Bakuchiol

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived ingredient isolated from the seeds of the plant Psoralea corylifolia (Buguchi). Bakuchiol is a small molecule that mimics certain actions of retinol via topical skin application, without having the negative aspects of Retinol.

Bakuchiol and retinol both significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and dark spots with no statistical difference between the compounds. Retinol users noted more facial scaling and stinging (Dhaliwal et la., 2019 publication).

After 12 weeks of treatment with a Bakuchiol lotion, significant improvements in wrinkle depth and skin roughness confirmed with silicone replica analysis. In addition, significant improvement in lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness and overall photoaging parameters were observed. (Chaudhuri and Bojanowski 2014 publication).

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived ingredient which induces anti-aging benefits in the skin similar to retinol. (Dhaliwal et al 2019).

While Bakuchiol has comparable anti-aging effects to retinol, it is not retinol or a Vitamin A derivative and it has no structural resemblance to retinoids.

Bakuchiol is in a different chemical family than retinoids and studies have shown that Bakuchiol does not act on retinoid receptor RARγ (Data on File) which is activated by retinoids. (Fisher etal 1998).

Bakuchiol has demonstrated in ex vivo and in vivo studies to have antioxidative properties, anti-inflammatory effects, improvement of extracellular matrix components, and promotion of epidermal regeneration which contributes to the anti-aging benefits of Bakuchiol. (Bluemke et al 2022)

Bakuchiol has not been studied for use during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or considering pregnancy, consult your physician before using the bakuchiol-containing products.

1. Alam, F, Khan, GN, Asad, MHHB. Psoralea corylifolia L: Ethnobotanical, biological, and chemical aspects: A review. Phytotherapy Research. 2018; 32: 597– 615.
2. Chaudhuri RK, Bojanowski K. Bakuchiol: a retinol-like functional compound revealed by gene expression profiling and clinically proven to have anti-aging effects. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2014 Jun;36(3):221-30.
3. Draelos ZD, Gunt H, Zeichner J, Levy S. Clinical Evaluation of a Nature-Based Bakuchiol Anti-Aging Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin. J Drugs Dermatol. 2020 Dec 1;19(12):1181-1183.
4. Dhaliwal, S et al. “Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing.” The British journal of dermatology vol. 180,2 (2019): 289-296. doi:10.1111/bjd.16918
5. Bluemke A, Ring AP, Immeyer J, Hoff A, Eisenberg T, Gerwat W, Meyer F, Breitkreutz S, Klinger LM, Brandner JM, Sandig G, Seifert M, Segger D, Rippke F, Schweiger D. Multidirectional activity of bakuchiol against cellular mechanisms of facial ageing - Experimental evidence for a holistic treatment approach. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2022 Jun;44(3):377-393. doi: 10.1111/ics.12784. Epub 2022 Jun 9. PMID: 35514037; PMCID: PMC9328396.
6. Fisher GJ, Datta SC, Voorhees JJ. Retinoic acid receptor-gamma in human epidermis preferentially traps all-trans retinoic acid as its ligand rather than 9-cis retinoic acid. J Invest Dermatol. 1998 Mar;110(3):297-300. doi: 10.1046/j.1523-1747.1998.00112.x. PMID: 9506453.