You might have heard of the infamous skincare ingredient Retinol. Retinol is known to be effective and aid you with softer lines, less wrinkles, hydration, an even skin tone and improved elasticity. But it’s also to be very harsh, and cause sensitization and irritation in your skin. These pitfalls makes many wonder, if retinol is worth it? This is why we want to introduce you to the similar, non-sensitizing and -irritating, gentler, and natural, Bakuchiol.
Bakuchiol’s Origin
Bakuchiol (pronounced buh-koo-chee-all) is an antioxidant that’s 100% vegan and plant-based, derived from seeds and leaves of the Psoralea corylifolia -plant in the Eastern Asia. It has been used in India for Ayurvedic practices, and in China in their medicine for a long time. The ingredient is known for being the soft and gentle alternative to retinol. It offers all the same benefits of the ingredient, but without the risk of sensitizing and irritating your skin. Bakuchiol is known for its soothing, healing and calming effects on the skin, due to containing high anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
What Does Bakuchiol Do?
Bakuchiol is especially known for being a collagen booster, working anti-aging and hydrating. It treats fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, elasticity, and firmness in the skin. The ingredient is just as effective as retinol; and less irritating. Bakuchiol triggers the genetic pathway in the skin’s cells, which creates collagen. And in the mean time, it doesn’t cause dryness or irritation. Besides the aforementioned, bakuchiol may also help in making the skin less sensitive to harmful UVA & -B rays from the sun.
Bakuchiol neutralizes the environmental attacks the skin receives throughout a day, and at the same time also repairs environmental scars from the past. This means, it both works on the skin’s current estate and issues, while also helping to prevent and stave off future signs of hyper-pigmentation and aging.
How Does Bakuchiol Work?
Bakuchiol visibly reduces photo-damage and hyper-pigmentation, since it’s a potent antioxidant that interacts with your pathways in your skin cells. So, it helps obtaining an even all over look and skin tone, creating a glass-looking glowy skin. When bakuchiol neutralizes the environmental attacks it at the same time, repairs the previous, and works on the skin’s issues. This results in them not being as visible in the future.
The antioxidant is also an exceptionally gentle treater and preventer against acne and breakouts. It works as an anti-inflammatory agent, that both effectively and gently treats the bacterias getting stored in your skin. The bacterias are those causing infection and inflammation, and bakuchiol inhibits the bacteria and inflammatory pathways.
How to Use Bakuchiol
Bakuchiol can be found and used in many different forms: creams, serums, oils, etc. The most important thing when looking for Bakuchiol products, is making sure that the bottle is air less (like Boë’s No.18), and not a jar or tube. The reason is that when Bakuchiol gets exposed to air, its antioxidant properties will break down and it’ll eventually become ineffective.
You can use Bakuchiol safely on a daily basis, where we recommend to use No.18 as the last step (or second to last, before the moisturizer if that’s needed), daily in your PM-routine.
FYI:
Bakuchiol hasn’t shown any negative interactions with other skincare ingredients, due to its natural composition. This means that it’s safe to use as a regular part of your PM-skincare routine, that consists of other ingredients as well.
Bakuchiol Summed Up:
- Originated from East Asian practices and medicines
- 100% natural and vegan plant-based antioxidant, derived from seeds and leaves of the Psoralea corylifolia -plant
- A natural and gentle, non-irritating and -sensitizing alternative to retinol
- Soothing, healing and calming effects on the skin, due to high anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties (prevents acne-breakouts)
- Visibly reduces wrinkles, fine lines, photo-damage, hyper-pigmentation, and evens out the skin tone (anti-aging)
- Increases hydration, firmness, elasticity, and collagen in the skin
- Non-comedogenic
- Suitable for all skin types and sensitive skin
At Boë we have sensitive skin as our default
Try, feel it
