Everything You Know About Bakuchiol

Bakuchiol's a huge part of Indian and Chinese medicine. Huge! Men, you know where it comes from: Psoralea corylifolia seeds. You'll see it a lot in the US in skincare products. Yes, it's in lots of products! Men, it's getting so, so popular as an alternative to retinol. Bakuchiol's so great in serums, oils, and moisturizers. You're not going to see the same side effects as with retinol. But men, you've still got to patch-test anything with bakuchiol!

Men, you need this extract. It's a strong, strong anti-aging treatment! You'll also want a bakuchiol serum to act as a treatment for acne. Men, you want this. It's plant-based retinol! It'll work very well for many, many of you. So many! But obviously, learn about how it works first. You'll get the best bakuchiol products that way!

How It Works

Bakuchiol's a plant extract! Men, this one's a prenylated phenolic monoterpene. You want this one in your arsenal. It works on 2 different pathogens: Gram-positive and Gram-negative! You know, men, this one stops the growth of Streptococcus mutans bacteria. Many, many of you know this works a lot like retinol. But guess what? It doesn't have the same chemical structure! Bakuchiol still wins though, since they're saying it works by preserving lots of collagen in your skin. Win. Men, you know bakuchiol hit the market in 2007 as a skincare treatment. We've talked about how experts say it works. Hold your horses, though. You know more research has to happen to understand it better!

Best Uses

Men, you've seen bakuchiol as a part of Indian and Chinese medicine. It's used so much here, so much! In these medicines, it's used for kidney infections, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. They even way it works on inflammation from conditions like psoriasis. Great, right? There's more! Bakuchiol helps with hyperpigmentation too, so they say it's a good treatment for vitiligo.

Men, you know about this extract. It's got huge, huge anti-aging benefits. So huge! And what's more, but this ingredient doesn't trigger sun sensitivity like retinol. What a win! Huge win! Men, you know that means you can use it in the morning and not just at night. Bakuchiol's even got antibacterial properties, so it helps get rid of mild acne breakouts.

Side Effects

Yes, you're right. Bakuchiol's got a few side effects. The good news, though? There are fewer side effects when you're using it on your skin! Men, you've still got to keep your guard up for side effects like skin redness, peeling, swelling, and dryness. Thankfully, you know you're not going to see any of them nearly as much as you would with retinol. No, not nearly as much! They're also not as bad as the retinol ones when they do appear. Win. Obviously, though, you've got to tell your doc if any side effects get really, really bad or if mild ones don't go away. And men? Only use this where you have to and for how long you need to. You'll avoid side effects this way!

Precautions

Men, you know what to do. You've got to keep your guard up on this med. You do! Start slowly when you're first using it. Apply it every second day at first. When you go for 2 weeks without irritation, yes, you're right: start using it every day! Obviously, skin irritation means you have to use it less often. It's a good idea to talk to your doc about it too! Using bakuchiol with retinol products is so, so great. So great! It's going to boost their benefits a lot. Men, you can use bakuchiol instead of retinol at night if your skin's more sensitive to retinol. That said, you know you've got the power to use it during the day too. But of course, only apply it to your skin when you've just cleaned with a gentle cleanser! Obviously, you know about how to store it. Yes, you're right, away from light, heat, and moisture. Men, make sure you've got good-quality bakuchiol in your products too. It'll make things much better when you're treating acne and other skin issues!

Hold up. Talk to your doc before you use or take bakuchiol. Men, this is so, so important when you've got a health condition like heart disease or diabetes. This extract impacts you differently, so make sure your doc knows and deems it safe!

Med Interactions

Men. Get out the list you've got of all your prescriptions, OTC drugs, and supplements. It's time to get your doc to check this list to make sure nothing's going to react with bakuchiol. The good news? Your risk's very, very low. So low! That said, you have to look at ingredients in any skincare products you use. Some ingredients don't play well with bakuchiol, like glycolic acid. That acid's going to degrade bakuchiol. Yes, it won't work nearly as well anymore!

Men, do you use any topical treatments for things like eczema or acne? They're not always good to use with bakuchiol. Yes, prescriptions and OTC ones alike! Bakuchiol's likely going to change how they work. You don't want that. No one does. Talk to your doc about what's right for you!