Using Augustinus Bader On Half My Face For 12 Months - Did It Help?

Product reviewed

Augustinus Bader “Rich Cream” (rich moisturizer / anti-aging cream) — used by the reviewer as an experiment on only half the face for 12 months.

Reviewer profile & context

• 59-year-old with dry, sensitive skin
• No cosmetic procedures (no injections/surgery/lasers)
• Avoids common “actives” that irritate her (notably retinol, and many vitamin C/AHA products that cause irritation)
• Uses a variety of peptide- and hydration-focused products on both sides of the face
• No filters or Photoshop in her videos/photos

Experiment design (user experience methodology)

• Applied Augustinus Bader Rich Cream to one side only of the face.
• Used other skincare on both sides, so the only variable was the Bader cream.
• Chose the side she normally sleeps on (her “more stressed” side).
• No clear baseline asymmetry was noticed before starting.
• Shared side-by-side comparisons later and polled viewers.

Key observations / results after ~12 months

• She could see differences, but they were not the “expected” anti-wrinkle outcomes.
• Her clearest perception:
  • The non-treated side (left) looked more puffy/edematous and “less healthy.”
  • The treated side (right) looked less puffy, with less “hooding” around the eyes.
• Texture/blotchiness:
  • She thought the non-treated side looked a bit more blotchy and uneven.
• Wrinkles/aging:
  • She was not convinced the treated side meaningfully improved wrinkles (forehead wrinkle remained; “marionette lines” may have worsened).
• Overall impression:
  • The treated side gave a healthier look, even if wrinkle reduction wasn’t dramatic.

Viewer poll feedback

• Facebook: 45 respondents → 41 preferred the treated side, 3 preferred untreated, 1 no difference.
• YouTube: poll responses were harder to judge (images small) → about 60% preferred treated, 34% untreated, 6% no difference.

Price & value (numerical details)

• Purchased a Sephora “Daily Essential Duo” kit:
  • 1.7 oz jar + extra 0.5 oz container
  • Total cost $315, minus 20% during a Sephora sale
• Estimated usage cost:
  • $21/month when used on half the face
  • $42/month if used on both sides

Ingredient/claims skepticism & context (pros/cons)

Claimed/marketed drivers

• The brand focuses on a proprietary peptide system (discussed as TFC8 / oligo peptide 177).
• The reviewer relays the brand’s positioning that it supports the skin’s intrinsic stem cell signaling / healing, rather than claiming that “stem cells” are directly used.

Reviewer concerns (cons)

• Evidence quality: She largely dismisses small brand clinical/consumer studies shown online (no clear controls, tiny sample sizes).
• Peptide quantity transparency: Ingredient lists don’t clearly disclose how much peptide is present; also, anything under 1% may not appear in true descending order.
• Marketing/cost/celebrity influence: Generally skeptical of celebrity marketing, though she finds it somewhat relevant because celebrities have strong incentives to look good.
• Uncertainty about “what’s causing what”:
  • She speculates the cream’s seed oil could be related to lymphatic/puffiness effects (noting caffeine helps puffiness in other products, while this cream lacks caffeine).
  • That makes it unclear whether improvements are due to the peptide or an oil ingredient—affecting whether she’d repurchase.

Sensitive-skin experience (pros)

• She reports:
  • No reaction to the Rich Cream over the year.
  • Tolerated samples well, including around the eyes.
• She also notes many rival luxury creams include fragrance/ingredients she avoids, and Bader seemed “better” on her tolerated-ingredient list.

How it fits into a routine (user experience)

• Used it like a “serum” layer:
  • Applied, let it soak, then layered her usual moisturizers/oils/hyaluronic products on top.
• Brand messaging evolved:
  • Initially implied it could replace everything; later she says it recommends using it under other products.

Comparisons / related Bader products mentioned

She discusses other Augustinus Bader items she tried or considered (not full reviews of each), including:

• Regular Cream (less oily than Rich; includes retinol palmitate, which she avoided)
• Serum
• Ultimate Soothing Cream (for irritation/winter; proprietary peptide + soothing oils/niacinamide)
• Light Cream (targets shine/sebum; she views it as likely safer for breakouts because it has minimal oil)
• Eye cream (tried a sample; didn’t irritate, but she’s not motivated due to cost)
• Victoria Beckham–collab products:
  • Primer: worked at first but later irritated her (a friend with sensitive skin tolerated it well)
  • Power serum: not tried yet
• A body cream that the brand claims helps cellulite (she connects “cellulite” to her lymphatic/edema similarity concept)

Overall verdict (concise recommendation)

Recommendation based on her results:

• If you’re looking for a puffiness/“healthy” look (especially under-eye hooding) and you tolerate it well, the Rich Cream may be worth trying, but it wasn’t a clear wrinkle-eliminator for her.
• She’s encouraged enough to continue and plans to try it on both sides next.

Bottom line: For her sensitive, dry skin, the biggest benefit seemed to be reduced puffiness / healthier appearance, while wrinkle improvement was uncertain.