A visit to Augustinus Bader Skin Lab London

Cult skincare brand Augustinus Bader has a cohort of devoted fans. Celebrities and beauty cognoscenti — Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hailey Bieber and Culture Whisper’s beauty director to name a few — all admit that The Cream is their absolute favourite go-to daily skincare.

So the opening of Augustinus Bader Skin Lab on Dover Street — the new skincare space developed in collaboration with the renowned Lanserhof clinic — is quite an event in the beauty world.

When I arrive, I am greeted by the lovely Hannah who takes me to a pod-shaped treatment room filled with state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, such as the Visia Skin Analysis, radio-frequency treatments, micro-abrasion, and LED lights to brighten and tighten. I am booked in for an introductory facial, which will include LED therapy and lymphatic massage.

Augustinus Bader Skin Lab entrance on Dover Street

Lying down on a gently heated bed, I admire the ceiling which reminds me of a James Turrell installation. But soon the treatment starts, with the most delicious cleansing massage — Hannah is using the incredibly gooey Bader cleansing cream. She then applies Bader The Cream on my face and neck and tells me that the Cream (and not the Super Cream) is best for my skin.

For those of you not yet in the know, Bader The Cream is formulated with patented TFC8 and contains aloe, amino acids, and vitamins A, B, C, and E to refresh and hydrate the skin and protect it from free-radicals. 'It is self-sufficient' says Hannah, no need to apply serum first, as the TFC8 works best on clean skin. ‘Just don’t forget to apply SPF on top and that’s it’ she adds. Bader’s on-the-go daily skincare seems too good to be true!

The treatment lasts for 40 minutes, with a blast of LED therapy to boost my skin, after which I take a quick tour of the Skin Lab's adjacent Lansehof spa, with its fabulous changing rooms and member's lounge. I wish I could spend my whole day there.

But it's time to go. As I leave with a pot of The Cream in my bag, my face looks reshaped and nourished and glows miraculously as if I am 25 again. I suspect I will book myself another treatment soon, and in the meantime, I will be lathering The Cream on my face for the days to come.

Augustinus Bader The Cream - shop here

Eleonore was invited to have an introductory facial treatment
You can book a consultation here — facials starting price £200