It’s the gentler, natural alternative to retinol.
You’ve heard about retinol, for sure, but there’s another ingredient that’s hot on its heels. Meet bakuchiol, touted as the gentler, natural alternative to retinol. The 100% plant-based ingredient comes from the seeds and leaves of a plant native to Eastern Asia and has long been used in Ayurvedic practices. Several studies over the past few years have shown that it has similar benefits as retinol, but without the irritation that sometimes comes along with that ingredient. It’s worth noting that, from a molecular standpoint, bakuchiol actually doesn’t resemble retinol at all, as pointed out by Chicago dermatologist Caroline Robinson, MD, founder of Tone Dermatology. Still, the effects are shockingly similar: “Bakuchiol can help soften fine lines and wrinkles, even skin tone, and improve elasticity and firmness,” she says. “Retinol can be very irritating for some people, especially for dry and sensitive skin types. Bakuchiol is a nice way to get the benefits without skin irritation.” (That being said, it’s possible for anyone to react to any ingredient, so it’s always a good move to do a patch test when trying any new product, she advises.)
Another advantage that bakuchiol has over retinol is that it doesn’t make the skin sensitive to the sun and actually offers some antioxidant properties, making it a good option to use either day and/or night.2 And while you’ll, of course, want to check with your doc, dermatologists generally agree that it’s safe to use during pregnancy—retinoids are not.
To find the best bakuchiol products on the market, we conducted hours of research—evaluating products based on their active ingredients, benefits, and more. We also considered how gentle each product was on the skin—since it’s often used as a less irritating retinol alternative. After consulting a dermatologist and reviewing multiple options, we landed on these 12 top-rated picks.
Best Overall: Isdin Isdinceutics Melatonik Restorative Night Serum
“This is a great nighttime product that I recommend often,” says Robinson. “It combines bakuchiol with vitamin C and topical melatonin, ingredients that work together to repair damaged skin cells and promote flexible, rejuvenated skin while you sleep.” (And no, unlike the oral supplement, topical melatonin won’t make you sleepy, but it is a potent antioxidant.) It’s a top choice for bedtime skincare routines to undo any damage from environmental free radicals incurred during the day. And the serum-in-oil texture both applies and soaks into the skin beautifully, so you never have to worry about ending up with greasy residue on your pillow.
Who It’s For
This serum has multiple benefits, specifically pertaining to anti-aging, from repairing to brightening and promoting skin elasticity. We think this is a great pick for those who want a serum that can do it all and prefer not to have a night routine that’s too many steps. This one serum can do the job of about three or four, cutting your skincare application time in half.
Best Budget: Acure Radically Rejuvenating Dual Phase Bakuchiol Serum
While retinol formulas are plentiful at the drugstore, that’s not quite the case with bakuchiol (though here’s hoping). That makes wallet-friendly finds like this one all the more noteworthy. As the name suggests, it’s a two-part formula. The top layer is an antioxidant-rich essence, and the bottom is a moisturizing serum (so make sure to give it a good shake before using it to blend the two). In the mix are bakuchiol, soothing blue tansy extract, and skin-balancing probiotics.3
Who It’s For
Because it has such a hydrating, silky formula, we really recommend this for dry skin types who are looking to add moisture to their anti-aging routine. Retinol can often be drying, so this is a great alternative that can still work to combat signs of aging.
Best Splurge: Oskia Super 16 Pro-Collagen Serum
This splurge-worthy pick is a reformulation of the brand’s OG Super 16 serum, now including, you guessed it, bakuchiol. It’s just one of a litany of nutrients and bio-active ingredients that includes, among other things, a mineral-rich seaweed extract, assorted B vitamins, and a variety of antioxidants to promote a youthful complexion. The fast-absorbing serum plumps and hydrates skin pretty much instantly and works to smooth out lines and wrinkles with continued use.
Who It’s For
Since it’s jam-packed with antioxidants, this product is an ideal morning serum that helps protect the skin against environmental free radicals you’ll encounter throughout the day. If you’re looking for a serum that feels lightweight on the skin and absorbs well under your sunscreen and makeup, this is the pick for you.
Best Night Cream: OLEHENRIKSEN Goodnight Glow Retin-ALT Sleeping Crème
Byrdie Social Media Editor Star Donaldson loves this P.M. powerhouse. Unlike retinol, you don’t have to use bakuchiol at night, but it’s always a good idea to apply active ingredients while you snooze; that’s when your skin naturally goes into repair mode and can best maximize the product’s effects. Along with the bakuchiol in this formula, there are also alpha-hydroxy acids—glycolic and lactic—for a mild exfoliating effect that further ups your skin’s glow factor, plus tons of moisturizing and conditioning ingredients so you wake up with a soft and supple complexion.
Who It’s For
We recommend this cream for those who are also dealing with acne or hyperpigmentation, as the combo of bakuchiol with glycolic and lactic acids (which are often used in brightening formulas) can work to lift dark spots and promote an even complexion.
Best Serum: InnBeauty Project Slushy Serum Moisturizer Crush
As a universal rule of thumb, serums will always give you a better bang for your buck when reaping the effects of active ingredients. They tend to contain a much higher concentration than is found in creams or lotions. So, to really get all that bakuchiol has to offer, look for it in a serum. Technically, this one is a serum-moisturizer hybrid—a unique texture, consistency, and concept unlike what we’ve seen before. Bakuchiol extract gets spun into a hyaluronic acid-based serum at a super-high speed during formulation, resulting in a fun-to-use, slushy-like feel. It also has yuzu in its formula, which contains naturally occurring vitamin C to boost radiance and even skin tone.
This buy is a one-stop shop that does everything from hydrating to minimizing the appearance of pores. And we’d be remiss not to mention the brand’s sustainability efforts—this product boasts the first-ever completely curb-side recyclable bottle (it’s made with no metal spring so that it can go straight into the bin).
Who It’s For
If you have oily skin or skin that gets irritated easily from rich or heavy products, we think this will be a great pick to add to your routine. You can use it as a serum and a moisturizer to cut your routine in half, and it’s super lightweight and won’t make the skin feel greasy.
Best Mask: Cocokind Resurfacing Sleep Mask
Swap your standard night cream for this overnight mask a few times per week and prepare to be amazed. The bakuchiol in the formula targets lines and spots while other plant-derived ingredients, like beta-glucan and squalane, work to keep the skin barrier strong and healthy.5 The end result: skin that looks smoother, more even, and much more supple come morning. Beauty sleep indeed.
Who It’s For
Have a special event coming up? This is the product you need in your arsenal. Since it works to rejuvenate the skin overnight, it’s good to apply if you’ve been slacking on your skincare routine and want to see results quickly.
Best Eye Cream: Burt’s Bees Renewal Firming Eye Cream
Given retinoid’s exceptional line-fighting abilities, it’s a great ingredient to use around the eyes (since the thin skin here is where signs of aging, like wrinkles, show up first.) The only problem? That thin skin is even more susceptible to irritation, making it tough to find a retinol-based eye cream that won’t stress out your skin. Enter bakuchiol. Paired with hydrating vitamin E, it’s the star of the show in this 99% natural formula.
Who It’s For
If you have dry eyes or even wear contact lenses, using retinol around the eyes is not recommended, as it could cause even more irritation.6 However, with this cream, you can still combat fine lines and other signs of aging that are prone to that area.
Best With Retinol: Revision Skincare Retinol Complete 1.0
“This is a personal favorite of mine, as it contains both retinol and bakuchiol, along with Vitamin C to address multiple signs of aging,” says Robinson. While yes, bakuchiol and retinol are often positioned as an either/or situation, by combining small amounts of time-released retinol (a more stable version that causes less irritation) with bakuchiol, this product is able to deliver all of the skin benefits of retinol in a gentler way, explains Robinson. Plus, bakuchiol actually enhances retinol’s effects, not to mention it offers those always-important antioxidant properties.7
Who It’s For
If you’re looking to incorporate retinol into your skincare routine for the first time and are worried about reacting to it, this serum is a great starter. The time-release retinol can minimize irritation while still being effective, and you’ll be sure to see results with the bakuchiol in the formula.
Runner-Up, Best With Retinol: Paula’s Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment
For a more affordable, retinol-inclusive choice, we also love this combo serum from Paula’s Choice. This gentle formula can target a myriad of skin issues, from wrinkles to uneven tone and texture. It also contains peptides (an ingredient that’s popular for boosting collagen and treating fine lines) as another active, making it the perfect choice to add to your anti-aging routine.
Who It’s For
This product is another great starter pick if you want to ease into retinol, as it only has a 0.3% ingredient concentration. We also think it’s one of the best anti-aging picks for sensitive skin, as it’s popular for being much gentler on all skin types. However, if you have eczema or other skin conditions, you might want to choose a formula that only contains bakuchiol—retinol can still be somewhat irritating.
Best Firming: Erno Laszlo Firming Cream
If sagging skin—which can happen as you age due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin—is your primary complexion concern, try this guy. A dynamic duo of bakuchiol and spirulina maxima (aka blue-green algae) work together to re-contour and re-firm the skin. And despite the fact that it’s packed with heavy-hitting hydrating ingredients (think chia seed oil, shea butter, and olive oil), the texture is still lightweight enough to use either morning or night.
Who It’s For
We recommend this pick for those with super dry, dehydrated skin—which can accelerate signs of aging. This tackles both, as it’s highly moisturizing and can target wrinkles and fine lines.
Best Natural: BYBI Beauty 1% Bakuchiol + Olive Squalane Oil Booster
We truly appreciate that this pick contains, quite literally, only two ingredients—bakuchiol and olive-derived squalane. But we also love this for a super-easy way to incorporate straight-up bakuchiol into your existing routine. Mix a few drops of this into any serum, moisturizer, or balm you’re already using—it’s that easy. (To answer your question, you can also use it solo.)
Who It’s For
If you don’t love consistently adding new products to your routine or just like to keep it simple—but want to incorporate bakuchiol into your skincare—this is the best choice for you. Since you can mix it with pretty much any other product in your routine, it’s an easy way to get a dose in without buying an entirely new product.
Best Moisturizer: Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Melt Moisturizer
Making sure your skin is well hydrated is a big part of keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay, so a nourishing moisturizer with bakuchiol in the formula is the key to smooth, youthful skin. We love this one from Alpyn Beauty, a brand that prioritizes wild plants and natural ingredients in its formulas. It also contains ceramides, squalane, and hyaluronic acid for an extra moisturized complexion and has a lightweight texture that soaks into the skin easily and doesn’t feel heavy. With continued use, you’ll notice that your skin feels softer and smoother and looks brighter.
Who It’s For
If you have skin that feels tight and dry and you’re seeing wrinkles starting to form, we recommend this moisturizer. Dehydrated skin can make signs of aging appear quicker, and this formula can treat both.
Where We Stand
The best bakuchiol product we’ve found on the market is the Isdin Isdinceutics Melatonik Serum. It contains a potent concentration of the ingredient, as well as melatonin and vitamin C, to protect the skin and target signs of aging for a youthful complexion. We also love the more affordable Acure Radically Rejuvenating Dual Phase Bakuchiol Serum, which is formulated with multiple natural antioxidants for skin that looks firmer and glowier.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market, evaluating their key features in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We also consulted experts for their opinions. We then used this research to choose the best picks on the market to inform this article.
Attributes we evaluated each bakuchiol product on:
- Active ingredients
- Immediate and long-term benefits
- Feel upon application
- Packaging
- Scent/fragrance
What to Look for in a Bakuchiol Skincare Product
- Potency: Be sure to read the fine print on your product. In order for bakuchiol to impact your complexion, you’ll want to look for at least a 0.5 percent concentration in the formula.7 Many of the picks on our list have that percentage or higher of the ingredient, including the Cocokind Resurfacing Sleep Mask—which has 1 percent—and the Paula’s Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment—which has 2 percent. Some products won’t have the exact percentage on the packaging, so just make sure bakuchiol is listed a little bit higher on the ingredient list (the higher it is = the higher the concentration).
- Type of formula: There are tons of bakuchiol-infused products available today, from serums to rich creams. Take a look at your existing lineup and determine where a bakuchiol-rich product could fit, keeping in mind that different product formulations contain different levels of potency. If you’re unwilling to replace or add a product to your routine, we love the BYBI Beauty 1% Bakuchiol + Olive Squalane Oil Booster. Just mix two to three drops into any of your skincare products for an extra boost of bakuchiol.
FAQ
What is bakuchiol?
Bakuchiol is an extract derived from the leaves and seeds of the babchi plant. When applied to the skin, the ingredient acts similarly to retinol in that it helps to even out tone, diminish the appearance of fine lines, and speed up cell regeneration without many of the irritating side effects retinol can have.7 “Much like a retinol, bakuchiol triggers the genetic pathway in skin cells to create several types of collagen that are useful in skin health and anti-aging,” dermatologist Rachel Nazarian tells Byrdie.
Is it as effective as retinol?
In a double-blind study conducted by the British Association of Dermatologists, bakuchiol and retinol were found to have significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, with the only main difference being that the retinol users experienced more dryness and stinging than the bakuchiol users.7
Should I use bakuchiol over retinol?
If you have sensitive skin that can’t tolerate a retinol-based formula, bakuchiol can deliver a very similar end result. Like retinol, it works to prevent fine lines and wrinkles and helps improve elasticity but without the potential irritation. If you want a double dose of the anti-aging ingredients, we recommend the Revision Skincare Retinol Complete 1.0, which has both retinol and bakuchiol in the formula.
