Almost out of nowhere, Augustinus Bader appeared and dominated the luxury skin-care space. With several celebrity and makeup artist endorsements, its trademark moisturizers became a staple in beauty lovers’ routines. Now, the line has expanded even further, with each launch cementing the brand as a status symbol.
An ELLE editor says: “This brand has created the new luxury status moisturizer of the past few years. It started as many beauty trends do, with Hollywood. Actresses like Kate Bosworth and celebrity makeup artists like Pati Dubroff continue to rave about ‘the cream.’ The namesake of the brand is Dr. Augustinus Bader, a German doctor whose created an initial hydrogel that accelerated burn healing. That then inspired the development of TFC-8, a complex of over 40 different ingredients, and the hero ingredient now present in all Augustinus Bader products, which allegedly helps ‘activate’ your cells, so that they go into ‘repair mode.’ The brand went from one product (‘The Cream’) to now dozens (even haircare), and is a favorite of fashion designer, Haider Ackermann, who recently worked with them to create a new special edition chrome packaging.”–Kathleen Hou, ELLE beauty director
Best for: Normal, dry
Price range: $$$
Our favorite products: The Rich Cream, The Serum, The Haider Ackermann Set