TECH FIRST, TOPICALS SECOND
PROFESSOR AUGUSTINUS BADER AND CHARLES ROSIER, CO-FOUNDERS OF AUGUSTINUS BADER
Augustinus Bader is a beauty brand with both science and social currency in spades. Co-founded by German doctor Augustinus Bader and financier Charles Rosier, its Blue Cream has amassed legions of A-list fans, all of whom swear by the formulas and associated stem cell technology for luminous skin. Rosier and Bader recently closed US$25 million (S$38 million) in funding, cementing them as a billion-dollar business just four years postlaunch. “We’re the only emerging luxury skincare and haircare brand with a real chance to disrupt the hierarchy of established players,” says Rosier. “We’ve already broken out from the emerging brands, and with our current growth trajectory, we’ll be there in a few years.”
The original Cream and Rich Cream continue to be crowd favourites, but the offering has grown into a complete suite of skincare, haircare and ingestibles. As for the year ahead, the newness will slow down, but not the scientific approach. “My approach has always come more from a medical standpoint than a traditional beauty developer,” Bader explains. The hero ingredient, a patented amino acid compound called TCF8, is from the field of epigenetics, a space both Bader and Rosier believe will continue to grow in the coming years (in part due to Bader’s revolutionary research, which began as a means to treat burns). Its efficacy is in its ability to improve cell communication, a process that breaks down as we age. “An improvement in intracellular communication could counteract ageing processes in a physiological manner,” Bader says. When our cells don’t “talk” properly, healthy skin functions stop working, resulting in signs of ageing, pigmentation and dullness.
Instead of industry trends, every AB formula begins with the clinically backed ingredient, a new-wave approach that’s only set to grow. They’re also glowing proof that indie brands are the future, and that cutting-edge technology will be the determining factor between those who succeed in skincare, and those who don’t. “We don’t think we’re a skincare company branching into different things,” concludes Rosier. “We’re a technology platform that adapts it into products for people looking for solutions.”