Pure bakuchiol

Naturally extracted, high-purity bakuchiol with COSMOS APPROVED status. Minimum purity of 99 %, expressed as area percentage. Supplied as a concentrated raw material for cosmetic formulation, rather than a finished serum or cream or for direct application to the skin.

Obtained by natural extraction, without fermentation. Country of origin: China. It is a viscous liquid ranging from honey-coloured to light brown. Its documented functions are astringent, skin conditioning, skin protecting and moisturising; these do not in themselves demonstrate the clinical efficacy of the finished cosmetic.

A little history

Bakuchiol comes from babchi (Psoralea corylifolia), a plant from India and China whose seeds have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. In Sanskrit it is called bakuchi. In 1966, three Indian chemists, Mehta, Nayak and Dev, isolated a previously undescribed molecule from these seeds and named it bakuchiol after the plant. It is the most abundant compound in the seed.

The seed also contains psoralens, molecules that can irritate and burn the skin when exposed to sunlight. This is why they must be separated from bakuchiol during purification.

Is it similar to retinol?

Structurally, no: bakuchiol is not a retinoid, but a molecule from another family. It entered cosmetics in 2007. In 2014, a study using laboratory-grown skin found that it changed the activity of many genes in a similar way to retinol, although it did not activate the genes for two retinoid receptors that retinol did activate.

In 2019, dermatologists in California compared, over 12 weeks, a 0,5 % bakuchiol cream with a 0,5 % retinol cream in 44 people, with neither the participants nor the dermatologist knowing which cream each person was using. Both improved the appearance of wrinkles and pigmentation, with no significant differences between them, and retinol caused more scaling and stinging. The study was small and short, and bakuchiol was applied twice a day whereas retinol was applied once: larger studies are needed.

COSMOS APPROVED: scope of the approval

The Bakuchiol raw material has an attestation of approval issued by Ecocert Greenlife under version 4 of the COSMOS standard, with stated validity until 31 December 2026. This status applies to raw materials approved for use in COSMOS-certified cosmetics. It does not mean that the ingredient is certified organic, and it does not certify MCC or a cosmetic formulated with it. It is not presented as COSMOS ORGANIC, COSMOS NATURAL or COSMOS CERTIFIED.

The approval parameters are PPAI 100 % (physically processed agro-ingredients), CPAI 0 % (chemically processed), NNI 0 % (non-natural ingredients) and PeMo 0 % (petrochemical moiety). They describe origin and processing under COSMOS; they are neither the active matter percentage nor an ISO 16128 index.

Origin and documentary declarations

• Vegan suitability: the product is declared to contain no animal components or derivatives, and none are used in its production. No independent vegan certification is claimed.
• GMOs: the declaration states the absence of genetically modified materials, raw materials of GMO origin and contact with them during production. This is not a batch analysis result.
• Fragrance allergens: there is a declaration of absence of the 81 substances or groups listed in the documentation received. Its scope is limited to that list; it does not mean a universal absence of allergens or support a claim that the product is hypoallergenic or non-sensitising.
• Animal testing: bakuchiol is declared not to have been tested on animals. The stated policy is not to carry out or commission such tests, except where required by law.
• Volatile organic compounds: these are declared not to be used in the production process; this is not equivalent to a zero-residue result and does not replace the specification limits for residual solvents.
• California Proposition 65: the documentation records a commitment to compliance and monitoring, rather than an analysis demonstrating the absence of all substances on its list.

Technical identification

• INCI: Bakuchiol.
• CAS: 10309-37-2.
• EC number: 685-515-4.
• Appearance: viscous liquid, honey-coloured to light brown.
• Density at 20 °C: 0,96 g/ml.
• Solubility: insoluble in water.

Quality specifications

• Purity, expressed as area percentage: minimum 99 %.
• Analytical identity: conforms to the reference standard.
• Psoralen and isopsoralen: maximum 25 ppm in the declared combined field; no individual limits or unspecified definition of a sum are assigned.
• Refractive index: 1,55 ± 0,02; measurement temperature not provided.
• Moisture: maximum 0,6 %.
• Sulphated ash: maximum 0,5 %.
• Residual solvents: methanol, ethyl acetate and hexanes, maximum 25 ppm each.
• Heavy metals: lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium, less than 1 ppm each.
• Aerobic microorganism count: maximum 100 UFC/g.
• Yeasts and moulds: maximum 10 UFC/g.
• Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans: absent in 1 g; Salmonella: absent in 10 g.

These values are specifications for the grade, rather than analytical results for a particular batch. The documentary declarations are likewise not equivalent to in-house testing and do not in themselves establish the conformity of the finished cosmetic.

How to incorporate it

The dosage, incorporation phase and processing conditions must be established for the formula being made. No verified dosage, incorporation temperature or pH range has been provided for this grade. Before scaling up, make a small test batch and check homogeneity, compatibility, stability and safety.

Responsible use: do not add directly to a finished cream without reformulating it and checking its stability and preservation. The ingredient does not replace any preservative system that the final product may need.

Storage

Keep the container tightly closed, between 10 and 30 °C, avoiding prolonged exposure to light and heat. Store in a dry, ventilated place. Avoid contact with strong acids and bases. Observe the specific expiry date indicated for the batch; the stated general stability does not authorise extending it.