Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: Retailer
Welcome to Wrinkles Week on the Strategist, where we’re deeply vetting skin-care solutions for anyone who’s looking to smooth fine lines and wrinkles (or prevent them showing up in the first place). For more, head to our Wrinkles Week hub.
We’ve written about Augustinus Bader for years here at the Strategist. Its Rich Cream, in particular, is notoriously pricey but actually effective, according to lots of celebrities and experts we’ve interviewed. So when we heard last month that the brand was releasing their first vitamin-C serum, we were curious if the high price tag ($380) was justifiable. It’s made with 20 percent vitamin C, niacinamide, and the brand’s patented Advanced TFC8® technology, meaning it’s supposed to come with all the benefits of a good vitamin-C serum (diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, fading dark spots) without any of the unpleasant side effects (skin irritation, redness, dryness). In an effort to see if it’s truly worth it, five of us on staff tested the serum for four to six weeks. We all have different skin types, concerns and therefore different takes. Read more on our testing below.
I really do not have a robust skin-care routine. It’s something I think about and feel I should start, but there’s a part of me that just does not have the steam to keep things up. I’ve used a vitamin-C serum before because I would love brighter skin (especially under my eyes) and all that it offers, but when the little bottle runs out, I rarely replace it right away, instead waiting for inspiration to strike again.
My usual routine is cleanser (currently Tower 28), witch hazel, CeraVe moisturizing SPF in the morning and witch hazel (I’m devoted) and a thicker moisturizer (Dieux’s Instant Angel Moisturizer) at night. I slotted this vitamin-C serum in the morning between the witch hazel and the CeraVe. You probably can’t tell from my existing routine, but I’m always craving moisture. My No. 1 issue is feeling dry. So the most surprising thing about this serum was just how thirst quenching it was for my skin. The serum is thick and gooey, not liquid-y like all of the other vitamin C’s I’ve ever used. My skin was drinking it up, creating a real moisturizing base layer. Since I started using it, my face has felt softer. I’ve been glowier and bouncier (I think). I also usually get redness around the sides of my nose, and as I used this serum, I noticed it started to fade and my skin became more even-toned. (The only other time I’ve experienced that is the exactly one time I got a facial.)
There were moments when after applying the vitamin C, my CeraVe wouldn’t rub in as smoothly as it usually does, but I blame that on my impatience with waiting for the serum to actually dry first. Given my history, I don’t think it’ll surprise you to hear that I would never spend $380 on any skin-care item (like, not even a facial), but if I was a person who did, I’d buy this.
Lauren before using Augustinus Bader’s vitamin C.
Photo: Lauren Levy
Four weeks after using the vitamin C.
Photo: Lauren Levy
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My first thought upon meeting the Augustinus Bader vitamin-C serum was that I liked its texture. It’s more viscous than my go-tos, which are generally liquid. The other thing I noticed was the packaging. Pretty and substantial but tall and narrow. I left it out on my counter for the entire month of testing. Predictably, because of its shape, I knocked it over quite frequently (once the dispensing cap popped out, but I was able to snap it back in).
The weeks I used it overlapped with a typically tough time for my skin: For whatever reason, early spring and fall are always breakout seasons. The addition of this vitamin-C serum was the only tweak I made, and I will say, I got only one pimple this month (unfortunately, you can see it in my post-serum selfie). That’s a win. I also think the serum’s hydration helped prevent my skin from drying out — I’d typically have a lot more roughness right now. I didn’t see much change in brightness, but I didn’t have very much hyperpigmentation or spots to begin with. All said, it’s a pleasant serum to use, and I’ll continue to test it until it runs out to see if there are any more significant changes to my skin. As a 20-year vitamin-C-serum user, this one stands out among the many I’ve tried in the hydration it offers.
Crystal didn’t see lasting changes after four weeks, but her skin was immediately hydrated after applying.
Photo: Crystal Martin
I’ve been using a vitamin-C serum since about 2020, starting with Maelove’s Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum, then SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic, and now SkinCeuticals’ Phloretin CF. I have a pretty minimal skin-care routine (mostly because I’m lazy), so including vitamin C is a big deal for me in terms of making it a priority. The previous serums were drops, which isn’t the most convenient or intuitive way of applying something on my skin, so I appreciated Augustinus Bader’s pump and more gel-like consistency. It was easy to apply, and I would wait a few minutes to give it time to sink into my skin.
I noticed, however, that if I didn’t follow up with moisturizer right after, my combination skin would feel a little dry and tight. This wasn’t an issue with the other serums I’ve used in the past, but putting on my regular Eadem’s Cloud Cushion moisturizer would solve the problem, and my skin would feel instantly hydrated. It also layered well with my essence (Missha Time Revolution) and sunscreen (either Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun or Then I Met You Essence Light, as well as my tinted sunscreen, Tower 28 SunnyDays). I’ve been trying not to wear makeup or tinted moisturizer these days, and most days when I go out, I don’t wear any. It’s honestly hard to say if my dark spots and uneven skin tone have improved over the course of four weeks of using the Augustinus Bader vitamin-C serum, but I like the texture and feel of my skin.
Lauren before using the Augustinus Bader vitamin C.
Photo: Lauren Ro
Lauren after four weeks of using the vitamin-C serum.
Photo: Lauren Ro
I deal with hyperpigmentation, so I’ve been an avid vitamin-C user. I’ve always used it to help with post-acne dark marks. I started with Mad Hippie back in 2018 and have been cycling through different formulas since. Augustinus Bader’s ranks pretty high on the list of favorites. It’s nicely moisturizing and comes in airtight, opaque packaging, so I don’t worry that the product is ineffective by the time it’s on my skin. I’ve been dealing with some stubborn dark hyperpigmentation on my chin, so I was hoping it would help lighten that. I started incorporating it into my routine daily, layering it beneath my moisturizer. It played nicely with the existing products and didn’t trigger any breakouts. With that said, it wasn’t anything particularly special, and I don’t know that I’d keep using it after testing — I didn’t like it more than my Clinique, which is more moisturizing.
Tembe before using the vitamin C serum.
Photo: Tembe Denton-Hurst
Tembe after using the Augustinus Bader vitamin C.
Photo: Tembe Denton-Hurst
Here’s what you should know about my skin: It is just no hassle to me at all. I use Aveeno body cream as a moisturizer (I’ve used fancier — my skin doesn’t care). I rarely get zits, even during my period. And while I get a facial every few months, my skin is just as happy after an in-shower face mask as it is after an hour and a half of high-frequency, steaming and micro-needling with Polly at Re:Lax. All of which is to say, my post-pregnancy melasma has been a bit of a bummer.
Over the past two years, the freckles on my cheekbones have joined up to make an Orion’s belt of beige down to my jawline. One freckle has turned into less of a beauty mark, more of a beauty splodge. To deal with this, I have been very loyal to Kat Burki’s C20 Velocity Serum.
However, I was not particularly impressed by the Augustus Bader serum. It broke me out, and made my skin dry and flaky. I had to manually and chemically exfoliate more than I would normally. It also wasn’t quenching and almost tacky on my skin. Some more stuff I didn’t like: the packaging is really heavy, so the bottle would often topple in my medicine cabinet.
In the photos I took over the past six weeks, I can see a change in the darkness of my pigmentation, but no more than when I was using the Kat Burki. (It’s also hard to be certain, as I had just been on vacation when I started using this.)
Ailbhe before using the vitamin-C serum.
Photo: Ailbhe Malone
Ailbhe after four weeks of applying the Augustinus Bader serum.
Photo: Ailbhe Malone
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