Cult brand Augustinus Bader is arguably today’s top prestige skincare brand, its products (including eye cream) coveted for their science-backed formulations that not only work fast and well, but also feel nourishing and soothing from the moment you put them on. (The Rich Cream is a favorite of PureWow readers and editors—there’s always a buzz on the company Slack channel when a rare sale surfaces.) However, when the brand debuted its first sun protection product this spring—The Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 ($140)— I was skeptical. How was AB going to compete in an intensely saturated market of facial suncare, in which the most popular innovations seemed to be in tinted moisturizers that contained sunscreens? This new formula wasn’t tinted, and would surely leave a white cast since it was a mineral sunscreen. Stay in your lane, Augustinus, I thought…but still, I decided to give the cream a try for a couple months to make sure.
I Tested the New Augustinus Bader Mineral Sunscreen—Is It Worth the Money?
Fans claim it’s all-in-one summer skincare
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What’s Special About the Augustinus Bader SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen?
First, this lightweight lotion serves as a physical barrier to the sun to protect the face (remember, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends “physical sunscreens, also called mineral sunscreens, for people with sensitive skin…[and] using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, which blocks 97 percent of the sun's UVB rays.”). It does this through its active barrier ingredients Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, which deflect the sun’s rays away from your skin. But so do lots of products. The brand's extra oomph: the TFC8 complex, a proprietary mix of amino acids, high-grade vitamins and peptides that the company has spent 30 years perfecting. Think of it as a skincare superfood, targeting whatever issues your skin may have, from laxity to acne, from the appearance of fine lines to blotchy skin. So instead of this sunscreen being tinted to cover your skin imperfections, it’s formulated to reduce the imperfections overall.
What Does It Look and Feel Like on the Skin?
Putting on the lotion feels soothing. I have sensitive skin, so a lot of lotions and gels leave my skin tingly and ruddy after a swipe of them, but not Augustinus Bader. Swiping this lightweight lotion on my skin, I felt instant moisturization but no greasiness, and noticed that the lotion plumped my skin right away. My flushed windburn cheeks calmed down, and as I rubbed in the lotion, my face felt protected. Unlike so many barrier sunscreens that use minerals, this one does not leave the white cast that can look so masklike, nor did it absorb into nothingness right away. I didn’t feel like I needed any additional moisturizer with it, and except for a bit of eyeliner and lipstick, pretty much went barefaced most of the past two months.
How Well Does Augustinus Bader SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Work?
Augustinus Bader
I wore it regularly as a daytime base layer for two months in April and May, bopping around mostly without my hat as one does in Southern California where I live. I didn’t get the inflamed cheeks I usually do with sun exposure, while I did notice that my chest area got a bit pink (the brand advises to apply the lotion there, too, but I was being stingy due to the product’s price. Mistake! Skin cancer and appearing to have a roasted breast are not worth saving a few dollars.)
What’s more, the activating powers of TFC8 worked on me, since I appeared to have less crepey skin around my eyes and on my cheeks. My perennial redness faded, too. While I applied additional sunscreen formulated for sports when running and on the beach, these went over my base layer of Augustinus Bader SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen. Frankly, I’m thrilled that this formula is doing double duty as sun protection and skincare—I’m stanning the brand now, too.
