I finally tried Augustinus Bader – The Essence, and here is my review after wearing it mornings and evenings for 1 month+. I have combination skin, and I have no patience for a 10-step skincare routine. Note that this is not a sponsored post, and I bought the product myself. Also, there is a bonus part of this post where I found out about this brand through startup events (and I get to meet Prof. Augustinus Bader himself!).
What Is It? Augustinus Bader – The Essence
Multitasking and fast-absorbing The Essence is breakthrough 3-in-1 formula that combines the properties of a gentle exfoliant, a purifying toner, and a refreshing, hydrating essence. Streamline all your post-cleanse needs into one smart formula, for a clear, revitalized, radiant complexion. Backed by 30 years of research and innovation. Powered by TFC8®
https://augustinusbader.com/eu/en/the-essence
The Brand
Augustinus Bader is a luxury brand through and through. The price points said it, and the customer experience is on par. The brand expanded from The Cream to a whole range of face and body products, collaborations, and now haircare.
PS: I still have to add that it bothers me a lot how they touted themselves as a clinical brand, yet recently they went the way of “clean science” marketing. WHY? You have such a great product, please don’t dilute the science!
The Flagship Ingredient: TFC8®
Aka Trigger Factor Complex. This is the ingredient available in all of Augustinus Bader’s products, and Dorit wrote a rather elaborate piece about that here.
The most important thing though, let’s see if this actually works on my skin, shall we?
What Intrigued Me?
It took me awhile to try this brand because I didn’t like the idea of paying over €50 for skincare, especially if I didn’t know it will work on my skin or not. Dorit’s review of Augustinus Bader The Cream was pretty good, but it didn’t convince me yet. Lo-and-behold, The Essence comes along. The entry price point is rather reasonable (€30 for 30 ml), the ingredients list looks good, and it fits into my skincare routine rather well.
Vs Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex
My holy grail product for the post cleansing – pre treatment phase is the Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex. I have been looking for a dupe, to no avail so far. The Bader Essence looks like it’s going to fit right in to my routine to replace the First Care Serum. Price-point wise, it is of the same price range, with the tremendous benefit of Augustinus Bader being easily available in Germany.
On My Skin
Application
I put a bit into my palm and then patting it gently on my skin. Definitely don’t want to use a cotton pad that soaks up about half of it!
Feel
It has a pleasant consistency and viscosity, as you can see from the picture. The formula feels slightly moisturizing, enough for the summer months, especially for wearing the proper amount of sunscreen. It has a distinctive herbal scent that dissipates after a short while.
Before and After: Augustinus Bader – The Essence
The pictures are of my bare skin during the 5 weeks period when using Augustinus Bader – The Essence.
Before trying out Augustinus Bader – The Essence 
First week after applying The Essence, skin starts to look more moisturized 
Second week of application: Dry patches disappeared 
Week 3 of Augustinus Bader – The Essence: skin feels really supple. 
Week 4 of Augustinus Bader – The Essence. I’m sold. 
Bonus: 5 weeks of Augustinus Bader – The Essence, different camera results in skin tone difference
I can see how my skin clears up. What it’s not quite visible from the picture is that my skin also feels suppler and smoother. LOVE!
Note: The picture of the fifth week is slightly different because I took it with another camera without really realizing the tone difference.
So, while it’s not really delivering moisture like some would’ve expected from a toner, it improves the skin. My husband trialed it too, and he feels the same.
Claims
HYDRATION & MOISTURIZATION
- Skin feels soft, smooth and hydrated => YES
- Skin looks dewy, radiant, and luminous => YES
TONE & TEXTURE
- Skin’s texture looks and feels more even. => YES
- Pore size is minimized and pores look more refined. => NOT SURE
- Clogged and congested pores feel clarified. => NO EFFECT
- Skin looks clear and free from blemishes. => NO EFFECT
- Discoloration and pigmentation are visibly reduced. => YES
Verdict
And also will cry if it gets more expensive!
I can’t fault this product. My Augustinus Bader The Essence Review is screaming that it’s such a great product, and one I would happily repurchase and replace my beloved Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex.
One downside: I switched back to other toners (because of course I still have some other to try), and I find the benefit from using this slightly waning.
Worth It?
This is a tricky question with this price point (€30 for 30 ml | €80 for 100 ml). But I will say for the Augustinus Bader – The Essence 100% YES.
I am still not sure about the other products in the Bader lineup. It mostly depends on your comfort level in spending money on skincare, and how are you going to use it. I am just not at the point I could spend €300 on a serum, but if that’s you, this might be a product that is worth to at least try.
Bonus: Brand Impressions after Meeting the Founders
Web Summit 2018
This was not the founders speaking, but this was the first time I get to know the brand. If you are not familiar with Web Summit, it’s one of the biggest tech conference in the world. This was from one of the marketing track, and she explained how they thought about the product marketing from early on (I will bet this is also why the brand is so successful). She talked about the products and even the pros and cons of celebrity marketing.
Professor Augustinus Bader at Soho House Berlin, 2019
They explain the product, the sterling review from all of their test subject, and how they’ve come to develop the product. Prof. Bader seemed like a genuine person, whose passion was to help people achieve cell renewal (His laboratory was originally developed to help burn victims).
I was the skeptical person at the talk, just because everything seemed too good to be true with a lot ! I spoke with him afterwards, in which he promised to get me some products to try out if I wrote him an e-mail. He never wrote me back though (in case someone from the company read this, haha).
Also, I have to say that Prof Bader has an exceptionally great skin, which probably is a great testament to the products he is developing.
Also on the blog about Augustinus Bader:
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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