New to Bakuchiol? Let's Discover Its Wonderful Benefits!
Mother Nature's Gift to skincare is perfected by science! What is this wonderful, exciting natural ingredient that is backed by serious science? Let's dig in!
Bakuchiol is a meroterpene derived from the seed pods of the plant Psoralea Corylifolia. It's used extensively in some Asian countries, particularly Ayurvedic medicine in India.
It possesses antimicrobial effects, is a powerful antioxidant, stimulates collagen synthesis, and is found by many dermatologists, cosmetic chemists, and recent clinical studies to be the natural plant-based alternative to Retinol in skin care. Truly exciting!
How Does Retinol Differ from Bakuchiol?
Retinol (and we're referring to all topically applied derivatives of Vitamin A) has been held as THE gold standard for fighting lines and wrinkles, stimulating collagen, and fighting acne. The most effective form, Tretinoin (aka Retin A), must be prescribed.
The Downsides to Retinols?
- Difficult to tolerate, with many persistent side effects, including redness, irritation, and flaking.
- It is photosensitive, therefore can't be used during the day.
- Many with sensitive skin find it impossible to tolerate the side effects.
- Difficult to incorporate into skincare formulas in effective forms
- Known to be unstable if exposed to oxygen and light. Short product shelf life!
- Many people with rosacea, eczema, and other difficult-to-manage skin conditions cannot tolerate it, even in weaker forms or at low concentrations.
- Pregnant or lactating women are advised to avoid the use of Retinol.
- There are clinical studies suggesting Retinol is a contributing factor to a condition known as "dry eye" (it affects the meibomian glands, reducing the production of oily, lubricating tears).
Yes, Retinol is extremely finicky and hard to tolerate!
In Comes Bakuchiol!
Bakuchiol is Clinically proven to have the same anti-aging and acne-fighting attributes of 0.50% Tretinoin (Known as prescribed "RetinA") without the headaches of itching, burning, and flaking.
The Upsides of Bakuchiol
- Powerful Antioxidant, Stimulates Collagen Synthesis, Helps with Hyperpigmentation
- Benefits dry, maturing skin, to significantly slow the skin's aging process.
- Also Benefits Acne, Problem break-out prone skin, and Adult Acne
- Very easy to tolerate and is especially kind to sensitive skin
- Unlike Retinol, Bakuchiol is not fussy about layering compatibilities with other skincare preparations (such as Vitamin C and AHAs)
- Feels good on the skin — no itching, flaking, or irritation
- Can be readily combined with other ingredients in a formula to target the improvement of different skin problems (acne, dry, maturing skin)
- Does not cause undue irritation when used under the eyes
- Is a vegan natural choice for those who want to avoid synthetic Retinol.
- Relatively NO side effects
- Can be used both evening and during the day (no photosensitivity issues)
And Bakuchiol works!
Bakuchiol Works Differently from Retinol but has the Same Results
While Bakuchiol uses different channels, the effects and results of boosting collagen production are virtually identical to those of Retinol. Another wonderful reason to use Bakuchiol over Retinol is that it does not cause photosensitivity and can be used in both daytime and evening skincare rituals.
Bakuchiol, like Retinol, is effective for both anti-aging and acne-fighting applications. Fighting both battles is great news for those with "adult acne". The best news? Most of the same results, but none of the Retinol "nasties" (flaking, irritation, redness). "Gentle on the skin" does not mean sacrificing effective results. That's a win-win!
Several clinical studies conducted have exciting findings.
The conclusion of a double-blind study conducted by researchers from universities in CA, MA, PA and FL was published in the British Journal of Dermatology on June 27, 2018 (https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16918) and found:
"Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that bakuchiol is comparable with retinol in its ability to improve photoaging and is better tolerated than retinol. Bakuchiol is promising as a more tolerable alternative to retinol."
We're not suggesting eliminating Retinol if you're well adjusted to it. Bakuchiol can also work very well in conjunction with Retinol products. In fact, incorporating Bakuchiol can make Retinols more tolerable! Some will use Retinol 2-3 times a week and Bakuchiol daily and nightly. This can be an effective use of both Retinols and Bakuchiol.
And for those who simply cannot tolerate Retinol, Bakuchiol is here for them!
How to use Bakuchiol in Your Skin Ritual
Using Bakuchiol is easy! Choosing the right Bakuchiol products for your skin type is the key.
Retinols are rigid in their formulation requirements. It's difficult to formulate Retinols with other beneficial ingredients, and they are primarily used as "stand-alone" products.
The beauty of Bakuchiol is that it can be easily combined with other high-functioning skincare ingredients, such as peptides, Vitamin C, and other antioxidants. This makes Bakuchiol skincare products far more multi-functional for targeting different skincare issues! So, you can choose Bakuchiol skincare products that target breakouts, acne, dry skin, wrinkles, fine lines, etc., since they can be easily combined with other key supporting skincare ingredients in a single product. Again, truly exciting!
You may wish to use Bakuchiol facial oil serums and more emollient creams in the evening, and a lightweight, creamy Bakuchiol serum during the day. An extra bonus is that using Bakuchiol does not cause photosensitivity and is actually recommended for both day and evening skin rituals!
Also, Bakuchiol is compatible with most other skincare products, meaning you can easily layer it with Vitamin C and other ingredients —something you cannot do with a Retinol product.
Our Bakuchiol Collection is like no other!
And, of course, we can't leave you without ways to benefit from this wonderful ingredient! Our Bakuchiol Collection is Unparalleled. Ten choices for different skin types and applications! Most of our Bakuchiol products contain an industry-high concentration of 3%. And the Bakuchiol we use is the authentic 99% pure active source. This is critically important!
Enjoy Bakuchiol in facial oil serums, light milky serums, or in a more emollient cream moisturizer. We also offer Bakuchiol combined with a low level of Retinol in our Together Serum! We even have the Clarifying Bakuchiol Serum, specifically formulated for oily skin. And, we have two Bakuchiol body skincare products, too!
Your choice--or choices! Select one or two that best suit your needs and skin type. Using one option for daytime and another for evening use can be especially effective.
We hope you enjoy the proven benefits of Mother Earth's skincare gift, Bakuchiol! Your renewed, healthy skin will thank you!
PS: Please hop onto our informative Blog describing the importance of "Knowing the Quality of Your Bakuchiol Source" — because not all Bakuchiol is created equal, and you want to use only 99% purified authentic Bakuchiol.
References
Greenzaid, Jonathan, Adam Friedman, and Pooja Sodha. “The Use of Bakuchiol in Dermatology: A Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology: JDD 21, no. 6 (2022): 624-629.
Dhaliwal S, Rybak I, Ellis SR, Notay M, Trivedi M, Burney W, Vaughn AR, Nguyen M, Reiter P, Bosanac S, Yan H, Foolad N, Sivamani RK. Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoaging. Br J Dermatol. 2019 Feb;180(2):289-296. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16918. Epub 2018 Sep 21. PMID: 29947134.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259958456_Bakuchiol_A_Retinol-Like_Functional_Compound_Revealed_by_Gene_Expression_Profiling_Clinically_Proven_to_have_Anti-Aging_Effects
Bakuchiol: a retinol-like functional compound revealed by gene expression profiling and clinically proven to have anti-aging effects R. K. Chaudhuri,K. Bojanowski. First published: 29 January 2014