Elemis Marine Cream Ultra Rich vs Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream: Two Rich Creams, Two Philosophies

Elemis publishes a botanical and marine deck and lets the buyer read it: algae, chlorella, ginkgo, vitamin E. Augustinus Bader publishes a complex, TFC8, a blend of vitamins, lipids and peptides whose full composition is proprietary, supported by evening primrose oil, squalane and hyaluronic acid. Ingredient readers will prefer Elemis; system trusters will prefer Bader. Neither preference is irrational.

The Elemis is fragranced in the spa house style and scooped from a jar; the Bader is fragrance free and pumped, pea sized, onto face, neck and decolletage. On skin, the Elemis reads as a cushioned day cream for dry skin, while the Bader reads denser and more occlusive, the richer of the two at night. Makeup wearers generally find the Elemis easier by day; sensitive skin finds the Bader easier always.

Elemis directs its cream to the face, warmed in the palms each morning. Bader directs its cream to face, neck and decolletage, morning and evening, as a complete one product routine. If the rich cream must also be the neck cream, Bader is built for it; if the rich cream is the morning anchor of a larger routine, Elemis slots in more naturally.