Augustinus Bader vs SkinMedica — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
TNS Advanced+ Serum
9/10 · SkinMedica
| The Retinol Serum | TNS Advanced+ Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Augustinus Bader | SkinMedica |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 8.4/10 | 9/10 ★ |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight cream-serum | Thick peach-pink serum |
| Finish | Smoothed, even | Silky smoothing |
| Skin Types |
| Targets |
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
| Verdict | Augustinus Bader's TFC8-meets-retinol pivot — encapsulated retinol + niacinamide + panthenol + ectoin + magnolia bark + piper nigrum (pepper seed) + camellia leaf + Polygonum cuspidatum (resveratrol source) layered onto the brand's signature TFC8 amino-acid complex. Sephora-distributed at $290 — the brand's most aggressive active SKU vs. the more conservative The Cream and The Rich Cream. Direct competitor to SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 at significantly higher prestige pricing. | The US cosmetic-derm world's post-procedure gold standard. TNS — Tissue Nutrient Solution, a growth-factor complex derived from human fibroblast conditioned media — paired with signal peptides and barrier support. Clinical data on photoaging is published and serious. $295 is genuinely expensive, but the 4–6 week post-Fraxel case is exactly what this product was built for. |
