Review: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

  Do you remember when we were younger and getting ready in the morning, or night, took so much faster, and the only reason that prepping to go out at night took forever was simply because we had too much fun getting ready to go out? Yeah, me too! While I do miss the simply times of my life, such as being able to leave the house without having to consider if it may be a legitimate reason to get out the door or not, I also feel like there's something to be said for taking the time to pump products into my hand, to massage my oil carefully into my skin in rotational strokes, smoothing the cream over my face, neck and decolletage... I'm not gonna lie, it's my kind of meditation right there. 

What I also love about getting older is that I can spend my hard earned money on what I like, and sometimes, I simply want to indulge myself, and splash out my cashola on things that I want, such as this Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream, which retails for a whooping $130 for 15 ml. I suppose I could have forked over $370 for 50 ml, or the more modest fee of $240 for 30 ml, but honestly, I figured $130 was enough for a skincare experiment, and 15 ml would last me for at least 3 weeks, which did absolutely did! 

The Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream is vegan and free of a lot of things, including fragrance, parabens, SLS, SLES and talc, among others, and that's all great and stuff, but what I'm more excited about is that this comes in a recyclable bottle, and the cardboard packaging, as well as the insert and leaftlet, are recyclable too! I am loving seeing the brands step up, and actually create products and packaging to try and make it a more sustainable thing. Of course, whether it ends up getting recycled or not is the real question, and it can all be improved on, but we all have to start somewhere, right? Anyway, I digress.

What did they stuff into The Rich Cream to justify the price? It includes some powerful botanicals, such as Evening Primrose Oil, which is full of essential fatty acids and is good for moisturising and soothing the skin. It also has Squalene, which has humectant properties and can help keep the skin supple, while Vitamin E can improve the skin barrier as it protects your face from enviromental factors. Argan Oil is packed with essential fatty acids and antioxidants, while Avocado Oil nourishes and hydrates the skin. This also has something called TFC8® which supports cellular renewal, and aids in guiding key ingredients to the cells. TFC8® also helps in nourishing and protecting the skin over time, dealing with individualised concerns, supposedly resulting in stronger, firmer and healthier skin in the long run.

The packaging is really luxurious, even for the smallest size in the range, with a bronze cap and glass bottle that has a galaxy blue background. I find three pumps to be adequate for my skin, and despite the texture being rather thick, I find that this doesn't entirely linger on my skin, and that it does get absorbed over time, although it can take quite a while. The real question is - how does it perform on my skin? In this dry weather, my skin is taking it in really well, and I don't find it to be cloying or to create an unpleasant stickiness to the skin. In fact, it actually seems to give the skin a bit of a boost, resulting in supple and fine-line free skin. It also doesn't feel like it covers the skin in a 'net' of lotion, which washes off in the morning - instead, it really does feel like it gets absorbed to do it's work overnight while you sleep. 

Head over to the website to learn more about Augustinus Bader, and their other products. What is the most you've ever spent on skincare?