Retinol has been the number one best anti-ageing ingredient for decades. But, recently, there has been a new face in town – bakuchiol. Bakuchiol has been, slowly but surely, sweeping all the beauty news headlines and appearing everywhere since the rise in interest in natural skincare. The rumour has it that bakuchiol is a safer and gentler alternative to retinol. And that you can use it even if you’re pregnant or have sensitive skin. So which one is better? Let’s look into bakuchiol vs retinol.
About retinol
I don’t think I have to talk too much about retinol. It has been one of the most popular ingredients in the skincare world for decades. They approved the use of retinol as an acne treatment in 1971. So there has been enough time (about 50 years) to do all kinds of clinical trials to prove its efficacy. Since they discovered that it increases collagen production in the skin, it became widely used as an anti-ageing ingredient as well as an anti-acne ingredient.
Generally, when people say retinol, they mean one of the forms of retinoids. Retinoid is an umbrella term for all the forms of derivatives of Vitamin A. I won’t go too deep into explaining every type of retinoid, but here is a list of all of them:
- retinyl palmitate
- retinaldehyde
- retinol
- tretinoin
- tazarotene
- adapalene
So we can see that retinol is in the middle of that list. That means it’s not the most powerful form of retinoid, nor the weakest form.
So let’s look at the benefits of retinoids.
Benefits of retinoids (retinol)
- Retinoids can reduce fine lines and wrinkles – they do so by increasing collagen production in the skin
- They can help with the skin’s firmness – due to the extra collagen.
- They can improve skin colour – by stimulating the production of new blood vessels.
- Retinoids can fade age spots.
- Retinoids can soften skin.
- They can help prevent acne breakouts.
- They can reduce acne scars.
- Retinoids can fight free radicals in our skin due to their antioxidant effect.
Possible side effects of retinoids (retinol)
- skin dryness
- peeling of the skin
- irritation
- red skin
All of those side effects can be avoided by slowly introducing retinoids into your routine by following the 3-2-1 method. That method includes applying retinoids every third night for the first three weeks, then every second night for the next two weeks, and then every night after that. I followed this method when starting my retinol journey, and my sensitive skin hasn’t had one side effect.
In case you do experience one of these side effects, pause the retinol use and focus on hydration and repairing your skin.
Who is a retinoid (retinol) for?
Retinoids are mostly used by those looking to keep their skin looking young for longer. That is because it has collagen-boosting properties and an anti-ageing effect.
But it can also help those struggling with acne and acne scars.
So there aren’t any rules. If you suffer from acne and are in your early twenties, you can use retinoids to help clear them and then stop using them. Or you can continue if you want.
Or if you are in your early thirties and want to combat those early signs of ageing, retinol would be a fantastic choice for you.
Who can’t use retinoids (retinol)?
Because there is a lack of scientific data (ethical reasons), retinol is not recommended in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Also, if you have very sensitive skin, it would be best to either skip retinol or use very low doses.
Lastly, if you spend a lot of time in the sun (like on holiday), it would be best to pause the use of retinol for that week or two. It will give you peace of mind that your skin isn’t extra sensitive to the sun, and you can enjoy your holiday. Once you are back, you can continue using it.
About bakuchiol
Bakuchiol is a new star ingredient in the skincare world. It’s the new buzzword, and bakuchiol products are appearing everywhere. But what is it exactly?
Bakuchiol is the so-called ‘plant alternative to retinol’. It is derived from the plant called babchi or Psoralea corylifolia plant. Like retinol, bakuchiol is also an antioxidant and has very similar effects to retinol.
Benefits of bakuchiol
Bakuchiol has very similar effects as retinol:
- It is also an antioxidant – it fights free radicals.
- Bakuchiol has soothing properties – especially good for inflamed acne skin.
- It can help prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by fighting free radicals.
- Bakuchiol can help restore the firmness of the skin.
Possible side effects of bakuchiol
- sensitivity
- redness
- dryness
Even though bakuchiol is considered a safer option than retinoids and is generally less irritating, it can still cause similar side effects as retinol. That’s why I recommend having a similar approach when introducing bakuchiol into your routine. Follow the same 3-2-1 method, and you should not get any unwanted side effects.
That being said, bakuchiol seems to be a safe option during pregnancy and breastfeeding. But I would still double-check that with your local healthcare provider, as bakuchiol is a newer ingredient, and there hasn’t been much research done to confirm its safety.
Who is bakuchiol for?
Anyone who wants to use retinoids but is afraid of their possible side effects might benefit from bakuchiol. So anyone looking to address their fine lines and wrinkles or trying to get rid of acne could try bakuchiol. Bakuchiol might also be a fantastic option for those with sensitive skin as it’s generally milder and less irritating than retinoids could be, but any skin type can use it.
Also, unlike retinoids, bakuchiol doesn’t break down in the sun, so you can use it both in the morning and evening. So if you are looking for an antioxidant ingredient to protect your skin from free radicals, bakuchiol might be a perfect choice for you. It’s worth noting that bakuchiol doesn’t have sun-protecting properties, and you will still need to use sunscreen.
As I already mentioned above, there haven’t been many clinical studies done on bakuchiol, so any claim there is about its efficacy should be taken with a pinch of salt. The research that points to bakuchiol’s positive effect on reducing fine lines and wrinkles or acne has been done in very small groups of people and isn’t enough to make a conclusive claim. There will have to be much more research done to confirm that.
Who is bakuchiol not for?
It seems that anyone can use bakuchiol. Because it has almost no (known) side effects, every skin type can use it, even the most sensitive ones. But since it hasn’t had about 50 years of research as retinol did, you should still be cautious when introducing it into your skincare routine.
The only thing I’d say is not to mix it with glycolic acid in your routine. Purely because glycolic acid can degrade the effect of bakuchiol. Except for that, it mixes well with most other ingredients, particularly squalane and PHA.
Bakuchiol vs retinol – which one to choose
After listing all the benefits and side effects of bakuchiol vs retinol, you should get a clearer idea about which would be a better choice for you. When comparing bakuchiol vs retinol, it’s clear that retinol has an advantage of about 50 years of research and studies done to confirm its efficacy.
Choose retinoids
Not only that, but retinoids are also a group of ingredients that work similarly but choosing a particular retinoid for you can better address your skin type and concern. So even if you are afraid of possible side effects, you can start using the mildest form of retinoids. The mildest form is retinyl palmitate, and you can even choose the lowest possible concentration of it in a product. In that way, you can minimise possible side effects and work your way up to familiarise your skin with that ingredient and still get the benefits. And retinoids have been proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and some forms of retinoids have been proven to clear acne (albeit with some harsher side effects).
This is the product I used as my first retinol. It has the mildest form of retinol which is retinyl palmitate and is one of the best options when starting your retinol journey. And a concentration of 0.3% allows your skin to get used to retinol without causing any unwanted side effects.
I wrote a review about this product here: La Roche Posay Redermic R Retinol Review
Buy it here for Europe: La Roche-Posay Redermic [R] Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Treatment 30ml €37.45
Buy it here for America: La Roche-Posay Redermic [R] Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Treatment 30ml $50.99
The one significant side effect of retinoids (in my opinion), except for possible sensitivity and dryness, is that it makes your skin extra sensitive to the sun. That means you shouldn’t use it if you spend a lot of time in the sun, like on holiday. That might not be a problem for most people who live in colder climates, but if you live in a very sunny place, it might affect your decision of using it. This downside can still be addressed by properly using sunscreen and reapplying it every few hours.
Choose bakuchiol
And if you are still scared of the side effects of retinoids or are just simply not ready to be that invested in your skincare routine but still want to get some skin benefits, bakuchiol might be a better option for you.
That being said, the benefits of bakuchiol that everyone seems to be claiming are not confirmed, and there are some chances you will see very minimal benefits. Or maybe you won’t see any benefits.
Bakuchiol vs retinol
| Choose retinoids if you: | Choose bakuchiol if you: |
| want proven results in your skin. | want something easy to apply where you don’t have to worry too much about being careful in the sun. |
| don’t mind investing more time into your skincare routine. | want something a bit cheaper. |
| don’t mind investing more money into your skincare routine. | don’t have high expectations of the effects of skincare on your skin. |
| remember to reapply your sunscreen. | skin is extremely sensitive. |
| don’t spend a lot of time in the sun all year round | don’t want side effects of retinoids. |
| plan on sticking with retinoids for a while. | switch between skincare ingredients often. |
| are good with sticking to your skincare routine. |
Conclusion
With all the marketing wizards shouting in our ears about all the new and cool ingredients, it can be hard to miss out on them. But it is worth looking into it before succumbing to the hype. As you have read from this post, bakuchiol is a new and trending ingredient with promising effects. But that’s all it is – promising. It is not confirmed, and it is not researched enough. We can see it is gentler than retinoids are as it doesn’t cause the same side effects, but we don’t know for sure if its effect is as good as promised.
On the other hand, retinoids are well-researched and have proven benefits to the skin. So it’s on you to choose.
When it comes to bakuchiol vs retinol, they can be used together, and some products have both ingredients. And I think they could complement each other nicely. And you could use retinoids in the evening and bakuchiol in the morning as I do. But I will stick to my beloved retinols and continue strengthening my skin as well as improving imperfections on my skin.
Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 30ml
This is a fantastic product that combines retinol and bakuchiol. As Paula herself says:
‘Bakuchiol is naturally anti-inflammatory and helps make retinol easier for the skin to tolerate. It is one of the rare ingredients that makes retinol more effective.’
And then she also added peptides which can increase the production of collagen in the skin.
So, this product is a miracle in a bottle and is a perfect choice to add to your anti ageing routine.
Buy here for Europe: Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 30ml €63.00
Buy here for America: Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment 30ml $62.00
So in this battle between bakuchiol vs retinol – I choose retinol.
Which one would you choose? Are you using either of them already?
