23 years old Bakuchiol A Cream Versus The INKEY List Bakuchiol Moisturizer

23 years old Bakuchiol A Cream Versus The INKEY List Bakuchiol Moisturizer

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Bakuchiol and Niacinamide to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Bakuchiol and Squalane to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cyclopentasiloxane

Panthenol

Dimethicone

1,2-Hexanediol

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Niacinamide

Squalane

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Cetearyl Olivate

Polyacrylate-13

Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate

Sorbitan Olivate

Cetyl Alcohol

Bakuchiol

Glyceryl Stearate

Butylene Glycol

Polyisobutene

Methylpropanediol

Behenyl Alcohol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Stearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Polyacrylate

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Glycosyl Trehalose

Sorbitan Diisostearate

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Xanthan Gum

Adenosine

Raffinose

Cholesterol

Lecithin

Disodium EDTA

Ceramide NP

Polyquaternium-51

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Tocopherol

Polysorbate 60

Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl/Isostearyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Polysorbate 20

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Panthenol, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Niacinamide, Squalane, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, Bakuchiol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Polyisobutene, Methylpropanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycosyl Trehalose, Sorbitan Diisostearate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Raffinose, Cholesterol, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Ceramide NP, Polyquaternium-51, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Tocopherol, Polysorbate 60, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl/Isostearyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin

Propanediol

Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Caproyl Prolinate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Carbomer

Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Phytic Acid

Glyceryl Polyacrylate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Propanediol, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Bakuchiol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Caproyl Prolinate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polysorbate 60, Phytic Acid, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.

You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:

1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV) 2) activate the same genes retinoids do

Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).

The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.

Systematic reviews also back this up:

Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.

The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.

This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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