How two novices made Augustinus Bader luxury skincare a must-have by wooing celebrity endorsers like Victoria Beckham and making products whose quality spoke for itself

When Augustinus Bader debuted in 2018, the co-founders sought the endorsement of celebrities despite barely knowing who any of them were

When its products – The Cream and The Rich Cream – launched, word of mouth took over and its rapid rise began. Now it’s looking to expand in Asia-Pacific

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Augustinus Bader and Victoria Beckham at the Violet Grey x Victoria Beckham dinner in LA. Bader’s skincare company owes its initial popularity to endorsements from celebrities like Beckham. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 12:45pm, 15 Feb 2022Updated: 2:32pm, 17 Feb 2022

For a company that counts Hollywood A-listers among its backers and fans, skin-care label Augustinus Bader couldn’t be more different from the beauty brands launched by celebrities and influencers on an almost daily basis.

The story of how Bader, a professor of stem-cell biology at Leipzig University in Germany, established his eponymous brand to fund his work helping underprivileged children with burn injuries has been told plenty of times.

Less is known about the man who courted Bader for two years to convince him to start the company, and who helped propel the incredible growth that the brand has experienced since debuting in 2018.

Charles Rosier, the CEO and co-founder of Augustinus Bader, was an investment banker when he met Bader and learned about his research focusing on burn injuries.

Bader (left) and Charles Rosier attend Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars 2021 in New York. Photo: Getty Images

“The technology was there and could prevent physical and psychological suffering so I thought, how can we help him and make this technology available?” says Rosier, speaking from Paris. “If you cure burned skin you can probably create a cream that works, so I suggested to him to do an anti-wrinkle cream.”