Supplement
Bakuchi is the seed of Psoralea corylifolia, a plant from traditional medicine that yields bakuchiol, a compound used in skin care as a plant-based alternative to retinol. For skin health the evidence is moderate: in a 12-week trial, wrinkles and pigmentation both improved about as much as with retinol, with less scaling and stinging. That trial included only 44 people, and vitiligo and psoriasis research is very limited, with psoriasis tested only in mice.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 12 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 3
- Outcomes
- 5
- Graded outcomes
- 0302
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrinkle Surface Area RCT (PMID: 29947134): 0.5% bakuchiol twice daily comparable to 0.5% retinol at 12 weeks; significant wrinkle reduction (p<0.05) | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 44 people | |||
| Hyperpigmentation Significant improvement in pigment intensity and surface area at 12 weeks; no statistical difference from retinol | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 44 people | |||
| Tolerability (Scaling/Stinging) Bakuchiol significantly better tolerated than retinol - less scaling and stinging at all timepoints | Changes; see studies | Moderate effect | 44 people |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repigmentation (VASI) Pilot trial: P. corylifolia MT showed trend toward improvement in vitiligo; definitive conclusions not possible | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 60 people |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antipsoriatic Activity Mouse tail model: 75.87% antipsoriatic activity vs 87.94% for tazarot gel; preclinical only | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect |
Key findings
- Wrinkle Surface AreaImproves (the measure goes down)
- HyperpigmentationImproves (the measure goes down)
- Tolerability (Scaling/Stinging)Changes; see studies
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Bakuchi products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade B
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Studies cited
12 studies from PubMed
- Applications of bakuchiol in dermatology: Systematic review of the literature
- Multidirectional activity of bakuchiol against cellular mechanisms of facial ageing - Experimental evidence for a holistic treatment approach
- Psoralea corylifolia L: Ethnobotanical, biological, and chemical aspects: A review
- Corylin, a flavonoid derived from Psoralea Fructus, induces osteoblastic differentiation via estrogen and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways
- Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing
- Bakuchiol: a retinol-like functional compound revealed by gene expression profiling and clinically proven to have anti-aging effects
- Osteoblasts proliferation and differentiation stimulating activities of the main components of Fructus Psoraleae corylifoliae
- Neobavaisoflavone stimulates osteogenesis via p38-mediated up-regulation of transcription factors and osteoid genes expression in MC3T3-E1 cells
- Psoralen stimulates osteoblast differentiation through activation of BMP signaling
- Phytoestrogens from Psoralea corylifolia reveal estrogen receptor-subtype selectivity
- Psoralen photochemotherapy (PUVA) is only moderately effective in widespread vitiligo: a 10-year retrospective study
- Treatment of vitiligo with UV-B radiation vs topical psoralen plus UV-A