BEAUTY & GROOMING

Why hasn’t bakuchiol become mainstream yet?

By Ria Bhatia
08 January, 2023

While trend reports predicted bakuchiol to be the ‘it’ ingredient for 2022, retinol stymied its natural alternative’s growth. We speak with industry experts to know more

A report by UK-based consumer data portal Hey Discount revealed that retinol was the biggest beauty trend in 2022, topping the TikTok beauty trend charts with a whopping 1.2 billion views, over 92,75,000 Google searches and the hashtag #retinol gaining more than 6,35,000 posts. According to another report, the global market of retinoids (more potent concentrations of retinol) was estimated at $1.5 billion in 2022 and expected to grow at 5.4 per cent annually, with India being amongst the top markets demanding the active. While retinol has existed in the market for some years now, it garnered limelight in 2022. However, in 2022, several editorial and industry reports declared 2022 as the year of bakuchiol; that “boom” never saw the light of day. While a handful of products championing bakuchiol were launched, retinol’s supremacy eclipsed the former’s projected growth. We speak to industry experts to understand what’s impeding bakuchiol’s flourishment.

Bakuchiol Slip, the newest launch of Deepika Padukone co-founded 82°E, features a combination of bakuchiol and squalane with a lightweight texture that is perfect for both—AM and PM wear

“It is a powerful antioxidant, effective at targeting fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone,”says Prachi Bhandari

What is bakuchiol?

“Bakuchiol is an active isolated from bakuchi seeds. The bakuchi (also called babchi and bavancha) plant journeyed from being an ancient—and rather common—Ayurvedic medicinal herb to a household staple for skincare. Particularly in the South [India], almost all the homemade ubtans or cleansing powders have bavanchalu seeds, or its powder as a core ingredient for smoothening the skin,” shares Prasanthy Gurugubelli, founder, Daughter Earth. Charaka Samhita, a book based on Ayurveda, talks about using the babchi plant and its oil in the treatment of skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis.

A large share of bakuchiol’s recognition is explicitly attributed to its gentle and facile characteristics that don’t irritate the skin while imitating the functions of retinol. Prachi Bhandari, co-founder, AMINU, enumerates the slew of benefits that bakuchiol offers. “It is a powerful antioxidant, effective at targeting fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone. It triggers the genetic pathway in skin cells to create several types of collagen that are useful in skin health and for better ageing. It deeply penetrates into the skin to lessen the appearance of dark spots, without causing stubborn dryness or irritation. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, and aids in skin elasticity, firmness, smoothness, texture, clarity and radiance.”

“THOUGH PEOPLE CALL IT A PLANT-BASED RETINOID (OR RETINOL), STRUCTURALLY SPEAKING, BAKUCHIOL IS NOT RETINOL. HOWEVER, FUNCTIONALLY, IT HAS RETINOID-LIKE PROPERTIES, BASED ON THE EMERGING, THOUGH LIMITED, DATA SO FAR”
Dr Renita Rajan

Diipa Khosla-founded indē wild's PM serum is an oil-based one that contains 1 per cent bakuchiol with peptides and squlane, making it an effective nourishing, repairing and anti-ageing solution, appropriate for your nighttime skincare routine

Bakuchiol v/s retinol

Despite bakuchiol’s skin-benefiting record, the awareness around it is still  very limited. It is touted as a plant-based alternative to retinol but we’re not sure if that’s all it has to offer. And, can it really mirror retinol? “Though people call it a plant-based retinoid (or retinol), structurally speaking, bakuchiol is not retinol. However, functionally, it has retinoid-like properties, based on the emerging, though limited, data so far,” says Dr Renita Rajan, dermatologist, RENDER Skin & Hair.

Bhandari reveals that bakuchiol’s utility in the skincare space only began in 2007 whereas the data for retinol’s initial employment dates back to 1984, indicating that the latter is backed by substantial evidence with a much higher margin. According to Gurugubelli, several botanicals perform several functions but bakuchiol comes closest to that of retinol. “It is like a retinol without the side-effects of a retinol and therefore marketed as such,” she affirms. 

Prachi Bhandari reveals that bakuchiol’s utility in the skincare space only began in 2007 whereas the data for retinol’s initial employment dates back to 1984

"It’s also important to note that if you have sensitive skin or are pregnant, bakuchiol is a safe and effective alternative to retinol," says Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta

While unlike retinol, bakuchiol is an all-embracing ingredient, the core reason behind its restrained perception and apprehension from the customer is because of the way it has been marketed—just a plant-based retinol. Is there more to the ingredient? Perhaps. Has that ever been merchandised? Not really. “Bakuchiol has no retinoid structure. It belongs to the terpene or phenol (two types of aromatic plant compounds) class. Rather, what it is, is a retinol analogue. It can work in ways similar to that of the retinol within the cell. I think with a little more data, bakuchiol itself can be a fairly useful ingredient. But it is marketed as a plant-based retinol alternative simply because retinol is trending,” says Rajan, highlighting how the lack of awareness and studies pertaining to bakuchiol and the popularity of retinol are interconnected.

Will bakuchiol take centre stage in 2023?

Industry experts are still on the fence about bakuchiol’s status in 2023. “It is too early to say whether bakuchiol would compare to something as established as retinol. With the former, the studies are not as long-term yet, but that’s also because the ingredient is relatively new. Retinol is very easily available and accessible, so people may just go with something that’s trending, rather than think of something that’s an equivalent,” believes Rajan. “Having said that, I do feel bakuchiol may probably be reasonably relevant to niche users, who prefer plant-based ingredients over synthetic ones,” she adds. 

According to Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, “Although bakuchiol has gained popularity as a vegan alternative to retinol, it is very early to say whether it would take centre stage in 2023 or not. As of now, I can only say that it has the potential to become a gold-standard vegan alternative to retinol, but even this can likely change over time. It’s also important to note that if you have sensitive skin or are pregnant, bakuchiol is a safe and effective alternative to retinol, so the prediction is tilted more towards the positive side.”

“Although bakuchiol has gained popularity as a vegan alternative to retinol, it is very early to say whether it would take centre stage in 2023 or not,” says Dr Gupta

The market forecasts are in consensus with Mittal Gupta as the global bakuchiol market, valued at $5.1 million in 2021, is expected to touch $7.3 million by 2028 at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 6.3 per cent between 2022-2028. Gurugubelli advises betting on the formulations as a whole and not just one ingredient. “An active is only as good as the final formulation. Bakuchiol is a great ingredient and at Daughter Earth, our formulators love it because we can use it across skin and make-up. But it is just one of several ingredients that maketh the formula. So the centre stage should always be given to the final formula, not an ingredient,” she concludes.

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