Bring on the bakuchiol!

We’ve all heard about plant-based foods, but what about plant-based skincare products?

We’ve definitely heard of them, especially one in particular – bakuchiol.

Bakuchiol’s one of the beauty product buzzwords that’s on everyone’s lips, despite the fact it may be a bit difficult to pronounce!

With so much excitement surrounding this product right now, we’ve decided to dedicate this post to explaining what it is, why it’s so great and how to use it

What is bakuchiol?

It’s a plant extract that’s taken from the leaves and seeds of the Psoralea Corylifolia plant AKA the

‘babchi’ plant. For years, it’s been used in Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines, as well as Tamil Siddha practices, to help calm and soothe the skin.

Interestingly, it’s not a retinol and it’s not a newbie to the skincare scene. It’s reportedly been around on the circuit since the 1970s however, recent research highlighting its effectiveness has resulted in it establishing more of standout status.

What’s so great about it?

There’s the good news…

Believe it or not, bakuchiol happens to move in the same circles as retinol. Some are referring to it as being retinol’s ‘gentle little sister.’ Meanwhile, the younger family member is being championed as a natural retinoid in Western skincare research. According to a study carried out by the British Journal of Dermatology in 2018¹, bakuchiol is in the same league as retinol in terms of its ability to help improve the signs of skin ageing. The study also showed that bakuchiol is a ‘more tolerable’ alternative.

Over the period of 12 weeks, 44 patients were asked to apply 0.5% bakuchiol cream twice a day or 0.5% retinol cream every night. ‘Researchers found that retinol and bakuchiol affected wrinkles and pigmentation similarly'

…and the even better news!

Because of its natural, plant-based roots, it’s ok to use bakuchiol alongside other skincare products. So, this means you can enjoy the benefits of retinol and not have to worry about your skin becoming irritated if you were to use an exfoliator, toner or benzoyl peroxide at the same time too.²

How do you use it?

Bakuchiol is applied topically as a serum or lotion in the same way that you’d apply a retinol, i.e. before your regular moisturiser or serum.

However, because it’s gentle on the skin, you can use it in the morning and at night. Unlike retinol, it doesn’t make your skin more sensitive to the sun³, but it’s still advisable to use a daily SPF to protect your skin from sun and UV-related damage.

What were those benefits again?

Is your head in a bit of spin with all of positive vibes that are circulating about bakuchiol? We hear you, here’s a recap of five of the main benefits:

1. It doesn’t negatively react with other products.
2. You can use it alongside retinol (if you want to)⁴
3. It can help improve the signs of skin ageing.
4. It’s safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding⁵
5. It works well with other hydrating ingredients⁶, such as squalane

There are lots of benefits to using bakuchiol, many more than the five we’ve listed above. No wonder it’s such a powerhouse of a product right now, what product wouldn’t be when you’ve got retinol as your big sis?! Oh, and for the record, it’s pronounced ba-koo-heel. Now that’s all cleared up, bring it on!

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Last updated: 11 May 2020