We are all familiar with how popular Retinol is in the world of skincare, and with so many benefits from anti ageing to blemish fighting, it is no surprise.
But many people have found that Retinol can be too much for their skin and can leave it feeling somewhat sensitive. Retinol is Vitamin A, and it works to ‘retrain’ your skin cells to turnover at a faster rate. This can be too much for some skin types and people have reported that after using Retinol their skin feels irritated, red, sore and dry.
So, is there a natural, more gentle alternative? Bakuchiol!
What Is Bakuchiol?
Bakuchiol is a 100% natural functional analogue of Retinol. This means that it mimics the behaviour of Retinol in your skin, so it can deliver the same amazing benefits but without the same irritation.
Bakuchiol oil has actually been used as an ingredient in skincare for years because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe redness and irritation. However, when it was looked at in more detail, the similarities between Bakuchiol and Retinol became apparent.
Whilst Bakuchiol does not mimic the makeup of Retinol, and the two still remain completely separate, it does stimulate the skin’s Retinol receptors. These are nuclear receptors that are responsible for the synthesis of collagen in the dermis, which can lead to younger looking skin. Our skin is made of three layers, the epidermis (top layer of our skin), dermis (middle layer) and hypodermis (deepest layer). Bakuchiol helps the dermis as this is the layer which contains our connective tissues, sweat glands and hair follicles, meaning that Bakuchiol works beneath our visible skin layer to help our skin from the inside out.
Collagen is the protein that our body carries the most of. It acts as a building block for many components of our bodies from bones, skin and muscles to even our tendons and ligaments. Over time our body begins to produce less, lower qualities of collagen and a big sign of this is our skin becoming much less firm and supple, leading to ageing worries. By using products and ingredients like Bakuchiol that work to promote collagen in our skin, it can help boost our skin and bring back any firmness and elasticity it may have lost.
Bakuchiol also has the ability to stimulate cellular renewal in the epidermis, leading to smoother skin.
To find out more about natural retinol alternatives, you can visit our bio-retinol blog now.
Where does Bakuchiol come from?
This amazing ingredient comes from the leaves and seeds of the Psoralea Corylifolia plant, otherwise known as the Babchi plant, which is native to India and Sri Lanka.
This has often been used in both traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. This is because the plant itself carries antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties amongst others.
The plant is conventionally used in ancient Ayurvedic medicine to help treat some skin conditions and disorders such as psoriasis and vitiligo in the form of both external and internal applications.
What are the benefits of Bakuchiol on the skin?
When it comes to using Bakuchiol for your skin, it has a long list of benefits.
Anti Ageing
Bakuchiol activates a number of chemical pathways in our skin cells that lead to improved collagen production, decreased collagen breakdown and reduction of melanin (our natural skin pigment) synthesis. Which means that Bakuchiol can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and pigmentation which results in younger looking skin.
Smoother Skin
Bakuchiol has been proven to speed up our skin cell’s turnover rate. The longer our cell turnover rate is, the more dead skin cells are left to sit on top of our skin’s surface. This can lead to our skin looking dull and dry. By increasing cell turnover, Bakuchiol helps our skin to remove the dead skin cells and replace them with new, fresh skin cells giving the appearance of smoother skin, and a more even skin tone.
Reduces breakouts
As mentioned above, a slower cell turnover rate equals a buildup of dead skin cells. This build up can actually clog and stretch our pores and make them appear larger. It can also make it easier to trap oil and bacteria in our pores and eventually lead to breakouts. By increasing our cellular turnover, Bakuchiol reduces the appearance of pores, and eventually reduces breakouts.
Anti Inflammatory
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Bakuchiol has already been used for years to treat inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. When applied topically Bakuchiol can calm redness, swelling and itching, resulting in calmer and soothed skin.
Who can use Bakuchiol?
One of the greatest things about Bakuchiol is that it is suitable for every skin type, even those with sensitive skin can enjoy its benefits. However, although it is a gentle, natural ingredient we still recommend that you conduct a patch test 24 hours before you plan to use any new product.
Even though it is suitable and will benefit every skin type it is particularly suitable for those with oily skin and mature skin. Bakuchiol is great for oily skin as it increases cellular turnover which means that it removes any excess cell or bacteria build up in our pores that can lead to blemishes. It is also great for mature skin types because of its ability to promote collagen synthesis and lead to an improvement in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation.
How can I use Bakuchiol in my routine?
It is really easy to include Bakuchiol in your skincare routine, because due to its increasing popularity Bakuchiol serums and oils are one of the newest skincare products on the market.
At Evolve, we have just launched a brand new booster featuring Bakuchiol! Our Bio-Retinol + C Booster includes Bakuchiol alongside vitamin C to bring you skin supercharging benefits. Our new nourishing oil-based booster will leave you with brighter, smoother and younger looking skin!
It has been designed as a booster so it is even easier to use in your routine. Whether you apply 1-2 drops directly onto your skin or add them into your moisturiser, it is up to you!
If you want to see how Bakuchiol can benefit your skin then try our new booster now.