Bakuchiol — what it is, what the evidence shows, and how it compares to retinol.

Bakuchiol is a meroterpene extracted from the seeds and leaves of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has been used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Its emergence as a modern skincare ingredient is more recent — the first peer-reviewed evidence for its retinol-like activity came in 2014, and its mainstream visibility accelerated after a 2018 randomised trial comparing it directly to retinol.

The claim at the centre of bakuchiol's appeal is that it delivers retinol-equivalent results without retinol's side-effect profile. That claim is partially supported by evidence and partially overstated by marketing.

What bakuchiol does

Bakuchiol activates retinoid receptors and upregulates genes associated with collagen synthesis — the same pathway through which retinol produces its anti-ageing effects. In cell culture studies, it matches retinol's activity across several relevant gene expression markers.

The 2018 Dhaliwal et al. study — published in the British Journal of Dermatology and the most-cited direct comparison — found that 0.5% bakuchiol applied twice daily produced similar improvements in fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin firmness to 0.5% retinol applied once daily over 12 weeks. Both groups showed significant improvement over baseline. The bakuchiol group reported less dryness, scaling, and stinging.

A smaller follow-up study confirmed these findings. The evidence base is not large — a handful of trials rather than the decades of research behind retinol — but what exists is directionally consistent.

What bakuchiol does not do

It is not retinol. The "natural retinol" label is reductive.

Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that works through a well-characterised metabolic pathway: retinol converts to retinaldehyde, which converts to retinoic acid, the active form that binds directly to nuclear retinoic acid receptors. The pathway is well-established; the clinical evidence across decades, formulations, and conditions is the strongest in evidence-based skincare.

Bakuchiol activates retinoid signalling through a different mechanism. It does not convert to retinoic acid. The overlap in downstream effects is real; the pathways are not identical.

The existing evidence does not establish that bakuchiol is equivalent to retinol at higher concentrations, over longer timeframes, or for clinical conditions such as acne — where retinoids have decades of trial data and bakuchiol has almost none.

Who bakuchiol is appropriate for

People who cannot tolerate retinol. Pregnancy and breastfeeding rule retinol out entirely — bakuchiol has no such contraindication (though the safety data specific to pregnancy is limited; consult a GP). Rosacea-prone or highly reactive skin may tolerate bakuchiol better during the adjustment period that retinol requires.

People not yet ready to introduce retinol. Bakuchiol requires no adjustment period. It can be used twice daily from the first application, morning or evening, without buffer protocols.

People building an evidence-informed routine who want to add anti-ageing activity without a vitamin A derivative. The bar for bakuchiol's evidence is lower than retinol's, but it is genuinely active — not a botanical with aspirational marketing copy.

How to use it

Bakuchiol is stable, photostable, and compatible with other actives including exfoliating acids and vitamin C. It does not require separate application windows. It can be used morning and evening.

Concentrations in evidence-based products are typically 0.5–1%. Below 0.5%, the evidence for meaningful activity is weaker.

The Lux & Glo position

The ritual uses niacinamide as its serum active: barrier-supporting, well-tolerated, and effective across a range of concerns without an adjustment period. Bakuchiol is a legitimate extension for people who want to add targeted anti-ageing activity — applied after the serum, before the moisturiser. It does not conflict with the ritual and does not require restructuring the routine around it.