Are You New to Bakuchiol?
No, it's not a typo! It really is spelled ending in "iol" and is pronounced a couple different ways, commonly "ba-coo-chee-ool", although I've heard other pronunciations. So, what is this rather new wonderful, exciting natural ingredient that has serious science behind it? Let's dig in!
Bakuchiol is a meroterpene which is derived from the seed pods of the plant psoralea corylifolia. It is used extensively in some Asian countries in particular Ayurvedic medicine in India.
It possesses antimicrobial effects, is a powerful antioxidant, stimulates building of collagen, and is found to be by many dermatologists, cosmetic chemists and recent clinical studies as a natural plant-based alternative to the use of Retinol in skin care. Truly exciting!
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 and can be difficult to tolerate causing many side effects namely redness, irritation, photosensitivity and flaking. Retinoids and all of its many variations are difficult to incorporate into skincare in effective forms and are known to be unstable if exposed to oxygen and light. Finicky and hard to tolerate!
Retinol has a few other drawbacks beside irritating skin. Many with rosacea and other skin conditions cannot tolerate it at all (even weaker forms or concentrations). Also, there are some clinical studies about the use of Retinol either causing or contributing to the condition known as "dry eye". Additionally, women who are pregnant or lactating are advised to avoid the use of Retinol.
In comes Bakuchiol!
It has the anti-aging and anti-microbial attributes of Retinol-without the headaches:
- Very easy to tolerate.
- Relatively easy to incorporate into skincare formulations.
- Not fussy.
- Feels good on the skin--no itching, flaking, or irritation.
- Is a vegan natural choice for those who want to avoid synthetic Retinol.
- Relatively NO side effects
- Can be used both evening and day (no photosensitivity issues)
- And it works!
While Bakuchiol uses different pathways, the effects and results of boosting collagen production are virtually identical to Retinol (and all of its derivatives). Another wonderful reason to use Bakuchiol over Retinol is that it does not cause photosensitivity and can be used during both evening and day time skin rituals.
Bakuchiol, like Retinol, is effective for both anti-aging and anti-acne applications. And, 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). That's a win-win!
Several serious medical studies conducted within the last 5 years have exciting findings. As Dr. Leslie S Baumann concludes (Article published in MDEdge on July 8, 2019):
"A compound that acts like a retinoid--yielding antiacne and antiaging effects--without provoking irritation? Most dermatologists and their patients would say, sign me up. Bakuchiol... seems to present that kind of profile...traditional medicine and an increasing body of research, including clinical results, provides optimism that this ingredient may have a versatile role to play in topical skin care, particularly in its retinoid-like functions."
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 photoageing and is better tolerated than retinol. Bakuchiol is promising as a more tolerable alternative to retinol."
We're not suggesting eliminating the use of Retinol if you are well-acclimated to it. Bakuchiol can work very well in conjunction with Retinol products too! Some will use Retinol 2-3 times a week and Bakuchiol daily/nightly. And for those who cannot tolerate Retinols at all--Bakuchiol is here for them!
How to use Bakuchiol for your skin
Using Bakuchiol is easy! Choosing the right type of product for your type of skin is the key.
Because Bakuchiol is not photosensitive, it's recommended to use it for your daytime and evening skin routines! You may wish to use facial oil serums and more emollient creams for the evening and use a lightweight creamy serum for daytime use.
And, of course, we can't leave you without ways to benefit from this wonderful ingredient! Our Bakuchiol Collection is unparalleled. Eight choices! Most of our Bakuchiol products contain an industry high concentration of 3%. And the Bakuchiol we use is the authentic pure active source (Sytenol® A). 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! Your choice--or choices! Select one or two best suited for your needs and skin type. Using one option for daytime and another for evening use can be especially effective.
We hope you enjoy the benefits of Mother Earth's skincare gift-- Bakuchiol!
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.
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 photoageing. 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