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Bakuchiol: it matched retinol, but it has never been compared against nothing

In a 12-week double-blind trial of 44 people, bakuchiol 0.5% and retinol 0.5% reduced wrinkle area and hyperpigmentation to a similar degree, with more irritation on the retinol side. With no vehicle arm, the trial cannot say what the improvement on either side was due to.

Last checked Sep 16, 2026

In pregnancy
Not established
Irritation
Low
Daytime use
✓ Fine

Not a measurement — reported irritation grouped into five steps. It varies between people.

Korean classification Being checkedThe regulatory class has not yet been confirmed against a primary document. It will be filled in once it is.

Bakuchiol is sold as the gentle alternative to retinol. That claim rests on essentially one trial, and what the trial showed is narrower than the marketing.

Structurally it is not a retinoid. Early work found it produces similar gene expression in cells, which is why it gets called a functional analogue — but that is a test-tube observation.

Contents
  1. No difference from retinol, and less irritation
  2. We found no trial comparing it against vehicle

What is established

The same ingredient at a different strength, in a different formula, is a different product. These are the conditions the studies used.

Moderate evidenceConcentration studied 0.5% · cream

No difference from retinol, and less irritation

A 12-week randomised, double-blind trial in 44 people. One group applied bakuchiol 0.5% cream twice daily, the other retinol 0.5% cream once daily. Assessment used high-resolution photographic analysis and grading by a dermatologist blinded to allocation.

Both compounds significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, and the difference between them was not statistically significant. Retinol users reported more facial scaling and stinging.

What this supports is 'bakuchiol does about as much as retinol, and irritates less'. Worth noting alongside: bakuchiol was applied twice a day, retinol once.

  • Randomised controlled trial in people · 44 participants · 12 weeks · Compared with another active ingredient · Funding not declared · Endpoint scores from blinded assessors PMID 29947134
Not establishedConcentration studied — Not established

We found no trial comparing it against vehicle

The trial above has no arm applying vehicle alone. That both compounds improved cannot separate the effect of the active from the effect of applying a moisturiser consistently for twelve weeks.

We found no human trial comparing bakuchiol directly against vehicle (PubMed, checked 16 September 2026).

Retinol does have vehicle-controlled trials (see the retinol page). 'As good as retinol' borrows retinol's evidence; it is not evidence bakuchiol has built for itself.

How to use it

  • The trial used it twice daily. It is not a night-only ingredient the way retinol is.
  • Less irritation than retinol is an observation from that trial. Still start with a small amount.
  • No photosensitivity was reported, but sunscreen is needed either way.

Cautions

  • We found no established data on use during pregnancy. The phrase 'retinol alternative' leads some people to read it as safe in pregnancy. That has not been established.
  • It comes from babchi seed (Psoralea corylifolia), a plant that also contains phototoxic compounds of the psoralen family. Check the ingredient list for whether you are getting purified bakuchiol or a plant extract.

With a new ingredient, apply a small amount somewhere inconspicuous, such as the inner arm, for two days first. Stop if it reddens or stings.

Related skin concerns

WrinklesElasticityPigmentation

What this article relies on

  1. PubMed — 미국 국립의학도서관 문헌 데이터베이스National Library of Medicine · Checked on 2026-09-16