Bakuchiol and niacinamide are often found in the same routine, and increasingly in the same jar. The question people ask is simple: can they be used together? The honest answer has two parts. Each has been studied on its own, in controlled trials. The pair, as a pair, has not.
Key takeaways
- In a 12-week randomized, double-blind study of 44 people, a 0.5% bakuchiol cream and a 0.5% retinol cream both reduced wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, with no statistical difference between them; the retinol group reported more scaling and stinging [1].
- In a 12-week, double-blind, split-face study of 50 women, a 5% niacinamide moisturizer improved the look of fine lines, spots, texture and sallowness compared with the same moisturizer without it [3].
- The two work through different routes, and nothing in the published research suggests they interfere with each other.
- No published clinical trial has compared bakuchiol plus niacinamide against either one alone. Where they appear together in a studied formula, other actives are present too [6].
- YJOR Age-Defying Face Cream contains both.
What bakuchiol has been shown to do
Bakuchiol is a compound from the seeds of the babchi plant (Psoralea corylifolia). It is not a retinoid, but it has been studied as an alternative to retinol for the look of aging skin.
The best-known trial was run at the University of California, Davis [1]. Forty-four people applied either a 0.5% bakuchiol cream twice a day or a 0.5% retinol cream once a day for 12 weeks, without knowing which they had. Photographs were analyzed at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Both groups showed a significant decrease in wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation, and the difference between the two was not statistically significant. The people using retinol reported more facial scaling and stinging.
A separate four-week study followed 60 women aged 40 to 65 with sensitive skin who used a cleanser and a moisturizer containing bakuchiol twice a day [2]. The products were well tolerated; investigators graded improvements in smoothness, clarity and radiance, and instrument readings showed a 16% increase in skin moisture on the cheek. That study tested a routine, not bakuchiol alone, and had no comparison group.
Read more in Bakuchiol vs Retinol: What the Research Shows.
What niacinamide has been shown to do
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. Its research record is longer and covers several separate effects.
In the 12-week split-face study mentioned above, 50 women aged 40 to 60 used a moisturizer with 5% niacinamide on one side of the face and the same moisturizer without it on the other [3]. The niacinamide side showed significant improvements in the look of fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, texture, red blotchiness and sallowness.
Laboratory work points to how. In cultured skin cells, niacinamide increased the production of ceramides and other barrier lipids, and on dry skin it reduced water loss [4]. In pigment research, it did not stop melanin from being made; it reduced the transfer of pigment to surrounding skin cells [5].
Read more in Understanding Niacinamide.
Why they are paired
The case for using them together rests on the fact that they do different jobs.
- Different routes. Bakuchiol has been studied for the look of lines and uneven tone, as retinol has [1]. Niacinamide’s best-documented effects are on the barrier’s lipids and on where pigment ends up [4,5].
- Compatible in a formula. Bakuchiol is oil-soluble and niacinamide is water-soluble, so in a cream they sit in different phases of the same emulsion.
- Both were well tolerated in their own trials [1,2,3]. That matters for people who want an age-defying routine without a retinoid.
What has not been tested
It would be easy to say the two are “better together.” The published evidence does not show that.
No clinical trial indexed in PubMed has compared bakuchiol plus niacinamide with bakuchiol alone or niacinamide alone. The two do appear together in at least one studied formula: a night product combining a retinoid (retinal) with bakuchiol, a plant extract, niacinamide and melatonin, tested by its manufacturer in an open-label study over 28 days [6]. Its results describe that whole formula. They cannot say what bakuchiol and niacinamide contributed, separately or as a pair.
So the reasonable position is this: each has its own evidence, there is no published sign that they work against each other, and whether the combination adds anything beyond the sum of the two is an open question.
Using them together
- In one product, nothing needs to be timed or layered: apply as directed.
- In separate products, apply the thinner, water-based product first and the cream after it.
- Give it time. The trials above measured changes over 4 to 12 weeks [1,2,3].
- Patch test if your skin is reactive, as with any new product.
- Ask your physician first if you are pregnant or nursing, or are being treated for a skin condition.
- Wear sunscreen every morning. Neither ingredient is a sunscreen.
How YJOR combines them
YJOR Age-Defying Face Cream is built around this pairing: 1% bakuchiol with niacinamide, alongside a vitamin C derivative with ferulic acid and vitamin E, panthenol, centella, a lactobacillus ferment and hyaluronic acid, in a retinol-free cream with no added fragrance. With consistent use, YJOR is designed to help refine the look of lines and texture and support a more even-looking, comfortable complexion. Read more about YJOR Age-Defying Face Cream.
A note on evidence: the studies discussed here tested bakuchiol or niacinamide in other formulas, at the concentrations stated. They are not measurements of YJOR, and MARSEL KEI does not publish finished-product performance figures until finished-product studies support them. Several of the studies were funded or carried out by cosmetics companies and published in peer-reviewed journals.
References
[1] Dhaliwal S, Rybak I, Ellis SR, et al. Prospective, randomized, double-blind assessment of topical bakuchiol and retinol for facial photoageing. Br J Dermatol. 2019;180(2):289-296. doi:10.1111/bjd.16918. PMID:29947134. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29947134/
[2] Draelos ZD, Gunt H, Zeichner J, Levy S. Clinical evaluation of a nature-based bakuchiol anti-aging moisturizer for sensitive skin. J Drugs Dermatol. 2020;19(12):1181-1183. doi:10.36849/JDD.2020.5522. PMID:33346506. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33346506/
[3] Bissett DL, Miyamoto K, Sun P, Li J, Berge CA. Topical niacinamide reduces yellowing, wrinkling, red blotchiness, and hyperpigmented spots in aging facial skin. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2004;26(5):231-238. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2494.2004.00228.x. PMID:18492135. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18492135/
[4] Tanno O, Ota Y, Kitamura N, Katsube T, Inoue S. Nicotinamide increases biosynthesis of ceramides as well as other stratum corneum lipids to improve the epidermal permeability barrier. Br J Dermatol. 2000;143(3):524-531. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2000.03705.x. PMID:10971324. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10971324/
[5] Hakozaki T, Minwalla L, Zhuang J, et al. The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer. Br J Dermatol. 2002;147(1):20-31. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04834.x. PMID:12100180. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12100180/
[6] Brown A, Furmanczyk M, Ramos D, et al. Natural retinol analogs potentiate the effects of retinal on aged and photodamaged skin: results from in vitro to clinical studies. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2023;13(10):2299-2317. doi:10.1007/s13555-023-01004-z. PMID:37615835. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37615835/