A new ingredient has hit the concocting lab here at the Alpha Farm! While I’m a bit behind on posting and uploading products and pictures, I’ve been falling in love with this amazing active ingredient!
As with most ingredients, this plant-derived powerhouse has been likened to retinol. If you’ve used retinol, you know the harshness and side effects that come with the prescription and price tag.
Bakuchiol – from the Babchi plant -has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as Indian Ayurveda. While the Chinese and the Indians have used it for decades, it wasn’t on Western medicine’s radar until the early 70’s as an anti-cancer alternative. It wasn’t used topically until the early 2000’s!
Since it was used as an anti-cancer alternative in Eastern practices, Western medicine discovered that it had stellar antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-wrinkle properties. While it is not similar in structure to retinol, it behaves like retinol through its gene structure. It more similarly resembles and can be combined with Resveratrol – think red wine!
Another great property of Bakuchiol is that it is not photosensitizing. Unlike some active ingredients that you only want to use at night or under sunscreen, Bakuchiol is not photosensitizing. That means it will not draw unwanted UV rays or increase sunburn effects of the skin. It’s also versatile so it can be blended into a lovely, light summer serum or a thicker, moisture-rich cream.
Lastly, it’s a mild active ingredient that is great for sensitive skin and can be combined with other ingredients for a more powerful collagen boost!