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Study summary · Skin, hair & photoaging

Can bakuchiol provide similar anti-aging benefits to retinol with fewer side effects?

In one paragraph

Bakuchiol Retinol-Alternative Cream, a randomized trial in 44 patients (Br J Dermatol 2018, PMID 29947134) — both bakuchiol and retinol significantly reduced wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, with no statistical difference in efficacy between the two compounds. Scope: 44 patients, and the abstract states no limitations.

Source: Br J Dermatol 2018, PMID 29947134 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low

Br J Dermatol · 2018 · PMID 29947134 · DOI 10.1111/bjd.16918

Plain-English summary written and published by Magellan Longevity · medical review by Gabriel Radu, DO (physiatrist, NPI 1376861765). We summarize what the paper reported — we did not run this study.

The takeaway

Bakuchiol is as effective as retinol for reducing wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, but causes less irritation.

The question

Can bakuchiol provide similar anti-aging benefits to retinol with fewer side effects?

What they tested

Bakuchiol will demonstrate comparable efficacy to retinol in improving signs of facial aging, but with a better tolerability profile.

How they did it

This was a 12-week, randomized, double-blind study involving 44 patients. Participants applied either 0.5% bakuchiol cream twice daily or 0.5% retinol cream daily. Facial photographs were analyzed at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. Patients also completed tolerability assessments, and a blinded dermatologist graded pigmentation and redness during visits.

What they found

Both bakuchiol and retinol significantly reduced wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, with no statistical difference in efficacy between the two compounds. Retinol users reported more instances of facial skin scaling and stinging compared to bakuchiol users.

What it means

Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol in improving photoaging and is better tolerated, suggesting it could be a promising alternative to retinol.

Limitations

The abstract does not explicitly state any limitations of the study.

Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.

“bakuchiol is comparable with retinol in improving photoageing and is better tolerated”— from the published abstract, Br J Dermatol 2018

The paper at a glance

Magellan’s evidence labelretinoid-mimicking gene expression (our label for this citation — see PubMed for the paper’s own title and authors)
JournalBr J Dermatol
Year2018
PMID29947134 ↗
DOI10.1111/bjd.16918 ↗
TopicSkin, hair & photoaging

Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗

Where Magellan uses this paper

This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.

Bakuchiol Retinol-Alternative Cream

A 12-week randomized, double-blind trial found topical bakuchiol comparable to retinol for reducing wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while causing less scaling and stinging, and additional clinical and laboratory studies report benefits for photoaging, acne, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Bakuchiol Retinol-Alternative Cream

Bakuchiol is a meroterpene phenol extracted from the seeds and leaves of the plant Psoralea corylifolia…

Check price on Amazon ↗

Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.

Molecules & mechanisms in this paper

Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.

Retinoids

Cite this page

These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.

APA
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Can bakuchiol provide similar anti-aging benefits to retinol with fewer side effects? [Plain-English summary of Br J Dermatol 2018, PMID 29947134, DOI 10.1111/bjd.16918]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s181.html
BibTeX
@misc{magellan_s181, title = {Can bakuchiol provide similar anti-aging benefits to retinol with fewer side effects?}, author = {{Magellan Longevity}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s181.html}}, note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 29947134; DOI 10.1111/bjd.16918; Br J Dermatol 2018. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO}, urldate = {2026-08-11} }
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How this summary was made. Every section above restates what the published abstract of PMID 29947134 reports — the question, the design, the numbers, the authors’ own conclusion and their stated limitations. We do not add claims the paper did not make, and we keep negative and no-effect findings in. Magellan’s evidence grades are set from research like this and never from affiliate commissions.

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Educational information, not medical advice. This is a plain-English summary of published research; it is not a treatment recommendation and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual studies can be wrong, and a single paper rarely settles a question. Talk to your physician before acting on any research, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.