

So would I repurchase this?

Yes, even for the full $265 plus tax. I would probably try the regular cream next (instead of the rich one). But I’m also going to wait a couple months after the current bottle runs out, to see if my skin is truly changed by the cream or if it reverts back to its past state. But so far it’s been almost 3 months, and it doesn’t feel like I’m running out yet (I use about 3 small pumps a night). But it’s also hard to tell how much is left because the container itself is made from a thick heavy plastic (I wish they didn’t make the containers so bulky with the plastic and their outer container is also a bulky box—what a waste of materials).

P.S. You can read all my other Augustinus Bader reviews here.

{April 2019 update: So it took me just about 4 full months to completely finish the bottle (using it once a day). And after going back to my regular night cream, the skin texture reverted back to how it was within a week (so I’m no longer using powder foundation again). So I decided to buy the regular AB Cream from Barneys this time (10% off with first online purchase). But here’s the thing, I’ve been using it for about a week now and the results from the regular Cream is nowhere near as good as the Rich Cream. The two creams have different ingredients and thus do different things. The Rich Cream is the one that evens skin tone and texture, while The Cream is supposed to fight free radicals. Anyway I regret purchasing the regular cream since it’s not doing much for me and I would say the regular AB cream is not worth it. If you’re going to splurge and you’re looking to even out wrinkles, old acne scars and age spots, you have to get the Rich Cream. If you already have pretty decent skin and are looking to maintain then I think the regular cream might work for you—though you probably don’t need to be spending $200+ on face creams}

{July update: So I did it, I re-purchased the Rich Cream from Barneys. And even though the weather is now super hot, the rich cream doesn’t feel like an oil slick (it’s really a more tacky texture which I’m so used to now). Now I use the regular cream during the day and the rich cream at night, and tbh my skin has never looked better. And now I’m budgeting in other areas of my life lol}

{November Update: I keep updating this post because I find more and more things to say about this wonder-cream lol. First of all I should mention that the stuff in the large bottle of AB rich cream changes in texture when you near the end of the bottle (it pumps out the heavier components first for some reason and leaves a tackier version of the cream at the end). It’s kind of annoying when you spend so much money on the rich cream, but oh well I live with it and keep buying bottle because the stuff still makes a big difference. I love it so much the AB Rich cream made it onto my first ever holiday gift guide here.}

{January/Feb 2020 Update: So I wanted to add that having tried both, I like the $170 30ml bottle much better than the $265 50ml bottle because the 30ml wastes a lot less cream due to a better pump mechanism (even though it’s less of a value). You can see how they bottle the 30ml version below (I was able to take off the top and the cream is in a sealed plastic bag). And you bet I’m going to cut that bag open and use every last drop (I was able to use it 2 more times after cutting it open). Also the 30ml bottle is glass so at least that’s recyclable. The 50ml bottle is excessively made of plastic and the top part doesn’t come off so I don’t know how much cream is left in the bottle. Also the bigger bottles might not sell as well so that’s why I got the separation problem I mentioned in the update above. I didn’t have any of those problems with this 30mL bottle (also the fact that I got this 30ml bottle from Net-a-porter instead of Barneys might have something to do with this since maybe Barneys wasn’t moving it’s merchandise as fast as Netaporter can? RIP Barneys.) Netaporter also sells a $85 15ml bottle for those who want to try it but don’t want to commit the big bucks—though I’m telling you, you’ll probably get addicted. I’ve also purchased the Victoria Beckham x Augustinus Bader primer and that review is here.}

{November 2020 update: (will the updates never end? lol) Just wanted to add that I used to use my AB rich cream both day and night. However now with wearing masks during the day I find using the AB cream leads to breakouts. So now I exclusively use it for night and use a lighter lotion for the day.}

{January 2021 update: Just repurchased another bottle (maybe my 7th? 8th?) and I just wanted to add that I now use the U Beauty Resurfacing Compound before my AB rich cream at night and it has done WONDERS. I mention it in my U Beauty Resurfacing Compound Review, but I found that the U Beauty RC helps to spread the AB rich cream on more smoothly (so I get less of that tacky feel with the AB cream) and it helps make the AB cream last longer since I use less of it every night—it probably extended my 1 oz AB Cream bottle by about 3 weeks.}

{April 2022 Update: So I’ve been using the new formulation of the AB Rich cream for about 6 weeks now and I have to say I like it. I might be in the minority here but I like that the Rich cream is less rich. I can now wear it in the mornings under a mask without mask-ne (breakouts). Also I’m wearing this in the summer and I find it’s just the right amount of moisturizing. I will say that my opinion might change come winter time. But I like that this new AB (vegan) formulation of the rich cream is somewhere between the regular AB cream (which is very light imo) and the old formulation of the AB rich cream. I think if I need more moisture come winter time, I’ll be looking into combining the rich cream with the face oil (and of course I’ll let you know how that goes).}

{November 2022 Update: Here’s a referral link if you’re interested in joining the Augustinus Bader Club and getting 15% off your first purchase. I’ve been a member of the AB club for awhile now and not only do you get points for every purchase, but if you do a replenishment order you also get 20% off. So I pay about $128 for every bottle of 30ml rich cream, which I order about once every other month. I also got 30ml rich cream for my birthday and overall I think it’s worth it to sign up if you repeatedly purchase AB products.}

{April 2024 Update: I just wanted to update this post since it’s been 5 years of consistently using the AB Rich Cream—wow that’s a lot of dough I’ve given to Augustinus Bader 😂). I still use it daily, and it’s still working great with my skin. Of course I’ve aged some, but I’ll never know what my skin would really look like without the five years of AB Rich Cream use. But I just wanted to add that during the winters and sometimes at night to switch things up, I’ve found that Cocokind Resurrection Polypeptide Cream works really well too. Can this $18 cream compete with a $200+ one? No not really, but it’s the perfect cheap cream to alternate with the Rich Cream to make the RC last longer.}

Please note that this post contains affiliate links that could result in my earning a small commission - at no extra cost to you - if you click and make a purchase. Thank you for your support!