Bakuchiol, the plant alternative to retinol: what one small study showed, and what this night serum pairs it with

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Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

Derma Botanica Overnight Repair Serum

Retinol has the best evidence of anything you can buy for the look of lines, and a reputation for peeling, redness and stinging while skin gets used to it. Bakuchiol, a compound from the babchi plant, is sold as the answer: similar results, less irritation. That claim is more grounded than most plant-ingredient claims, and it is also built on a small amount of research.

What the study found

The study most often cited is a 2019 trial in which a few dozen people used either bakuchiol or retinol, both at 0.5%, for twelve weeks. Both groups saw similar improvements in the look of fine lines and pigmentation. The retinol group reported more scaling and stinging.

That is a genuinely encouraging result. It is also one small study, and retinol has decades of research behind it. Bakuchiol is a reasonable choice for people who cannot tolerate retinol; it is not yet proof that it does everything retinol does. We cover retinol itself in retinoids: why frequency beats strength.

What the serum pairs it with

According to the listing, this is a three-part night serum:

Hydration — several forms of hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid and tremella mushroom extract, all of which hold water in the skin's surface. Well-hydrated skin looks plumper by morning.

Bakuchiol and niacinamide — for texture and tone. Niacinamide is one of the best-tolerated ingredients there is; see niacinamide: what the percentage means.

Barrier support — rice lipids, glycosphingolipids, squalane and panthenol, to keep the moisture barrier comfortable. Centella, amla and ashwagandha extracts round it out as a soothing blend.

The listing does not give the percentage of bakuchiol, which is what you would most want to compare with the study.

Who should choose it

Anyone whose skin has objected to retinol, anyone with sensitive skin who wants a gentle start on texture and tone, and anyone who wants a single, calm night step. The listing describes it as lightweight, fast-absorbing and suitable for dry, normal, combination and sensitive skin.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, bakuchiol is often marketed as a safe swap for retinol, but it has not been studied much in pregnancy. Ask your doctor first.

How to use it

At night, after cleansing, before or instead of moisturizer depending on how dry your skin is. Bakuchiol is not known to make skin sun-sensitive the way retinol does, but sunscreen every morning is still the step that protects everything else you are doing — see what SPF measures.

What it will not do

It will not match a prescription retinoid. It will not show results in days; judge it over two to three months. And it will not tell you how much bakuchiol you are getting, because the listing does not say.

The product

A lightweight night serum combining hydration, barrier support, niacinamide and bakuchiol. A gentle option for texture and tone, for skin that does not get along with retinol.

The one people are searching for is the Derma Botanica Overnight Repair Serum, 3-in-1 Night Serum.

Derma Botanica Overnight Repair Serum

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by JamieG in Garner Town, Tennessee.