Retinol (Vitamin A) is showing as a very popular ingredient in skin care. That said, it is not without side effects and causes irritation to some users of retinol based products.
There are alternatives, which are often termed Alt-Retinol. These are ingredients which offer the same benefits, without the irritation as they are generally much milder on the skin. Amongst the foremost of these alternatives is Bakuchiol Creams and serums and an example is that of DCL which is called the Bakuchiol Night Cream or the Bakuchiol Peptides from Medik8, which is an oil-based serum which uses the gentle power of 1.25% pure bakuchiol, helping to support collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Similar to retinoids, bakuchiol appears to stimulate collagen producing receptors in the skin. The difference is less risk of side effects
Bakuchiol is safe to use in the sun and is also safer during pregnancy. Bakuchiol is an extract from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia (nicknamed "babchi"), a plant grown in India that’s been a staple of traditional Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for many years.
A study in the Journal of the British Association of Dermatologists concluded that:
"Our study demonstrates that bakuchiol is comparable with retinol in its ability to improve photoageing and is better tolerated than retinol. Bakuchiol is promising as a more tolerable alternative to retinol" (1)
As a footnote, I would observe that not all products are actually Bakuchiol. Bakuchi oil, Bakuchi powder, Babchi oil, and Babchi powder are also common, but their effectiveness varies. To ensure you’re getting the most benefit from your product, look for a product that contains bakuchiol. Bakuchi- and Babchi-based products tend to be less effective (and could cause skin irritation).
S. Dhaliwal, I. Rybak, S.R. Ellis, M. Notay, M. Trivedi, W. Burney, A.R. Vaughn, M. Nguyen, P. Reiter, S. Bosanac et alia
British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 180, Issue 2, 1 February 2019, Pages 289–296, https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16918
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