Bakuchiol: The Natural Retinol Alternative That Actually Works
I trained as a nurse before I started a skincare brand, and for years my answer to anyone asking about anti-ageing was the same: retinol, low strength, every other night, sunscreen non-negotiable. That answer hasn’t changed for everyone. But for a lot of the women I speak to (sensitive skin, perimenopausal skin, pregnant or breastfeeding, or just plain done with peeling), there is now a quiet, plant-based ingredient that does most of the same work without the drama.
Its name is bakuchiol. It’s pronounced buh-KOO-chee-ol. And the research on it is far more convincing than its slightly-clunky name suggests.
This is the post I wish someone had handed me when I first started looking into it. No woo, no fluff, no marketing dressed up as science.
What bakuchiol actually is
Bakuchiol is a compound extracted from the seeds and leaves of Psoralea corylifolia, also known as babchi. It’s been used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries, but that’s not why we’re paying attention now. We’re paying attention because in 2018, a clinical study in the British Journal of Dermatology compared bakuchiol against retinol head-to-head over twelve weeks and found it produced a comparable reduction in wrinkles and pigmentation, with significantly less irritation.
Since then, more peer-reviewed studies have stacked up. The mechanism isn’t identical to retinol, but the gene-expression effect is remarkably similar: bakuchiol up-regulates the same collagen-building pathways without binding to the retinoic acid receptor that causes most of retinol’s side effects.
In plain English: it tells your skin to behave more like younger skin, without the irritation tax.
Bakuchiol vs retinol: the honest comparison
Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that comes in 0.1% to 1%-plus concentrations and works by binding to the retinoic acid receptor, speeding cell turnover. It’s powerful, and powerfully irritating for many people. Peeling, redness, sensitivity, the so-called retinol uglies are common in the first weeks. It must be used at night because it sensitises skin to UV, and it’s not safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Bakuchiol is a plant compound, used at 0.5% to 2%, that up-regulates the same collagen-building genes through a different pathway. Comparable end results, the same eight-to-twelve-week timeline for visible change in fine lines and tone, without the irritation. No increased sun sensitivity, generally considered safe in pregnancy (always check with your midwife or GP), stable enough to formulate without special packaging.
The headline: bakuchiol won’t out-perform a high-strength prescription tretinoin. But for the vast majority of people using over-the-counter retinol at 0.3% or 0.5%, the trade-off is genuinely compelling: same results, fewer side effects, no sun-sensitivity penalty.
Who bakuchiol is for
There’s a particular kind of woman who keeps ending up in my DMs about retinol, and bakuchiol was built for her. If you recognise yourself in any of these, it’s worth a try.
If your skin reacts to everything: rosacea-prone, sensitive, eczema-prone, easily flushed. You’ve tried retinol twice and given up both times.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding and have been told to stop your retinol but want to keep doing something.
If you’re in perimenopause and your skin has changed faster than you can keep up. Retinol now feels too aggressive on skin that’s already drier and more reactive than it was last year.
If you hate the retinol uglies. You don’t have time for a six-week peeling phase, and you’d rather progress slowly than look like you’ve been windburned.
If you’re new to actives. Bakuchiol is one of the gentlest, most idiot-proof entry points into anti-ageing skincare.
It’s not for everyone. If you’re already using a high-strength retinoid and tolerating it well, you don’t need to switch. And if you have a specific dermatological condition, please speak to a GP or dermatologist before changing your routine.
What to look for in a bakuchiol product
The market has caught up to the trend, which means a lot of bakuchiol products are dressed-up gestures rather than genuinely effective formulas. Three things to check.
First, concentration of 0.5% to 2%. Below 0.5% and you’re paying for a marketing claim. Above 2% and you risk irritation that defeats the point. Most clinical studies use 0.5% or 1%, and that’s the sweet spot.
Second, real bakuchiol, not babchi oil. Babchi oil or psoralea corylifolia seed oil without standardised bakuchiol content is a different ingredient. It contains psoralens that are photosensitising, which is exactly what bakuchiol’s appeal is meant to avoid. Look for products that declare a specific bakuchiol percentage, not just the plant name.
Third, a stable, well-formulated base. Bakuchiol pairs beautifully with niacinamide, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and most antioxidants. It’s stable enough to sit in a serum or a moisturiser without special packaging. If a brand is selling bakuchiol in a clear glass bottle, that’s actually a good sign: it doesn’t need the dark glass that retinol does.
What to avoid pairing it with: harsh acids (AHAs and BHAs at high concentration) on the same evening. Not because it’s unstable, but because you’ll over-do it on actives. Alternate nights instead.
How to actually use it
Simple routine. Honestly the simplest of any active.
Cleanse. Apply bakuchiol serum or moisturiser to clean, dry skin. Follow with your usual moisturiser if you used a serum. Sunscreen in the morning. Always. Bakuchiol doesn’t sensitise your skin to UV, but daily sunscreen is the single biggest anti-ageing intervention available, full stop.
Frequency: every night, or every other night while your skin adjusts. Most people see no irritation. If you do, drop to twice a week for a fortnight, then build up.
Time to results: eight to twelve weeks for visible change in fine lines and tone. That’s true of every effective active. The brands promising overnight transformation are lying.
A nurse’s verdict, six months in
I started using bakuchiol seriously six months ago, around the time I was formulating iLM’s range. I’m in my late thirties. I’d been on a 0.3% retinol for three years and had hit a plateau where my skin was tolerating it but no longer obviously responding.
I switched. The first thing I noticed was the absence: no morning tightness, no reactive patches, no looking-flushed-for-no-reason. Eight weeks in, my texture was visibly smoother across the cheekbones and the lines around my eyes had softened. Twelve weeks in, my partner asked if I’d done something different. I had not. The skincare just looked like itself, more.
Is it dramatic? No. Retinoids are dramatic. Bakuchiol is quiet. If you want quiet results from a quiet ingredient, this is the one.
A few questions that come up
Is bakuchiol better than retinol? For people with sensitive skin, yes, because it produces comparable anti-ageing results without the irritation that often makes retinol unsustainable. For people who tolerate retinol well, it’s a sideways move, not an upgrade.
Can you use bakuchiol every day? Yes. Most formulations are gentle enough for daily or twice-daily use. Build up gradually if your skin is reactive.
Is bakuchiol safe in pregnancy? The current consensus is yes, but research in pregnancy is always cautious. Speak to your midwife or GP before starting any new active during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
How long does bakuchiol take to work? Eight to twelve weeks for visible texture and tone changes. The same timescale as retinol.
Can you use bakuchiol with vitamin C? Yes. Vitamin C in the morning, bakuchiol at night is a brilliant pairing. Or both at night if your skin tolerates it. They work on different pathways and complement each other.
Can you use bakuchiol with niacinamide? Yes, beautifully. Niacinamide calms, bakuchiol rebuilds. They’re often formulated together.
Where iLM sits
I formulated iLM’s Plant Youth range around bakuchiol because it was the only ingredient I’d genuinely seen change my own skin without compromise. Standardised concentration, paired with niacinamide and antioxidants, in a base that doesn’t irritate. It’s the moisturiser I’d recommend to my mum, my sister, and a friend who’s just had a baby.
If you’re curious to try it, the Plant Youth range is the easiest place to start. Find it in the Shop. If you’d rather just keep reading, sign up to Notes and I’ll send one quietly useful skincare email a week, no fluff.
Nikki
Nikki Lloyd is the founder of iLM Beauty and a UK-trained nurse. Nothing in this post is medical advice. Always patch-test new products and speak to a GP for any specific skin condition.
