Bakuchiol is a natural retinol alternative. Its effects on the skin are similar to retinol, minus the negative skin reactions that retinol often causes. Bakuchiol can be used reduces sun spots, increases collagen production and protects against collagen breakdown. It can also improve fine lines and wrinkles and has even been shown to be helpful in improving acne-prone skin. It speeds up cell turnover which is vital as this process slows down as we age leaving dull, wrinkled dry skin that should have been removed.
What’s really cool about Bakuchiol is that strengthens the natural structure of your skin from within, enhancing the strength of building blocks such as collagen and elastin. It is also a powerful antioxidant. The appearance of skin aging is affected by oxidative stress on the skin, especially environmental factors such as pollution and UV rays. But Bakuchiol can help boost your skin’s resistance to these stressors.
What is Bakuchiol?
Bakuchiol (buh-koo-chee-everything) the extract is an oil that comes naturally from its seeds Psoralea corylifoliacommonly known as babchi plant. It became a skin care tool in early Indian and Chinese medicine.
Bakuchiol vs Retinol:
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A and is known for its ability to stimulate collagen production, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improve the overall appearance of the skin.
Retinol is widely recognized as an anti-aging ingredient due to its ability to bind to almost any receptor site on skin cells, prompting it to mimic the behavior of a healthy, younger skin cell. Retinol is also a powerful antioxidant known to interrupt free radical damage associated with wrinkles, fine lines and other signs of aging.
Retinol has become common and can be found in over-the-counter antiaging products. However, higher doses must be prescribed by a doctor.
Retinol is widely known to irritate the skin. It should be used with great care because its side effects may outweigh its benefits. In fact, pregnant women are warned not to use retinol during pregnancy and users are advised to stay out of the sun while using the treatment. This is where Bakuchiol shines. Bakuchiol has the benefits of retinol without any of the side effects.
Bakuchiol is also a vegan product where retinol usually isn’t.
Related Post: DIY Anti Aging Retinol Face Mask
How to incorporate Bakuchiol into a natural beauty routine?
As usual, Lotion Crafter to the rescue! They offer Bakuchiol and it can simply be added to oil-based recipes in a certain proportion. Find it HERE.
.25 oz is $15.95. However, you only add 0.5-2% to each recipe.
Let’s make a face oil and eye roll, shall we? I’m going to use one of my favorite anti-aging oils, rosehip seed oil. I usually like to buy it from Mountain Rose Herbs but I often end up grabbing THIS bottle from Amazon because I use it so often. I will also add castor oil, vitamin E and I like to add carrot seed oil to eye products as it also has cell regeneration properties. Castor oil is so cool – not only does it have some impressive anti-aging properties, but it also acts as a vehicle to drive other ingredients deeper into the skin tissue.
If you want to keep it simple, you can just add 12 drops of bakuchiol in 1 oz. of the rose and call it good. I’m in the mood to get creative and make two really cool products so I’ll share what I did, but either way it works!
1 oz. Bakuchiol Face Oil Recipe:
1 oz. Bakuchiol Face Oil Recipe:Use a 1 oz treatment pump or dropper Since this face oil is 100% oil based, the shelf life will be about 6 months without the need for a preservative.
10 ml Bakuchiol Eye Serum Recipe:
Use a 10ml glass roll on bottle. No preservative needed here either. With eye roll ons it’s nice to store them in a beauty fridge as the cold roll on ball can further help reduce inflammation around the eyes.
Both of these recipes are as simple as adding ingredients to a bottle. I use a small funnel and then, once it’s all in, replace the cap and shake it gently.
You can use both of these products day and/or night, as unlike retinol, bakuchiol does not make you sensitive to UV rays. I always like to use a water based product on my skin right before I apply it and an oil based product. Water helps the skin absorb the oil. An example of a water-based product would be a toner or hyaluronic acid serum. You could also put some water on your skin if you don’t have a water-based product in your regimen.
Where to get ingredients:
I always prefer to take my ingredients Mountain Rose Herbs. It is simply the best quality. They are also fairly priced. However, I’m starting to want to use Amazon, so I’ve linked all of Amazon to the recipe and made a post on My Amazon Storefront for really easy shopping. Most everything I’ve linked, I’ve personally used. bakuchiol, CO2llageneer and Q-MAX are Lotion Crafter. They are also affordable and ship very quickly. I cannot vouch for any of these ingredients on Amazon.
Bakuchiol promotes collagen, one of the most vital components of glowing, youthful skin. Bakuchiol also activates skin cell repair for a brightening effect. These two functions are absolutely vital in skin over 30. I love that bakuchiol is gentle. I always choose a gentle approach to anti-aging over harsh products, lasers and injectables.
xx, Jenny
