Best Alternatives to Augustinus Bader (2026): Squalane, Shea Butter, and Peptides, Product by Product
Eight alternatives to Augustinus Bader, matched one by one to The Cream, The Rich Cream, The Serum, The Eye Cream, and The Body Cream by what each INCI lists.
Key Takeaways
Augustinus Bader sells five products this guide matches against: The Cream, The Rich Cream, The Serum, The Eye Cream, and The Body Cream. We read all five full ingredient lists and matched an alternative to each one by the ingredients it shares.
For either Bader cream, we’d start with The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty. Its INCI lists Squalane second, Shea Butter fifth, Argan and Avocado Oils sixth and seventh, Panthenol, and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, a Peptide both Bader creams also list.
For The Serum, Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil opens its seven-item list with Squalane and an oil-soluble Vitamin C, and The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum covers the hydration side for $13.
For the eye and body steps, Glow Recipe’s Guava eye gel cream lists Niacinamide and five Vitamin C forms, and Nécessaire The Body Lotion lists 2.5% Niacinamide, as Bader’s eye and body formulas do.
It’s easy to treat “alternatives to Augustinus Bader” as a question about The Cream alone. But Bader’s two face creams are meant for different skin, and the range also includes a serum, an eye cream, and a body cream, so a single swap rarely covers what you actually use. This guide takes each Bader product in turn, reads what its label lists, and pairs it with an alternative whose INCI shares the parts you can check.
What the Augustinus Bader Range Lists
Every Bader page we read says the formula is powered by the brand’s proprietary TFC8® technology. TFC8 isn’t a single entry on an ingredient list, so we compared the products on what their INCIs do show. One run of ingredients repeats on all five: Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Alanyl Glutamine, Arginine, Phenylalanine, and Oligopeptide-177, mostly in the back half of each list. Here’s what else each product carries, as listed on augustinusbader.com in October 2026.
The Cream
The Cream is $99 for 15 ml, $195 for 30 ml, $315 for 50 ml, and $565 for 100 ml. Bader’s FAQ calls it “lightweight and fast-absorbing” and says it’s ideal for normal, combination, and oily skin. Its 52-item INCI opens with Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, and two glycols, then Glycerin fifth. Shea Butter is 10th, Panthenol 12th, Aloe Leaf Juice 15th, Retinyl Palmitate 17th, and Squalane 19th. Further down come Cholesterol (21st), Ceramide NP (25th), Superoxide Dismutase (28th), and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 (39th). The key ingredients the page names are Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Panthenol, Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Vitamin C, and Aloe Vera Leaf Juice.
The Rich Cream
The Rich Cream comes in the same four sizes, and they’re priced the same. Bader says it “offers deeper hydration and replenishment” and is ideal for normal to dry skin. Its 36-item list reads like a plant-oil blend: Sunflower Seed Oil third, Squalane fourth, Glycerin fifth, Argan Oil sixth, Avocado Oil eighth, and Evening Primrose Oil 11th, with Panthenol 12th, Shea Butter 17th, Sodium Hyaluronate 21st, and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 last.
The Serum
The Serum is $380 for 30 ml and $575 for 50 ml. After Water and Glycerin, its 34-item INCI lists Resveratrol sixth, Squalane seventh, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate (a Vitamin C form) ninth, Rice Bran Oil 10th, Edelweiss callus culture extract 12th, and Sodium Hyaluronate 17th. Bader also names a “Polysaccharide Moisture Complex” among its key ingredients, though that name doesn’t appear on the INCI.
The Eye Cream
The Eye Cream’s only size is 15 ml, at $215. Glycerin is second, Panthenol fourth, Squalane seventh, Niacinamide 10th, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 11th, Jojoba Seed Oil 17th, and Centella Asiatica extract 25th.
The Body Cream
The Body Cream’s two sizes are 100 ml at $115 and 200 ml at $200. Shea Butter is second, Glycerin fifth, Bisabolol 17th, Niacinamide 27th, Squalane 33rd, and Ceramide NP 35th.
All five pages list fragrance among the things the formulas are free from. That matters when you read the alternatives below, since two of them carry a fragrance ingredient.
How to Read a Bader Label Against an Alternative
INCI position is the most useful thing a label gives you, up to a point. The FDA’s summary of cosmetics labeling requirements says ingredients “must be declared in descending order of predominance,” and that ingredients at 1% or less may be declared without regard for predominance. So an ingredient in the top five of a list is a large part of the formula, while the order among the tail ingredients isn’t ranked at all. The matches below lean on the first 20 or so entries of each list, and count a shared tail ingredient, such as a Peptide near the end, as a looser match.
Matching ingredients doesn’t make two formulas interchangeable, and we don’t present any pick as a copy of a Bader product. If you’d rather see The Cream ranked in one list beside Crème de la Mer and the Sturm Face Cream, read our three-brand alternatives guide.
At a Glance, by Bader Product
The Cream and The Rich Cream: #1 The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty, for skin that sits between the two textures
The Rich Cream: #2 Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream, for its named fatty acids
The Cream: #3 CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, the light Ceramide lotion; #4 Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer, for its Vitamin A
The Serum: #5 Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil, the oil-based match; #6 The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum, the low-cost hydration match
The Eye Cream: #7 Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Bright-Eye Gel Cream
The Body Cream: #8 Nécessaire The Body Lotion
Our Method
We didn’t test anything on skin. This is a desk comparison, done in October 2026, of every brand page and full ingredient list here, Bader’s five included, on five criteria:
Which Bader product it matches: each alternative is paired with one Bader formula, or two where the overlap is real.
Shared ingredients and their positions: what the two lists have in common, and how high up each list it sits.
Format: cream, lotion, serum, oil, or eye gel cream, since a serum alternative to a cream is a different routine.
Fragrance: any fragrance ingredient we found on the INCI, or a fragrance-free label from the brand.
Price and directions: taken from each brand’s page in October 2026.
Claims below belong to the brand that makes them.
Augustinus Bader Alternatives Compared
Alternative | Bader product it matches | Ingredients in common | Cost | Fragrance on the label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The SUPER Hydrator (U Beauty) | The Cream, The Rich Cream | Squalane, Shea Butter, Argan, Avocado, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 | $168 for 50 ml | Methyldihydrojasmonate listed |
Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream | The Rich Cream | Squalane, Glycerin, Shea Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate, fatty acids | $60 for 50 ml | None listed |
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion | The Cream | Glycerin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol | $19.99 | None listed |
Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night | The Cream | Glycerin, a Vitamin A form, Peptides | $39.99 for 1.7 oz | Fragrance free (brand) |
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil | The Serum | Squalane, an oil-soluble Vitamin C | $74 for 30 ml | Geraniol, Citronellol listed |
The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum | The Serum | Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate | $13 for 30 ml | None listed |
Glow Recipe Guava Bright-Eye Gel Cream | The Eye Cream | Glycerin, Niacinamide, Vitamin C forms, Jojoba | $38 for 15 ml | Fragrance-free (brand) |
Nécessaire The Body Lotion | The Body Cream | Niacinamide, plant oils | $30 for 200 ml | Fragrance-free (brand) |
1. The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty: Top Pick for The Cream and The Rich Cream
Bader splits its face moisturizer into two textures and asks you to pick by skin type. If your skin doesn’t fit neatly into either, or changes with the season, The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty, also known as the Cult-Status Moisturizer, is the alternative whose list overlaps with both. Squalane is second on its INCI, ahead of where either Bader cream lists it (The Rich Cream fourth, The Cream 19th). Shea Butter is fifth. Argan and Avocado Oils come sixth and seventh, almost exactly where The Rich Cream lists them, followed by Grape Seed and Sweet Almond Oils. Panthenol, which both Bader creams list 12th, is 16th here.
Then there’s the Peptide both Bader creams share. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8 is 23rd on The SUPER Hydrator, followed by two more Peptides, and the list carries Hyaluronic Acid in five forms between 24th and 38th. Proprietary SIREN Capsule Technology™ powers the whole formula. It’s one moisturizer for morning and evening, made to leave skin feeling nourished and looking visibly dewy.
Key features:
Overlap with both Bader creams: Squalane, Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Avocado Oil, Panthenol, and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8.
Five Hyaluronic Acid forms: The Rich Cream lists one, Sodium Hyaluronate.
First-use hydration figure: U Beauty reports that 100% of participants saw increased hydration, with a 28% increase, 15 minutes after first use, in an independent 30-volunteer instrumental study.
How to apply: U Beauty says 2 to 3 pumps, applied after the Resurfacing Compound if you use it, in the morning and evening.
Tradeoff: its INCI lists a fragrance ingredient, Methyldihydrojasmonate, in 13th place, while Bader lists fragrance among what its creams are free from. It doesn’t list the Retinyl Palmitate or the amino acids on The Cream.
Best for: visibly dry to normal skin that wants one cream with the plant oils of The Rich Cream and the Peptide both Bader creams share.
Price: $168 for 50 ml (U Beauty also sells a 15 ml size).
2. Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream: Best Match for The Rich Cream’s Fatty Acids
The Rich Cream page says it’s formulated with “botanicals rich in omega-6 fatty acids.” Biossance lists its Fatty Acids by name. Its 23-item INCI puts Squalane third, Glycerin fourth, and Shea Butter fifth, then Ceramide NP 14th and Sodium Hyaluronate 20th, and it closes with Linoleic, Oleic, and Linolenic Acids. Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, 11th, are what Biossance calls acai berry sterols, a plant alternative to animal-derived Cholesterol.
Key features:
Squalane, Glycerin, and Shea Butter in the top five: three of the ingredients The Rich Cream lists.
Three fatty acids by name: Linoleic, Oleic, and Linolenic.
Ceramide NP: which The Rich Cream doesn’t list.
National Eczema Association: Biossance says the cream is accepted by the NEA.
Tradeoff: it lists none of The Rich Cream’s plant oils, such as Argan, Avocado, or Evening Primrose, and no Peptide.
Best for: visibly dry, sensitive-feeling skin that wants a short, fragrance-free list.
Price: $60 for 50 ml; a 100 ml size is also listed.
3. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion: Best Light Match for The Cream
The Cream is Bader’s pick for normal, combination, and oily skin, and further down its list are three lipids that a drugstore lotion can match: Cholesterol, Ceramide NP, and Ceramide NG. CeraVe’s oil-free night lotion lists Glycerin second, Niacinamide fourth, Ceramide NP, AP, and EOP at seventh, eighth, and ninth, Sodium Hyaluronate 15th, and Cholesterol 16th. CeraVe describes it as oil-free and non-comedogenic.
Key features:
Ceramides and Cholesterol: higher on the list than The Cream carries them.
Niacinamide fourth: an ingredient on Bader’s eye and body formulas that The Cream doesn’t list.
Light lotion format: matching The Cream’s lightweight positioning.
Tradeoff: CeraVe’s directions are for night use only, and it lists no Shea Butter, Squalane, or Panthenol.
Best for: combination or oily skin that wants a light Ceramide lotion for the evening step.
Price: $19.99 as listed by CeraVe.
4. Olay Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer: Best Match for The Cream’s Vitamin A
Of the key ingredients The Cream names, Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate) is one the picks above don’t list. Olay’s night cream carries two Vitamin A forms high on its list: Retinol sixth and Retinyl Propionate seventh, after Dimethicone and Glycerin. Niacinamide is eighth, and three Peptides, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-7, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, and Tripeptide-3, follow.
Key features:
Two Retinoids near the top: Retinol and Retinyl Propionate.
Niacinamide and three Peptides: further down the list.
Fragrance free: per Olay.
Directions: nightly, with sunscreen the next morning.
Tradeoff: Retinol is a different Retinoid from the Retinyl Palmitate on The Cream, and Dimethicone is second, so it doesn’t share Bader’s silicone-free positioning. Olay’s directions are for night use only.
Best for: anyone who chose The Cream partly for its Vitamin A and wants a Retinol night cream.
Price: $39.99 for 1.7 oz.
5. Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil: Best Oil-Based Match for The Serum
The Serum lists Squalane seventh and Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate ninth. This seven-item oil puts Squalane first and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate second, which Biossance calls “an oil-soluble form of vitamin C.” Biossance’s FAQ lists both tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate among the forms Vitamin C can take on a label. After Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and mastic gum come Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Geraniol, and Citronellol.
Key features:
Squalane and a Vitamin C form at the top: the two Serum ingredients you can match most directly.
Seven ingredients: the whole list fits in a sentence.
Rose absolute: Biossance says it’s a rose absolute, not a rose essential oil.
Tradeoff: it’s an oil, not a water-based serum, and it lists no Resveratrol, Edelweiss, or Hyaluronic Acid form. Geraniol and Citronellol, both fragrance components, close the list.
Best for: anyone who wants The Serum’s Squalane and Vitamin C in an oil, applied after a lighter layer.
Price: $74 for 30 ml.
6. The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum: Best Low-Cost Match for The Serum’s Hydration
The Serum’s hydration side is Glycerin, second, and Sodium Hyaluronate, 17th, plus the Polysaccharide Moisture Complex Bader names. The INKEY List’s serum is a hydration layer and little else. Sodium Hyaluronate is third and Glycerin fourth, Hyaluronic Acid is ninth, and two Peptides, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, end the 14-item list. The INKEY List calls it a 2% Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
Key features:
Two Hyaluronic Acid forms: Sodium Hyaluronate and Hyaluronic Acid.
Two Peptides: at the end of the list.
Directions: morning and evening, a pea-sized amount on damp, cleansed skin, face and neck, followed by a moisturizer.
Tradeoff: it covers the hydration route only. There’s no Squalane, Vitamin C, or Resveratrol on the list.
Best for: a low-cost serum step under any of the creams above.
Price: $13 for 30 ml.
7. Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Bright-Eye Gel Cream: Best Match for The Eye Cream
The Eye Cream lists Niacinamide 10th and Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 11th. Glow Recipe’s eye gel cream lists Niacinamide fourth, right after Glycerin, then Vitamin C forms, starting with Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate eighth and Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate 11th, with three more from 17th to 19th. Jojoba Seed Oil is 15th (17th on The Eye Cream), and Caffeine, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, and Sodium Hyaluronate run from 20th to 23rd. Glow Recipe lists the look of dark circles, puffiness, and dullness as what it’s for.
Key features:
Niacinamide and Vitamin C: two of the ingredients Bader names for its eye cream, both higher on this list.
Jojoba Seed Oil: another shared ingredient.
Caffeine and two Peptides: which The Eye Cream doesn’t list.
Directions: a pea-sized amount tapped with the ring finger across the eye area, including the lids.
Tradeoff: it doesn’t list Panthenol, Squalane, or Centella, which The Eye Cream does.
Best for: anyone who wants The Eye Cream’s Niacinamide and Vitamin C pairing in a lighter gel cream.
Price: $38 for 15 ml.
8. Nécessaire The Body Lotion: Best Match for The Body Cream
The Body Cream lists Shea Butter second and Niacinamide 27th. Nécessaire says its body lotion is infused with 2.5% Niacinamide and plant oils rich in Vitamin C/E and Omega 6/9, with “a micro-dose of peptides.” It’s fragrance-free and made without silicones, both of which line up with what Bader says its body formula leaves out.
Key features:
2.5% Niacinamide: stated by the brand.
Fragrance-free and silicone-free: per Nécessaire.
Panel figures: in Nécessaire’s two-week study of 50 panelists, 100% said skin felt moisturized.
National Eczema Association: Nécessaire says the fragrance-free version holds the NEA Seal of Approval.
Tradeoff: Nécessaire’s page didn’t show a full ingredient list in October 2026, so ingredient positions can’t be compared with The Body Cream’s. Nécessaire calls the texture a lotion.
Best for: a daily, fragrance-free body step with Niacinamide.
Price: $30 for 200 ml; 70 ml and 450 ml sizes are also listed.
How to Swap One Bader Product at a Time
Start with the product you use most: The matches above are one-to-one, so you don’t need to change the whole routine. Find your Bader product in the table and read the alternative’s tradeoff note first.
Pick your cream by Bader’s own skin-type split: If you use The Cream for combination or oily skin, look at #3. If you use The Rich Cream for dry skin, look at #2. If you’ve moved between the two, #1 overlaps with both.
Keep a serum swap separate from a cream swap: The Serum is a water-based serum, so #6 is the closer format and #5 is the closer ingredient match. You can use #6 under any cream here.
If fragrance is why you’re leaving Bader: Every Bader product we read lists fragrance among what it’s free from. Among the alternatives, The SUPER Hydrator lists Methyldihydrojasmonate and the Biossance oil lists Geraniol and Citronellol. The rest list no fragrance ingredient or are labeled fragrance-free.
Bring in a Retinol by itself: If you’re adding #4, bring it in on its own before changing anything else, so you can tell how your skin responds. Our hydrating serums roundup has more options for the layer under a cream.
When to See a Dermatologist
A board-certified dermatologist is worth seeing if a new product leaves visible redness, stinging, or flaking that doesn’t settle once you stop using it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Augustinus Bader Alternatives
What are the best alternatives to Augustinus Bader?
It depends on the Bader product. For The Cream or The Rich Cream, The SUPER Hydrator from U Beauty shares Squalane, Shea Butter, Argan and Avocado Oils, Panthenol, and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8. Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream matches The Rich Cream’s fatty acids, and CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion matches The Cream’s Ceramide and Cholesterol at a drugstore price.
What are the best alternatives to Augustinus Bader for a face serum?
For The Serum, Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil matches its Squalane and its oil-soluble Vitamin C in a seven-ingredient oil. If you want a water-based serum instead, The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum covers the hydration side with Sodium Hyaluronate and Glycerin for $13.
What is TFC8 on an Augustinus Bader label?
TFC8® is Bader’s name for its proprietary technology, and it doesn’t appear as one ingredient on the INCI. What the five lists we read do share is a run of Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Alanyl Glutamine, Arginine, Phenylalanine, and Oligopeptide-177.
What is the difference between The Cream and The Rich Cream?
Bader describes The Cream as lightweight, for normal, combination, and oily skin, and The Rich Cream as deeper hydration for normal to dry skin. On the labels, The Rich Cream leads with plant oils and Squalane, while The Cream leads with Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and glycols.
Can I get The Body Cream’s Niacinamide without fragrance?
Yes. Nécessaire The Body Lotion is labeled fragrance-free and lists 2.5% Niacinamide, an ingredient The Body Cream also carries.
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