If you’re a skincare fanatic, you’ve likely already heard about retinol and its many benefits for your skin. However, you may not have heard about bakuchiol — a plant-derived skin-perfecting ingredient.
Both retinol and bakuchiol are powerhouses when it comes to fighting signs of aging and improving the overall look and feel of your skin. But what exactly are bakuchiol and retinol, and which is right for you? Here’s a closer look at the benefits and drawbacks of each ingredient to help you decide.
What is Bakuchiol?
Bakuchiol is a newcomer in the world of skincare. It’s derived from the seeds of the babchi plant, which grows in India and Sri Lanka. This ingredient is an all-natural alternative to retinol and is known for its anti-aging and skin-improving properties.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A and has been a staple in the skincare industry for decades. This ingredient is known for enhancing collagen production, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improving the texture and tone of your skin.
Benefits of Bakuchiol
Bakuchiol is potentially a better choice for those with sensitive skin who can’t tolerate retinol’s side effects, such as redness, irritation, and flaking. Because it’s less potent than retinol, it’s an ideal anti-aging ingredient to add to your skincare routine if you’re just starting to look at ways to keep your skin youthful over the years.
Like retinol, bakuchiol helps improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as enhances the overall appearance of your skin tone. These effects are possible due to bakuchiol’s ability to either bind to retinoic acid receptors like retinol, tretinoin and other classic retinoids or somehow produce similar gene expression changes through a different mechanism. It’s not entirely clear how the ingredient works just yet.
Bakuchiol also shares retinol’s acne-fighting effects. Studies show similar effectiveness in many metrics used to measure reductions in acne when comparing bakuchiol with tretinoin. Additionally, bakuchiol helps inhibit the growth of Propionibacterium acnes — the main bacteria that infects your pores, leading to pimples.
Benefits of Retinol
Retinol is a tried-and-true ingredient clinically proven to fight signs of aging and deliver reliable results. It’s a powerful ingredient that can help boost the production of collagen and elastin while inhibiting their breakdown for more youthful, glowing skin.
Retinol reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improves how your skin feels and looks. However, because retinol is more potent than bakuchiol and many other skincare ingredients, it’s essential to start slowly and build up to using it more frequently once your skin adapts.
How to Use Them
Bakuchiol and retinol can both be used together as part of your daily skincare routine if you’d like. There are several types of retinoid receptors that retinoids, such as tretinoin and adapalene, bind to differently. Bakuchiol also has a unique gene expression profile that shows it interacts with your skin similarly but differently than retinol, making the combination more effective than either ingredient alone.
However, most people will generally prefer to use just one of these ingredients to reduce the risk of irritation. You can also choose to start with bakuchiol and move up to retinol or even to tretinoin, either as your skin adjusts or as you age and need stronger effects.
If you use both anti-aging ingredients together, you should generally use retinol in the evening, as this ingredient is photosensitive and can break down when exposed to sunlight. Bakuchiol isn’t photosensitive and can be used both in the morning and at night, but it’s crucial to start slowly and build up to using it more regularly.
Which is Right for You?
Ultimately, the choice between bakuchiol and retinol comes down to your personal preference and skin type. Bakuchiol might be a great anti-aging product if you have sensitive skin and are just starting to incorporate anti-aging products into your skincare routine.
However, if you’re looking for a more potent ingredient that can deliver faster results, retinol is a great choice. For maximum efficiency, you can even use the two products together if your skin isn’t prone to irritation. Pair with a hyaluronic acid serum or niacinamide to help ease sensitivity and enhance the effects even further.