It’s an exciting time to be in love with all things skincare! Brands are constantly innovating, playing around with ingredients and new formulas that are so fun to explore. One such ingredient that has made it to everyone’s ‘must-have’ list is retinol — the superhero ingredient known for its anti-ageing properties. However, it’s potency can be too much to handle for someone with sensitive skin. Enter: Bakuchiol!

A plant-based alternative for retinol, bakuchiol is a powerful extract collected from the leaves and seeds of the babchi plant. This herb is very commonly used in Ayurveda and Chinese traditional medicine practices for its calming and soothing benefits. It has also been proven as a good anti-inflammatory agent for your body, which directly contributes to healthier-looking skin. 

But how exactly did it manage to match up to the cult favourite retinol? Let’s take a look!

bakuchiol benefits for skin

Benefits of bakuchiol for skin

So why is this classic Ayurvedic ingredient suddenly on everyone’s recommendation list? Here’s why: 

  1. It boosts collagen without undue stress: Mimicking retinol, bakuchiol helps boost collagen in the skin by nourishing skin cells to be healthier and better suited to fight external damage. But, unlike retinol, you don’t need your skin to ‘get used to it’ before using it full time.
  2. Reduces fine lines without irritation: The boost in collagen production plumps up your skin from within to fill in age signs like fine lines and wrinkles. And while retinol has the same action, it can cause your skin to turn dry. Bakuchiol, on the other hand, is gentler and doesn’t cause any irritation. 
  3. It can be used more often: While retinol is generally recommended to use in your nighttime routine, bakuchiol can be used any time of the day. It also happens to be suitable for all skin types, being especially good for rejuvenating damaged skin from the inside.

bakuchiol benefits for skin

How to use bakuchiol for skin

Another aspect of bakuchiol that has beauty enthusiasts excited is that it has practically no negative interactions with other active ingredients. For instance, you should never use retinol in combination with other external exfoliators, toners for acne treatments. But the natural composition of bakuchiol makes sure that it won’t lessen in effectiveness when used with other products. 

Since it’s fairly new, bakuchiol can be used as serums, followed by your usual moisturiser or as standalone lotions themselves. Unlike retinol, it doesn’t make your skin sensitive to the sun, but we’d still recommend you use a good sunscreen post-application. Just a tiny amount of product is enough to give your skin a youthful glow!