Bakuchiol

📋 Quick facts

Description: Bakuchiol — retinol alternative, anti-aging.

All Functions: retinol alternative, anti-aging

Quick Facts:

• Category: active
• Comedogenic Rating: 0/5

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Bakuchiol is a plant compound from Psoralea corylifolia that works similarly to retinol despite having a completely different chemical structure
• In a 12-week clinical trial, bakuchiol reduced wrinkles and dark spots as effectively as retinol
• Bakuchiol caused fewer side effects than retinol—retinol users reported more scaling and stinging
• Research suggests bakuchiol may have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, though more study is needed
• Only one case of contact dermatitis from bakuchiol has been reported in the literature

⚗️ Chemical Overview

2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid is a 3-hydroxy carboxylic acid. is used to synthesis poly(carbonate urea)urethanes; structure in first source

Source(s): ChEBI, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

0/5

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Bakuchiol is a meroterpene phenol—a type of plant-derived molecule—extracted from the seeds and leaves of Psoralea corylifolia, a plant used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2022; J Drugs Dermatol, 2022). What makes bakuchiol scientifically interesting is that despite having no structural similarity to retinoids (the gold-standard anti-aging ingredient), it functions as a “functional analogue,” meaning it produces similar effects on skin cells (Br J Dermatol, 2019; Int J Cosmet Sci, 2014). Research shows bakuchiol triggers gene expression patterns in skin that resemble those triggered by retinol (Int J Cosmet Sci, 2014). #1: Wrinkle and pigmentation reduction: A randomized, double-blind 12-week study with 44 participants found that bakuchiol 0.5% cream applied twice daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, with results statistically comparable to retinol 0.5% cream applied daily (Br J Dermatol, 2019).

A separate clinical case study using bakuchiol twice daily for 12 weeks showed significant improvement in lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, and firmness with reduction in photodamage (Int J Cosmet Sci, 2014). A systematic review of seven clinical studies noted that bakuchiol reduced photodamage, hyperpigmentation, wrinkle scores, and acne severity (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2022). #2: Better tolerability: The key practical difference between bakuchiol and retinol emerged in tolerability. Retinol users in the comparative trial reported significantly more facial skin scaling and stinging, while bakuchiol was better tolerated (Br J Dermatol, 2019). This matters because bakuchiol does not cause the common adverse effects associated with retinoids, such as burning and scaling, making it potentially suitable for patients with sensitive skin (J Drugs Dermatol, 2022).

#3: Collagen support: Laboratory studies on skin models and human fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen) showed that bakuchiol upregulates types I, III, and IV collagen—the structural proteins that keep skin firm and elastic—similar to how retinol works (Int J Cosmet Sci, 2014). #4: Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial potential: A systematic review identified anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties in bakuchiol based on in vitro (lab) and in vivo (animal/human) studies, though the review noted that additional clinical studies are warranted to fully understand these applications (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2022). One broader pharmacology review mentioned anti-inflammatory effects but focused primarily on non-skin applications (Pharmacol Res, 2019).

Safety data is limited: Across the reviewed literature, only one adverse event—a single case of contact dermatitis—was reported (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2022). However, the sources emphasize that more clinical research is needed to fully characterize bakuchiol’s long-term safety profile and its potential applications in conditions like psoriasis and skin cancer prevention.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Dhaliwal S et al. (2019). Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing. Br J Dermatol.
• Puyana C et al. (2022). Applications of bakuchiol in dermatology: Systematic review of the literature. J Cosmet Dermatol.
• Chaudhuri RK et al. (2014). Bakuchiol: a retinol-like functional compound revealed by gene expression profiling and clinically proven to have anti-aging effects. Int J Cosmet Sci.
• Xin Z et al. (2019). Bakuchiol: A newly discovered warrior against organ damage. Pharmacol Res.
• Greenzaid J et al. (2022). The Use of Bakuchiol in Dermatology: A Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence. J Drugs Dermatol.

📰 Recent News

• Bakuchiol, a potentially toxic component in Fructus psoraleae, causes liver damage in vitro by affecting the homeostasis of the liver GABA signalling system (PubMed)
• Bakuchiol: From structural mimicry to systems-level skin biology (PubMed)

🧴 Products Containing Bakuchiol

• day cream
• Deliplus Regen skin Deliplus
• ANAI RUI ANAI RUI Caffeine Bakuchiol Firming Eye Cream
• Derma E Anti-Wrinkle Cleanser
• Bioderma sebium
• Bioderma Sébium sensitive
• MB Cosmetics CERAMID CRÈME
• Facetheory Bakuchiol Firming Daily Moisturiser
• TandheM Neurocosmetics,TandheM Pro-Aging Essential Face Serum (30 ml)
• Some By Mi Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum 50ml
• Bioderma Sébium sensitive
• Bakuchiol rughe prevent di Bottega verde Bakuchiol rughe prevent, crema viso giorno e notte prevenzione e trattamento rughe