Bakuchiol has firmly established itself in the minds of consumers and beauty media as a “plant-based alternative to retinol.” On packaging, in influencer posts, in glossy ads—this phrase is repeated like a mantra: gentle retinol without irritation. But dig deeper, and the story becomes much more ambiguous.
Where did this comparison come from?
It all goes back to a 2014 article by Chaudhuri and Bojanowski in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science: “Bakuchiol: A Retinol-Like Functional Compound Identified by Gene Expression Analysis and Clinically Proven to Have Anti-Aging Activity.” (from PubMed)
The researchers found that bakuchiol and retinol elicit similar gene expression changes in the skin: increased collagen levels, decreased matrix degradation, and wrinkle smoothing. But they also acknowledged the obvious: a lack of structural similarity and a lack of shared receptors. In other words, functional similarity, not biological identity.
Retinoids work by binding to retinoic acid receptors—like a key fitting into a lock—and signaling the skin to renew itself. Think of caffeine and adenosine: caffeine is structurally similar enough to block adenosine receptors, which is why it keeps you awake.
Bakuchiol doesn’t do this. The skin doesn’t “perceive” it like retinol. It binds to different receptors and acts through different pathways. Of course, the results overlap—increased firmness, reduced wrinkles, a more even tone. But the same can be said for niacinamide, vitamin C, and resveratrol. And no one calls them “retinol alternatives.”
What has the clinical data shown?
In 2019, Dhaliwal et al. compared a cream with 0.5% bakuchiol and a cream with 0.5% retinol (PubMed). Both creams reduced wrinkles and pigmentation, but bakuchiol caused less irritation. A marketer’s dream and the reason “plant-based retinol” has so quickly taken hold in beauty culture.
A poetic, not scientific, analogy
So, bakuchiol is not “plant-based retinol” in the strict sense of the word. It’s a separate substance with overlapping effects, but an entirely different mechanism of action. The analogy makes for great headlines, but it’s more poetic than factual. To be fair, it’s better to explain it this way: bakuchiol isn’t retinol, but it can produce similar results, often in a milder form.
✨ At the Open Beauty Hub community, we explore how these beauty myths are born and how professionals can interpret them for clients: from flashy marketing to evidence-based reality.