Bakuchiol for Skin

In this post, I will discuss bakuchiol, what it can do for the skin, and finally, things to be aware of about bakuchiol and skin care.

What is bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is a compound extracted from the seeds of a plant called psoralea corylifolia. This plant is also called the babchi plant.

This compound has been used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicines for hundreds of years.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of bakuchiol in skin care, and the results have been primarily positive.

How can bakuchiol help in skin care?

Bakuchiol helps our skin in 3 ways:

Anti-inflammatory: Reduces inflammation, calms and soothes the skin.

Antioxidant: It neutralises free radicals. Free radicals are nasty compounds formed on the skin due to exposure to the sun’s UV rays, pollution and allergens in the air. These free radicals damage good skin cells and age our skin.
Antioxidants are compounds that can neutralise the free radicals.

Anti-ageing: It boosts the production of a protein in the skin called collagen. More collagen in the skin means fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
It also increases cellular turnover by boosting the production of new cells in the deeper layers of skin. Lower cellular turnover means old cells are not being replaced by younger cells frequently. Old cells have to fall off regularly and be replaced by younger cells. They are not frequently replaced by younger cells because fewer new cells form in the skin. So, since bakuchiol increases new cell production, more older cells get replaced by these new cells, which results in a younger-looking skin.

Anti-pigmentation: All of the above three benefits help to reduce pigmentation on the face.
I will explain below how this ingredient offers the anti-pigmentation benefit:

Anti-inflammatory property: Inflammation on the face eventually leads to pigmentation. Bakuchiol reduces the formation of pigmentation by reducing inflammation on the face.

Antioxidant property: Free radicals form on the skin due to exposure to nastiness in the atmosphere, inflaming it. This inflammation eventually leads to pigmentation on the face. Bakuchiol, due to its antioxidant properties, can neutralise the free radicals. This means the inflammation from free radicals is reduced/removed. This means the pigmentation that this inflammation can cause is gone.

Cellular turnover: Bakuchiol increases cellular turnover. This means the old cells in the top layer of the skin fall off regularly. Cells in the top layer sometimes have pigmentation, which gives the skin a dull look. Increased cellular turnover makes these old cells, which have pigmentation inside them, fall off regularly. With pigmentation in them gone, the skin brightens up.

Bakuchiol Vs Retinol

Bakuchiol is often compared with retinol. Retinol is a proven ingredient when it comes to anti-ageing in skincare. ‘Proven’ is an essential word in the previous sentence because many ingredients used in skincare either don’t have many studies or have no studies to back up their efficacy.

The issue with retinol is that some people can be sensitive to retinol. If that’s the case with you, bakuchiol is a good alternative.

Even if your skin is not sensitive to retinol, you can still consider bakuchiol…
Bakuchiol’s way of working on the skin is a bit different from that of retinol, but the results when it comes to anti-aging are similar. Okay…A minor correction: it is not as effective as retinol, but it comes close. Including bakuchiol, along with retinol, retinoic acid or retinal in your skincare, can work well for your skin. Together, they enhance the skin’s anti-aging properties and can be used in the same skincare routine or on different days.

By the way, retinol, retinal and retinoic acid all belong to the same category of skincare ingredients.

How much bakuchiol is needed?

Bakuchiol is effective at concentrations between 0.5 and 2%.

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