Revealed: The secret ingredient women from their mid 20s use to smooth those signs of ageing

Did you know that from your mid 20s your skins production of collagen reduces year on year? Is there anything that can be done to help with this natural process? Many women want a natural, simple and effective solution and so two ingredients are mentioned many times in the fight against ageing: Bakuchiol and Retinol. But what's the difference between them? Read on to find out and embrace your amazing skin year on year.

What are the benefits of Bakuchiol vs Retinol?

Bakuchiol has become increasingly popular as a skincare ingredient over the last year but is it worth all the hype? What exactly is it and what does it do for your skin? Touted as nature's retinol does it really work as hard as retinol to achieve results?

Firstly What is Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is an oil extracted from the seeds of the Babchi plant and would be shown on your cosmetics ingredients list as Psoralea Corylifolia. It has been widely used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine but it wasn't until a 2014 study that found the amazing effects of Bakuchiol on skin ageing. That study found that Bakuchiol had the same affect as retinol on skin but without the negative results commonly associated with retinol.

So what results can be expected?

Improvement in signs of ageing: Like retinol, Bakuchiol works by regulating collagen production which helps with skin strengthening and benefits hydration and elasticity. Collagen is a major component of skin but as we age collagen production decreases which leads to dryness, wrinkles and signs of ageing. So, as we age getting some natural help with collagen production is always welcome. The more collagen we can produce the better the appearance of our skin and the improvement in the signs of ageing such as dryness and wrinkles.

Fades photo-damage and skin pigmentation: Dark spots and discolouration from exposure to the sun can have a negative effect on the appearance of skin. This study found that bakuchiol worked to decrease wrinkle area and help with skin hyper pigmentation due to photoageing. More importantly those that used retinol reported more skin stinging and scaling.

Helps with acne: Applying an oil to acne prone skin may seem counter intuitive but Bakuchiol has been shown to improve the appearance of acne and skin prone to breakouts. A study carried out in 2011 found that the antibacterial effect of Bakuchiol and its anti-inflammatory action helped reduce the amount and the severity of acne in test subjects. Combined with salicylic acid the results were even more impressive. 

But why not just use retinol then?

Unlike Bakuchiol, retinol can cause some undesirable effects especially for those with sensitive skin. Stinging, flaking and dryness are among those reported none of which have been reported during Bakuchiol use.

Bakuchiol is a totally natural product made by extracting oil from babchi seeds. The only natural source of retinol is that derived from animal products which would be for consumption rather than for applying to skin. The retinol added to cosmetics is a chemically produced version of vitamin A. 

Retinol can cause an increase in sensitivity to the sun and as such is only recommended for use at night. If you forget before bed you will have to wait until the next night to apply. However, Bakuchiol does not react with the sun in the same way. We still say....wear your sun screen!

Conclusion

Both Bakuchiol and Retinol are amazing skin care ingredients and have very similar, almost identical effects on the skin. Knowing the difference and the pros and cons of each is very useful when you want to invest in a new skin care product. So arm yourself with information and decide which is best for you.

Our Bakuchiol skin renewal night serum combines this amazing, natural ingredient with skin soothing and wrinkle busting oils. Also, watch this space as our Bakuchiol moisturising cream will be launching on our website very soon.