Bakuchiol with antibacterial, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties useful in psoriasis and vitiligo

• This is a systematic review of PubMed.
• The search terms used were [“Bakuchiol” and “Dermatology”] or [“Bakuchiol” and “Skin”].
• There were 16 pre-clinical studies, seven clinical studies, three commentaries, two narrative reviews, and one adverse event report.

The researchers said that BAK:

• Has been studied for its effects on photoaging, acne, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH).
• It has beneficial results comparable to those achieved by topical retinoids.
• It has no structural resemblance to retinoids but can function as a retinol analog, through retinol-like regulation of gene expression.
• In vivo studies mentioned that when BAK was used alone or in combination with other products, it significantly reduced photodamage, hyperpigmentation, wrinkle scores, and acne severity.
• It has anti-cancer properties.
• It inhibits epidermal growth factor-induced neoplastic cell transformation.
• It has applications in psoriasis because it normalizes keratinocyte activity and in pigmentary disorders. This is due to the inhibition of melanogenesis.
• One adverse event case report of contact dermatitis is mentioned in the literature.

To conclude, Bakuchiol is a retinol alternative with antibacterial, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, further studies are required to understand its applications in dermatology.

Further reading

Puyana, Carolina, et al. “Applications of Bakuchiol in Dermatology: Systematic Review of the Literature.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, vol. 21, no. 12, Wiley, Oct. 2022, pp. 6636–43. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.15420.