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Bakuchiol

BakuchiolActive

A plant ingredient used as a gentler alternative to retinol. One study found it worked about as well, with less flaking.

What it does

A 2018 study put it on one side of the face and retinol on the other. It came out about as good for fine lines and dark spots, with less flaking and stinging. Formal pregnancy data is still limited.

The EU’s ingredient database lists it as an antioxidant (slows reactions with oxygen, like going rancid) and an emollient (gives skin a soft, smooth look).European Commission, CosIng (© European Union, CC BY 4.0) · uses put in plain words by Drop ↗

The evidence, graded

emergingStart bakuchiol alone; add a second active once skin settles. It was compared with retinol, not used with it: in a 12-week trial of 44 people the two improved wrinkles and pigmentation about equally, and the retinol group reported more scaling and stinging. Nobody has applied bakuchiol with retinol, an acid or vitamin C, so Drop can't say the pair is fine.Dhaliwal 2019 · British Journal of Dermatology ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Also known as

psoralea seed extract

Pairs worth knowing

Retinol · works together ↗Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) · works together ↗Vitamin E (Tocopherol) · works together ↗Hyaluronic Acid · works together ↗

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