Bakuchiol

Natural Bakuchiol is usually isolated from seeds and/or leaves of the plant Psoralea Corylifolia. Normally, the Babchi seeds extract cannot be used due to the presence of phototoxic phytocompounds which make the skin more sensitive to UV rays from a.o. the sun. However, Bakuchiol used in skin care does not contain these components anymore.

In cosmetics / skin care, Bakuchiol is mostly known as a natural alternative to Retinol. Even though bakuchiol does not have a structural resemblance to retinol (in fact, it looks much more like resveratrol - the antioxidant found in red wine), it does seem to provide the same benefits, but without the downsides. Amongs others, it is much more gentle on the skin.

In 2018, a 12-week clinical study with 44 volunteers demonstrated that Bakuchiol is comparable with retinol in its ability to improve photo-aging (wrinkles, hyperpigmentation).

Other recent recent studies have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties in Bakuchiol.