Can Indian seeds really roll back the years?

It’s the natural ingredient said to reduce wrinkles and calm blemishes. We put bakuchiol to the test (and reveal how to pronounce it...)

You may not know how to say it, but bakuchiol is the hottest thing in skincare. Pronounced ba-koo-chee-ol, this hard-working ingredient tackles the biggest beauty bugbears including wrinkles, brown spots, breakouts and inflammation.

Made from the seeds of the Indian babchi plant, it has been used to treat skin diseases for centuries — and now it’s hit cosmetics counters as a natural alternative to retinol.

‘While there’s no denying retinol is a gold-standard anti-ageing ingredient, bakuchiol is an exciting alternative,’ says Rebecca Hopkins, the co-founder of Balance Me.

‘It’s a clinically proven, plantbased substitute and can offer the same skin-smoothing benefits and efficacy as retinol without the skin sensitivity side-effects.’

While doctors don’t typically endorse natural ingredients, there’s clear science behind bakuchiol. ‘It is very welltolerated,’ says dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting, who uses bakuchiol in her Dr Sam’s Flawless Nightly Serum as well as her Flawless Body Therapy.

‘In a study in the British Journal of Dermatology, bakuchiol used twice daily at 0.5 per cent was found to be less irritating than retinol 0.5 per cent used at night (and just as effective), which is good news for those with sensitive skin,’ she says.

And it’s a serious contender for those with perimenopausal skin, which can swing between dry, sensitive and spotty. It not only tackles these issues, but also gives that anti-ageing action against wrinkles and sun damage that we want at this life stage.

If that weren’t enough, it is a powerful antioxidant, meaning it can help undo the ageing effects of stress and environmental damage while future-proofing skin against further harm.

So, where can you find this wonder worker? We tested seven serums and creams…

POWER PLUMPER

Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides, £45, lookfantastic.com WHAT IS IT? A lightweight oil serum for anyone who can’t tolerate retinol. HOW IT WORKS: With 1.25 per cent bakuchiol, this packs a wrinklesmoothing punch. I liked that it has peptides which tackle pigmentation, too. It’s scent-free and has buckets of calming ingredients such as aloe vera and centella asiatica. 8/10

BODY BRIGHTENER

Dr Sam’s Flawless Body Therapy, £29, drsambunting.com WHAT IS IT? A radianceboosting all-over anti-ageing serum. Because it’s so well tolerated, you can apply bakuchiol liberally in a body product. Lactic acid helps smooth rough patches, too. HOW IT WORKS: My dry skin lapped up this rich fragrance-free cream. It absorbs quickly and my bumpy arms felt smoother. I’m conscious of sun damage on my legs and am glad to have found a cream to tackle that. 9/10

SOOTHE ’N’ SMOOTH

Ole Henriksen Wrinkle Blur Bakuchiol Eye Gel Creme, £42, boots.com WHAT IS IT? A lavendercoloured cream with ‘ribbons’ of bakuchiol that mix with blurring peptides and orchid stem cells as you pump. HOW IT WORKS: I’m all for bakuchiol around the eyes, as the fine skin shows signs of ageing first. The gel is light, although I’m not convinced the purple tint corrected my dark circles as claimed. A subtle lemon smell makes this a joy to use. 6/10

MINDFUL SKIN

Keys Soulcare Skin Transformation Cream, £30, cult beauty.co.uk WHAT IS IT? u.S. singer Alicia Keys’s new beauty range marries mindfulness and moisturisers.

This calming face cream also contains malachite, a healing crystal used by the ancient Egyptians to soothe the spirit as well as the skin.

HOW IT WORKS: Woo-woo rituals aside, this cream has proven glow-getting ingredients such as hydrating hyaluronic acid and moisture-locking ceramides, thanks to the top dermatologist who formulated it. It sinks in beautifully, too. 7/10

EASY-USE BOOSTER

Trilogy Bakuchiol+ Booster Treatment, £29.50, trilogy products.co.uk WHAT IS IT? one of the most potent in our selection, this contains four per cent bakuchiol. Apply a couple of drops directly to your skin or mixed in with your serum or body lotion. HOW IT WORKS: I got only around two weeks of daily use with this small but mighty oil, but liked the fact that bakuchiol doesn’t clash with any other skincare, so this could be slotted into my existing creams as a booster. It has a mild aromatherapy smell, too. 6/10

FEEL-GOOD FAVE

Balance Me Bakuchiol Smoothing Serum, £32, balanceme.com WHAT IS IT? With a respectable one per cent bakuchiol, this wrinklesmoothing serum contains terminalia chebula fruit to guard against skin-damaging blue light from screens.

It is also packed with antioxidant cacay oil; rosehip and buriti oils, which are both rich in vitamin A; and hyaluronic acid.

HOW IT WORKS: This has been a favourite of mine since it launched last summer.

It smells divine and feels so smooth you want to keep using it day and night. It’s the perfect combination of oil, moisture and effective anti-ageing — and it’s sustainable, too. Feel-good and good value. 9/10

MIGHTY ANTI-AGER

This Works My Wrinkles CBD Booster + Bakuchiol, £38, spacenk.com WHAT IS IT? This Works is all about calming your skin and your mind, and this combination of anti-inflammatory CBD (cannabidiol) and four per cent bakuchiol is perfect for older skin that’s in need of soothing and wrinkle-smoothing. HOW IT WORKS: If you like This Works’s award-winning pillow spray, you will absolutely love the hint of soothing lavender in this watery booster.

I put it neat on my decolletage, where I have hefty damage in need of brightening, and where it released its subtle, pleasing scent. 8/10