Are you interested in safe and natural ways to improve your health? Bakuchiol has been used in traditional medicines for centuries. It’s often lauded as a replacement for retinol and may help give you smooth, beautiful skin. But this isn’t the only use for this compound. In fact, modern studies are starting to show that its benefits may go beyond skincare.
If you’re wondering if the benefits of this compound could help you, then here’s what you can use it for and how you can use it safely.
Bakuchiol has been getting a lot of attention in natural skincare circles lately. It’s a compound that’s found in the leaves and seeds of the babchi plant, otherwise known as psoralea corylifolia. This compound offers important benefits when it’s extracted and used as a concentrated, active ingredient. Alternatively, you can use the plant itself and enjoy the benefits of all the compounds that the plant contains.
Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine has studied this compound for thousands of years. Recently, medical researchers have started to pay attention to this plant and have found that it contains nearly 100 bioactive compounds, including bakuchiol.
Bakuchiol has a number of different uses in traditional medicine. And current research is now backing up some of these uses, though more testing is needed. This compound is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiaging. It’s also an antioxidant, which means that it helps to fight oxidative damage in the body.
This compound can be used to help with:
This compound has also been used in traditional medicines for specific health complaints such as:
This compound’s primary use in the modern world at the moment is in skincare. Bakuchiol works similar to retinal but has fewer side effects. Skin cream that uses this compound on its own or with babchi (the entire plant) can:
Bakuchiol is also high in antioxidants and may help protect the skin against UVA damage. It may also be beneficial to skin cells, causing skin to become bright and hydrated.
Bakuchiol may be an effective alternative to harsh mouthwashes, as studies show that it helps to fight against a wide range of microbes that can exist in the mouth.
Rat studies have shown that this compound may encourage cartilage regeneration in the knees. However, further studies are needed on the best ways to use this compound and on its safety for use in humans.
When you start taking bakuchiol, it will take a while for you to notice the effects. You should keep taking it for 6-12 weeks to see its effects, though you should notice some benefits around the 1-month mark.
This compound is generally very safe, though the babchi oil can irritate the skin if it isn’t diluted enough, so make sure you follow all the instructions that come with the product you buy. This product is thought to be safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, as there’s no evidence otherwise, but make sure you talk to your health care practitioner first before you start using it.
If you’re going to take bakuchiol for skincare, then your product should contain between 5 and 10 percent babchi oil, as this is less likely to cause skin irritation or photosensitivity. You can take this product internally as babachi oil or as babchi seeds that are whole or powdered.
Make sure you talk to your healthcare practitioner before taking these supplements, as they aren’t for everyone. Generally, sources recommend 3-4 drops of the oil or 1-3 grams of babchi powder, but follow your health care practitioner’s directions.
Taking bakuchiol as a supplement or in skincare could be helpful for recovery from adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is caused by ongoing stress, a common complaint in the modern world. It leads to Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS), the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction, where the body's stress response cannot keep up with life's chronic stressors. When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands release cortisol, which gives you the energy to respond to stress and helps protect you against damage.
Unfortunately, when your cortisol levels remain too high for too long, it can cause the adrenal glands to become fatigued, leading to AFS. Just remember that everyone’s tolerance for stress is different, so your body may break down under conditions that someone else’s would be able to handle easily.
As the adrenals fatigue, you may start to experience symptoms that seem to come from every part of your body. This is because high cortisol levels impact every circuit in your body. There are six circuits in the body composed of related organs and systems. These circuits change when cortisol levels are high, to help you survive the cause of the stress. But when your cortisol levels remain high, the circuits can’t go back to their normal level of functioning.
Over time, this abnormal level of functioning can cause symptoms from infertility to brain fog, weight gain, hormonal changes, and mood swings. Which symptoms you have depends on which circuits are having the most problems. Many find it difficult to alleviate these symptoms, as they're caused by long-term imbalances. However, natural remedies like bakuchiol may be able to help with this process. Here’s how:
Ongoing or concurrent infections are very common in adrenal fatigue as the immune system becomes dysfunctional. Using bakuchiol may help to gently and safely relieve infections in the mouth, which will help to reduce this problem.
Inflammation is a natural process that’s designed to help protect your body from damage. But when it becomes chronic, as it is when you have AFS, it can lead to a variety of health problems. This compound may help eliminate or reduce some level of inflammation, which may help protect you against long-term effects. It can also help reduce some of the stress in your body, which is key to recovering from adrenal fatigue.
People with adrenal fatigue often experience skin problems such as acne or early aging due to thyroid dysfunction and hormonal imbalances. However, if you use harsh products to correct these problems, you will only be more at risk of having reactions or actually worsening the problems.
Gentle products like babchi may be able to help reduce skin problems without causing side effects. And if you know that your skin looks better, you’ll feel better, which is important because mindset is vital to controlling stress levels and boosting wellness.
When you have adrenal fatigue, the processes in your body that help you detoxify and get rid of dangerous substances can slow down. This can leave your body filled with free radicals and other harmful substances. Because this compound is an antioxidant, it may help to reduce free radical numbers, which may help decrease oxidative damage and prevent premature aging.
Natural products can be very helpful in your adrenal fatigue recovery process. This is because natural products can help to support your body safely and gently, without the harsh side effects of conventional medications.
However, it’s important to be aware that supplements can be very powerful and cause side effects when used, particularly if you have adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue can leave your body fragile and prone to unexpected reactions and paradoxical reactions. This will only cause more stress, which will worsen your underlying condition. That’s why it’s so important that you get help from a healthcare practitioner before taking any supplements when you have adrenal fatigue.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived compound that’s showing promise for skincare and for other aspects of health. Safe and natural, it’s gentle on the skin, easy to use, and generally has few side effects when used externally. If you’re interested in trying out this compound, then here’s a quick guide to using it safely:
For more natural remedies to common health concerns, then talk to our team for personalized guidance on supplements and natural remedies that may benefit your specific condition. We offer a free, no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss your symptoms and various options. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
Chaudhuri R K, Bojanowski K, ‘Bakuchiol: a retinol-like functional compound revealed by gene expression profiling and clinically proven to have anti-aging effects’, Int J Cosmet Sci, no. 36, vol. 3, 2014, pp. 221-30. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24471735/
Dhaliwal S, Rybak I, Ellis S R, et al., ‘Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing’, Br J Dermatol, no. 180, vol. 2, 2019, pp. 289-296. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29947134/
Head, Kathleen A, & Kelly, Gregory, S, ‘Nutrients and botanicals for treatment of stress: adrenal fatigue, neurotransmitter imbalance, anxiety, and restless sleep’, Alternative Medical Review, vol. 14, no. 2, 2009, pp. 114-40. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19594222/
Bakuchiol is a compound that’s found in the babchi plant. It’s been used in traditional medicine traditions for thousands of years and now it’s rising in popularity in the natural skincare field. But the benefits of this compound go beyond just skincare.
