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BAKUCHIOL 1.25%, RETINOL RESULTS WITHOUT RETINOL
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FREE SHIPPING
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SALE NOW ON
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BAKUCHIOL 1.25%, RETINOL RESULTS WITHOUT RETINOL
+
FREE SHIPPING
+
SALE NOW ON
+
BAKUCHIOL 1.25%, RETINOL RESULTS WITHOUT RETINOL
+
FREE SHIPPING
+
SALE NOW ON
+
BAKUCHIOL 1.25%, RETINOL RESULTS WITHOUT RETINOL
+
FREE SHIPPING
+
SALE NOW ON
+
BAKUCHIOL 1.25%, RETINOL RESULTS WITHOUT RETINOL
+
FREE SHIPPING
+
SALE NOW ON
+
BAKUCHIOL 1.25%, RETINOL RESULTS WITHOUT RETINOL
+
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, product image
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, key ingredients
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, what to expect
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, lifestyle
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, benefits
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, how to use
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, product image
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, key ingredients
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, what to expect
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, lifestyle
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, benefits
Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, how to use
  • ✨ Bakuchiol 1.25%
  • 👍 Nine ingredients
  • 🔄 No retinoids

Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, retinol results without retinol, for sensitive skin and during pregnancy

$33.00 $45.00 SAVE $12.00

Bakuchiol is the plant world's answer to retinol. In a twelve-week study of 44 participants, 0.5 percent bakuchiol twice daily matched 0.5 percent retinol on wrinkles and dark spots, with less scaling and stinging. This oil serum carries 1.25 percent bakuchiol as its second ingredient in a formula of only nine: sunflower, sacha inchi and olive oil for the barrier, centella asiatica to calm, undecylenoyl phenylalanine to dampen melanin production, and vitamin E to protect the oils. No water, no fragrance, no preservative, no retinoids. Six drops morning and night after cleansing, before moisturiser. For skin that cannot take retinol, during pregnancy and breastfeeding after a word with your midwife, or for anyone who wants results without going red. The serum is an oil: press it in and give it a minute. 30 ml, about 100 uses.
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Is this serum right for my skin?

Fine lines, uneven tone, sensitive skin or a pregnancy. Find out whether the serum is right for your concern, in 30 seconds.

Find your skin solution

Choose your skin concern and we will show how the serum targets it.

Skin concern

Fine lines and the first wrinkles

Bakuchiol acts on the same genes as retinol and, in a 12-week study, reduced wrinkle surface as much as 0.5 percent retinol. Six drops morning and night, results at twelve weeks.

THIS SERUM WAS MADE FOR YOU →

Skin that scales or stings from retinoids

The serum contains no retinoids. In the comparison study the retinol group reported more scaling and stinging, the bakuchiol group less. An alternative for skin that says no.

THIS SERUM WAS MADE FOR YOU →

Want to keep something for lines

No retinoids, and many people choose bakuchiol during pregnancy and breastfeeding. There are no specific studies in pregnancy, so ask your midwife before you start.

THIS SERUM WAS MADE FOR YOU →

Patchy tone and marks

Bakuchiol lightened dark spots as much as retinol in the study, and undecylenoyl phenylalanine dampens the signal for melanin production. Pair with sunscreen by day.

THIS SERUM WAS MADE FOR YOU →

Easily irritated skin with redness

Centella asiatica calms, sacha inchi and sunflower oil build the barrier. Several users with rosacea describe the serum as calming, but always patch test first.

THIS SERUM WAS MADE FOR YOU →

Oily or acne-prone skin

The serum is a pure oil. Use it at night only, start every second night with three drops and watch how the skin responds for two weeks. If you get blackheads, it is not the right step for you.

THIS SERUM WAS MADE FOR YOU →

What the serum does for your skin:

  • Smooths fine lines and wrinkles, matching retinol in a 12-week study
  • Gives more even tone and texture without scaling and stinging
  • Dampens melanin production with undecylenoyl phenylalanine
  • Calms redness with centella asiatica and builds the barrier with sacha inchi oil
  • Nine ingredients, no water, fragrance, preservative or silicone
  • No retinoids, an alternative during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Bakuchiol 1.25%
Nine ingredients
No retinoids

Full ingredient list

Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bakuchiol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Krameria Triandra Root Extract, Tocopherol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine

RESULTS WEEK BY WEEK

Week 2 to 4

After two to four weeks the skin feels softer and more hydrated from the oils. The lines look the same, and that is normal.

Week 2 to 4

Week 8

After eight weeks the tone looks more even and the skin plumper, without the scaling a retinoid would have caused.

Week 8

Week 12

The bakuchiol study runs twelve weeks. That is when reduced wrinkle surface and lighter spots were measured, on a par with retinol. Keep going, the result builds.

Week 12

THREE REASONS TO CHOOSE THE SERUM

Bakuchiol & Evidence

In a randomised double-blind study of 44 participants, bakuchiol matched retinol over twelve weeks, with less scaling and stinging.

Bakuchiol & Evidence

Nine ingredients & Nothing extra

Nine ingredients, with bakuchiol as the second. No water, no fragrance, no preservative, no silicone, no retinoids.

Nine ingredients & Nothing extra

Calm & Barrier

Centella calms, sacha inchi oil builds the barrier, undecylenoyl phenylalanine evens the tone and vitamin E protects the oils.

Calm & Barrier

The ingredients, explained by the research

Bakuchiol versus retinol
Bakuchiol 0.5%
Undecylenoyl phenylalanine
Pregnancy
Bakuchiol versus retinol
Bakuchiol 0.5%
Undecylenoyl phenylalanine
Pregnancy

"Bakuchiol is comparable with retinol in its ability to improve photoageing and is better tolerated than retinol."

Bakuchiol versus retinol

Dhaliwal et al., British Journal of Dermatology 2019, 44 participants, 12 weeks

"After 12 weeks there was significant improvement in lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity and firmness, without the usual retinol side effects."

Bakuchiol 0.5%

Chaudhuri and Bojanowski, International Journal of Cosmetic Science 2014

"Undecylenoyl phenylalanine 2 percent achieved a significant lightening of solar lentigines with minimal side effects."

Undecylenoyl phenylalanine

Katoulis et al., 2010, 36 patients, 12 weeks

"Bakuchiol is generally considered safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but always consult your doctor or midwife before starting."

Pregnancy

The manufacturer's own guidance

YOUR CONCERNS, ANSWERED

Which skin problems does it address?

The serum is formulated for skin that wants retinol's results without retinol: fine lines, uneven tone and texture, sensitive skin and pregnancy.

HOW WE SOLVE IT

Retinol's results, without retinol.

Bakuchiol acts on the same genes as retinol and reduced wrinkle surface as much as 0.5 percent retinol over twelve weeks in a study of 44 participants.

THREE WAYS THE SERUM SMOOTHS SKIN

Retinol binds to the skin's retinoid receptors and speeds cell renewal, which gives results but also scaling and stinging. Bakuchiol does not bind to the receptors.

Bakuchiol still acts on the same genes as retinol in gene expression studies, and in the randomised double-blind study 0.5 percent gave the same reduction in wrinkle surface and pigment as 0.5 percent retinol. The serum contains 1.25 percent.

44
PARTICIPANTS IN THE COMPARISON STUDY, 12 WEEKS
1.25%
BAKUCHIOL, PER THE MANUFACTURER

Bakuchiol is comparable with retinol in its ability to improve photoageing and is better tolerated. Dhaliwal et al. 2019.

HOW THE FORMULA WORKS

The hormone alpha-MSH is one of the signals that makes melanocytes produce pigment. Block the signal and less pigment forms.

Undecylenoyl phenylalanine is an amino acid derivative that blocks alpha-MSH at the receptor. At 2 percent, sun spots on the hands lightened in all 30 who completed the study. The amount in the serum is not published.

36
PATIENTS IN THE STUDY, 12 WEEKS
63%
MODERATE AND 37% MARKED LIGHTENING

Undecylenoyl phenylalanine 2 percent may represent a safe, effective and inexpensive alternative for solar lentigines. Katoulis et al. 2010.

HOW THE FORMULA WORKS

Retinoid routines often dry the skin out. This serum is the opposite: no alcohol, no water, only oils and extracts.

Sacha inchi oil gives omega 3 and 6, sunflower and olive oil soften, centella calms and vitamin E protects. Six drops, pressed in with the palms, morning and night, with sunscreen by day.

9
INGREDIENTS, NO WATER, NO FRAGRANCE
6
DROPS A TIME, ABOUT 100 USES*

*Per the manufacturer. Patch test behind the ear for 48 hours the first time. Results vary.

HOW THE FORMULA WORKS

Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum, key ingredients

Every ingredient has a purpose

Nine ingredients: bakuchiol as the second, three plant oils for the barrier, centella to calm, undecylenoyl phenylalanine for tone, rhatany root and vitamin E to protect.

Bakuchiol, 1.25 percent per the manufacturer, extracted from the babchi seed (Psoralea corylifolia). Not a retinoid, but it acts on the same genes as retinol. In a randomised double-blind study of 44 participants, 0.5 percent over 12 weeks matched 0.5 percent retinol on wrinkles and pigment, with less scaling and stinging.

Benefits

  • Smoother fine lines
  • More even texture
  • Without retinol's sting

An amino acid derivative that blocks the alpha-MSH signal to melanocytes. In a study of 36 patients, 2 percent lightened sun spots on the hands over 12 weeks. The amount in the serum is not published.

Benefits

  • Dampens melanin production
  • More even tone
  • Supports the bakuchiol

Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, an Andean oil with about 45 percent alpha-linolenic and 35 percent linoleic acid, the omega 3 and omega 6 fats the barrier is built from.

Benefits

  • Builds the barrier
  • Softer skin
  • Omega 3 and 6

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, the leaf behind madecassoside and asiaticoside, which in the dermatology literature calm redness and support healing.

Benefits

  • Calms redness
  • Supports healing
  • Suits sensitive skin

Krameria Triandra Root Extract, a tannin-rich extract from a South American root that protects the oils and the skin against oxidation.

Benefits

  • Antioxidant
  • Protects the oils
  • Astringent

Tocopherol, which protects the unsaturated oils in the serum from going rancid and the skin from free radicals.

Benefits

  • Protects against free radicals
  • Keeps the serum fresh
  • Softer skin
Bakuchiol 1.25%
Nine ingredients
No retinoids
Morning and night

Korean Essence

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before you start with Korean Essence Bakuchiol 1.25% Smoothing Serum.

What is bakuchiol? +

Bakuchiol is a molecule from the seed of the babchi plant, Psoralea corylifolia. It is not a retinoid, but in studies it acts on the same genes as retinol and gives similar results on fine lines, texture and pigment, without retinol's scaling and stinging. The serum contains 1.25 percent per the manufacturer.

Is it as strong as retinol? +

In the study that compared them, 44 participants over 12 weeks, 0.5 percent bakuchiol twice daily matched 0.5 percent retinol on wrinkles and dark spots. Some users still find retinal more visibly firming. If you want a retinoid's power and can tolerate it, there is Retinal 0.1% Firming Serum. Bakuchiol is the choice when your skin or your situation says no to retinoids.

Can I use it while pregnant or breastfeeding? +

The serum contains no retinoids, and many people choose bakuchiol during pregnancy and breastfeeding. There are no specific safety studies in pregnancy, though, so ask your midwife before you start.

Why does it feel oily and take time to absorb? +

The serum is a pure oil with no water or silicone, and that is the most common remark in reviews of the original formula. Press six drops in with your palms instead of rubbing, and give it a minute before moisturiser. Oily or combination skin does best using it at night only.

Is it suitable for acne-prone skin? +

Oils do not suit all acne-prone skin, and some users of the original formula reported blackheads or small breakouts. Start every second night with three drops, keep it to nights, and watch how your skin responds over two weeks. Continue only if the skin stays calm.

How do I use the serum? +

Six drops in the palm, press over face, neck and décolletage on clean skin, morning and night. In the morning after vitamin C and before sunscreen, at night after toner and before moisturiser. Avoid the eyes.

Can the skin react? +

Bakuchiol and plant extracts can cause a reaction in a few people, and some users of the original formula reported itching or a rash. Patch test behind the ear for 48 hours the first time, and stop if the skin stings, itches or goes red.

How long does a bottle last? +

A 30 ml bottle gives about 100 uses at six drops a time per the manufacturer, about seven weeks morning and night, or three months if you use it at night only.

Can I use the serum together with retinol? +

Yes, but not in the same step. Use the bakuchiol serum on the nights you do not use retinol, or in the morning after vitamin C. Many find bakuchiol makes a retinol routine easier to tolerate. If you want a retinoid's power, Retinal 0.1% Firming Serum is in the range.