Part of our guide to Skincare Ingredients Explained.
In the best known head to head trial, bakuchiol matched retinol on wrinkle reduction over 12 weeks, beat it on pigmentation, and produced less scaling and stinging. It carries no sun sensitivity, no adjustment period, and no pregnancy restriction. What bakuchiol changes is who can use a collagen active at all.
Pregnant and coming off tretinoin?
If you used tretinoin before pregnancy, you'll already have been told to stop. Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid, a vitamin A derivative like retinol, and retinoids are avoided during pregnancy and nursing. That leaves a gap in your routine for nine months at the very least, and longer if you breastfeed.
Bakuchiol is how we'd fill it. It isn't a vitamin A derivative, so it carries no known pregnancy restriction. In that same trial, it matched retinol on wrinkle reduction over 12 weeks and did better on pigmentation, which is useful right now because pregnancy is a common time for dark patches to appear.
Our bakuchiol serum is REJUVENATE Nutri-Serum, formulated without the ingredients restricted during pregnancy and nursing. You can use it morning and evening, and you don't have to sit through an adjustment period first.
Check with your doctor before you start anything new while pregnant. REJUVENATE contains naturally derived essential oils at low levels, and our pregnancy safe skincare guide lists which ones, so you can take that to the appointment. If you'd like to try it on your own skin first, a 3ml sample is the easiest way.
What is bakuchiol?
A compound extracted from the seeds and leaves of Psoralea corylifolia, also called babchi, used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries.
It is not a vitamin A derivative. It is a meroterpene phenol, a completely different molecular structure that reaches similar results through different biological pathways. That distinction is the whole reason it behaves differently on skin.
In practice it is stable in formulation rather than degrading in light and air, compatible with other actives, used at 0.5 to 2%, and safe in daylight.
What is retinol?
A vitamin A derivative and one of the most researched actives in dermatology. It binds to retinoid receptors in skin cells, accelerates cell turnover, stimulates collagen production and improves texture and tone.
It also requires conversion to retinoic acid to work, degrades with light, air and heat, commonly irritates during the first weeks, increases sun sensitivity, and is contraindicated in pregnancy and nursing.
The head to head trial
The reference point is Dhaliwal and colleagues, a prospective, randomised, double blind trial in the British Journal of Dermatology. It was published online in 2018 and in print in 2019, which is why you'll see it cited under both years.
Forty four participants, mean age 47, over 12 weeks. One group applied 0.5% bakuchiol cream twice daily, the other 0.5% retinol cream once daily. High resolution photographs were analysed at weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12, and a board certified dermatologist graded pigmentation and redness without knowing which group anyone was in.
| Measurement | Bakuchiol 0.5% | Retinol 0.5% |
|---|---|---|
| Wrinkle surface area | Significant reduction, around 20% | Significant reduction, around 20% |
| Difference between the two | No statistical difference | |
| Improvement in hyperpigmentation at week 12 | 59% of participants | 44% of participants |
| Scaling and stinging reported | Fewer | More |
The authors concluded that bakuchiol is comparable with retinol for improving photoageing, and better tolerated.
One caveat worth stating plainly: forty four participants is a small trial. What it shows is that bakuchiol reached comparable results to retinol with less irritation, and that's the finding that matters if retinol has never suited you.
On mechanism, Chaudhuri and Bojanowski, 2014 used gene expression profiling to show that bakuchiol upregulates types I, III and IV collagen genes, which is what sits behind the clinical results.
Side by side
| Feature | Bakuchiol | Retinol |
|---|---|---|
| Wrinkle reduction in trial | Around 20% over 12 weeks | Around 20% over 12 weeks |
| Collagen stimulation | Types I, III, IV | Types I, III, IV |
| Irritation | Less reported in trial | Dryness, peeling, redness common |
| Sun sensitivity | No increase | Significant increase |
| Daytime use | Suitable | Not recommended |
| Pregnancy and nursing | No known restriction | Contraindicated |
| Adjustment period | None needed | Yes, the retinisation phase |
| Stability in formulation | Stable | Degrades in light, air and heat |
| Combines with other actives | Readily | Often needs spacing |
| Depth of research | Moderate and growing | Extensive |
| Typical concentration | 0.5 to 2% | 0.25 to 1% |
How bakuchiol works
Retinol binds to retinoid receptors. Bakuchiol does not, which is why it does not produce the typical retinoid side effects, and it still arrives at a similar destination.
It influences gene expression in a pattern resembling retinol's, upregulating collagen genes and downregulating the collagenase that breaks collagen down. It carries antioxidant activity, neutralising free radicals that degrade collagen. It encourages cell renewal without the harsh exfoliation that causes retinol's irritation. And it contributes to reducing melanin production, which is the likeliest explanation for its edge on pigmentation in the trial.
Our piece on how bakuchiol and magnesium work together covers why an active signalling for collagen needs cells capable of acting on the signal.
When bakuchiol is the better choice
If your skin is reactive or easily irritated. If you are pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive. If retinol has already defeated you with peeling or redness. If you want something usable in the morning as well as at night. If you live somewhere with year round sun, which our piece on skincare in Singapore's humidity covers. Or if you are new to collagen actives and want a gentler introduction.
What retinol asks of you
Retinol commonly irritates for the first few weeks while skin adjusts. It's a night only active that breaks down once it's exposed to light and air, and it makes skin more sensitive to the sun, so daily sunscreen becomes a requirement rather than a habit.
It's also off the table from trying to conceive through to nursing. Prescription tretinoin is a stronger retinoid with the same restrictions, and it needs a doctor to prescribe it. If retinol has suited you for years, bakuchiol is the one to keep for the months when retinol can't be used.
How to use it
Two to three drops, morning and evening, after cleansing and after your essence, before moisturiser. It layers safely with vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and peptides.
Wear sunscreen regardless. Not because bakuchiol causes photosensitivity, but because UV degrades collagen faster than any active rebuilds it.
Judge it at 12 weeks. Firmness is structural rather than superficial, which makes it slower than pigment and quieter when it arrives. Our guide to what to expect in your first 12 weeks sets out the stages, and the routine order guide covers where it sits against everything else.
Should you use both?
Generally not. Bakuchiol delivers comparable results, so running both adds irritation risk without adding benefit. Choose one.
Some people with retinol tolerant skin alternate them, bakuchiol in the morning and retinol at night. For most people that is unnecessary.
What to look for in a bakuchiol product
A concentration between 0.5 and 2%, since the trials used 0.5 to 1% and higher is not automatically better. Supporting ingredients that do real work, such as hyaluronic acid for hydration and peptides for collagen signalling. A formula free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances and drying alcohols. Opaque or airless packaging. And a brand willing to publish the full ingredient list.
Our piece on what makes a serum clinical grade goes through those checks properly.
REJUVENATE Nutri-Serum pairs bakuchiol with multi weight hyaluronic acid and magnesium, made in Sweden, EWG Verified, and formulated without the ingredients restricted during pregnancy and nursing. It reduces cellular aging by 70% in independent laboratory tests.
One thing to know before you buy: REJUVENATE contains naturally derived essential oils at low levels. Natural is not the same as inert, so if essential oils have irritated you before, patch test first. A 3ml sample is the easiest way to do that.
If firmness is the main thing you're working on, the Skin Firming Trio builds the routine around REJUVENATE, with MERACLE to prep skin before it and SATURATE to finish.
Questions we get asked
What can I use instead of tretinoin while pregnant? Bakuchiol is the closest swap. It's a plant compound rather than a vitamin A derivative, so it carries no known pregnancy restriction, and in a 12 week trial it matched retinol on wrinkle reduction. Check with your doctor before starting anything new.
Is tretinoin cream safe during pregnancy? Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid, and retinoids are avoided during pregnancy and nursing. If you're pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive, talk to your doctor about when to stop it. Our section on coming off tretinoin covers what to use instead.
What is the main difference between bakuchiol and retinol? Bakuchiol is a plant compound that reaches similar results through different pathways. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that binds to retinoid receptors. The practical difference is tolerability, daytime use and pregnancy safety.
Is bakuchiol as effective as retinol? In the best known head to head trial, over 12 weeks at 0.5%, the two produced no statistically different wrinkle reduction, and bakuchiol did better on pigmentation. That is one trial of 44 people, so treat it as strong evidence rather than settled fact.
Which trial compared bakuchiol and retinol? Dhaliwal and colleagues, a randomised double blind trial in the British Journal of Dermatology, published online in 2018 and in print in 2019. Our trial section sets out what it measured.
Is bakuchiol safe during pregnancy? It is not a vitamin A derivative and carries no known pregnancy restriction, unlike retinol. Check with your doctor before starting anything new in pregnancy.
Does bakuchiol irritate skin? Less than retinol in the trial, and nothing is universally tolerated. There is no adjustment period equivalent to retinisation.
Can I use bakuchiol during the day? Yes. It does not increase sun sensitivity, which is one of its clearest practical advantages over retinol.
How long does bakuchiol take to work? Texture and comfort change within the first weeks. Judge lines and firmness at 12 weeks, which is the point the trial measured.
Can I use it with vitamin C or niacinamide? Yes. It layers readily with both, and our guide to which form of vitamin C to pair it with covers the stability question that matters more.
What percentage should I look for? The trials used 0.5 to 1%. Look for 0.5 to 2%. Formulation quality and supporting ingredients matter more than the number.
Where to go from here
If retinol has never worked for you, this is the version of that result you can actually use.
If you are weighing firmness against pigment as the thing to treat first, our serum comparison settles that in a few minutes.