I was intrigued when I saw a new ingredient offering from one of my favorite vendors. When I read the intro to the new offering, I knew I needed to learn more. It spoke to me when the words “retinol alternative” were there in black and white.

I’ve always wanted to experience the multitude of skin benefits that retinoids can offer, however I’m one of the unlucky people who has a pretty serious sensitivity to this family of actives. I had read about other alternatives to retinol before, however this was my first time actually trying one.

What is Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is a plant based extract that comes from the leaves and seeds of its namesake plant. The extract is dark amber in color, and has developed a reputation for being very well tolerated by most skin types. Related: MSM for Softer, Brighter Skin

Sun Sensitivity Not a Factor

One of the major drawbacks of retinoids is that they increase photosensitivity. In other words, they make your skin more susceptible to sunburn. This was especially true for me. I noticed that when I began using a potent retinoid cream, I saw a correlating increase in suspicious lesions resembling basal cell carcinomas on my forehead.

I wasn’t sure if it was coincidence or not, but it sure did seem like the timing synched perfectly. So I discontinued using it and sure enough the proliferation of basal cells abated. So I had to reasonably conclude that my skin was made extremely photosensitive in reaction to the retinol.

Bakuchiol is supposed to not introduce any increase in sun sensitivity to users of the ingredient. This is one of the main advantages to bakuchiol over retinol, but there is another advantage as well.

Irritation Also Not a Factor

Another drawback to retinoids is that they can irritate the skin and cause redness and flaking. Part of the role of a retinoid is that it increases the natural exfoliation of dead skin cells. An unfortunate side effect of this is flaking, dry skin and for some (like me) increases in redness and irritation. Related: Vitamin C Ester Benefits

Many years ago when I was put on a powerful retinol ointment to help control my acne, it made my skin so severely red, dry and irritated that it was worse than the acne itself. I discontinued use of it within a few weeks of starting and never looked back. I remember back then I was told to stay out of the sun completely while being treated with Retin-A, which I obeyed completely especially since I’m naturally light skinned.

Bakuchiol is also known to not cause redness, irritation or sensitivity in most people. Of course you will have the potential for reactions with any active ingredient, however the likelihood of irritation or redness with bakuchiols is much less than the likelihood from retinol.

Bakuchiol Helps Even Complexion, and Smooth Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Like the retinoid family, bakuchiol can help with many of the common skin complaints that come along with aging. It can help smooth wrinkles and fine lines. It also helps with maintaining an even skin tone and can help even out discolorations and uneven skin tone.

This is a huge boon for aging skin since all of the sun damage built up from your youth tends to rear its head when you get older. The trifecta of evening out skin discolorations, helping smooth out fine lines, and helping combat free radical damage all can really help contribute to younger looking, healthy and radiant skin. Oh, and it also has a reputation for increasing elasticity and promoting firmness.

Serums and Creams

There are some serums and creams you can buy with this amazing ingredient, but don’t take our word for it – go out there and see what others are saying about this newer player in the skincare market. We think it makes for interesting reading, and who knows you might just be persuaded to try it out and trade your retinol for bakuchiol!

If you don’t want to try a prepackaged product with bakuchiol in it, try just buying your own bottle of the ingredient and adding around a 2% dilution to argan oil or some other topical facial oil suited to your skin type. I’ve been playing with adding it to my nightly argan oil and I’m loving the results so far! Related: Why Argan Oil That's Not De-Scented May Be Better