What Is

Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is a natural compound extracted from the seeds of the plant Psoralea corylifolia, commonly known as babchi.

Bakuchiol is gaining popularity in the skincare world due to its natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. It’s often used as a natural alternative to retinol, as it has similar effects but is less irritating to the skin.

Plant Profile

Family: Leguminosae

Subfamily: Papilionaceae

Genus: Psoralea

Species: Corylifolia

Bakuchiol belongs to the terpenophenol class of meroterpenes, which are chemical compounds with a partial terpenoid structure.

It was first isolated in 1966 by Mehta et al. from Babchi seed and was called Bakuchiol based on the plant’s Sanskrit name, Bakuchi.

Psoralea corylifolia is a wild leguminous plant that grows from 60-100 cm and takes 7 to 8 months to reach maturity.

The seeds that contain Bakuchiol are wild-harvested between December and January.

Traditional uses

The Psoralea corylifolia plant is featured in both “The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India” (Part- I Volume – I) published by the Department of Ayush, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and “Common Medicinal Plants of Ayurveda” at the National Health Portal.

The whole plant treats various conditions like laxatives, aphrodisiacs, and diuretics.

But the seeds, commonly called Babchi seeds, have significant medicinal properties, particularly for skin diseases. It has been used both topically and internally to treat leucoderma or psoriasis, or leprosy.

The plant’s seeds are rich in coumarins, including psoralen, a substance frequently used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine to treat various ailments but unsuitable for topical use.

Bakuchiol in cosmetics

Bakuchiol belongs to the terpenophenol class of meroterpenes, which are chemical compounds with a partial terpenoid structure.

It was first isolated in 1966 by Mehta et al. from Babchi seed and was called Bakuchiol based on the plant’s Sanskrit name, Bakuchi.

Unfortunately, Babchi seeds extract cannot be used in cosmetics due to the presence of phototoxic phytocompounds. That’s why, despite showing many physiological properties and being known for over 45 years, Bakuchiol’s first commerce use in topical applications didn’t happen until 2007. That’s when Sytenol® A was introduced to the market as a 99%+ pure alternative to Babchi seeds extract.
Since it’s free from any unwanted compounds, Sytenol® A is the only version of Bakuchiol registered by the European Union’s REACH  regulation (EC # 685-515-4), which ensures its safety for use in cosmetics and its ability to protect human health and the environment, notably in cosmetics.

Your customers deserve the real thing

Sytenol® A is The Real Bakuchiol that reduces wrinkles, photoaging and hyperpigmentation as efficiently as retinol, but with a better skin tolerance.