NATURE'S RETINOL
THE EVERYWHERE BALM · 15-ingredient FORMULA
Bakuchiol (buh-koo-chee-ol) activates the same gene pathways as prescription retinol.
But with none of the script. None of the purge. No waiting three weeks to see if your face recovers.
Found at a functional dose inside The Everywhere Balm, alongside 14 other botanicals dedicated to smoothing, soothing, and protecting.
And if you're on tret or Roaccutane, it layers underneath your prescription. No conflicting actives. Just deep repair.
Read the science ↓
Bakuchiol is the headline.
But, the supporting cast matters too.
The Everywhere Balm pairs bakuchiol with 14 other natural ingredients chosen to work alongside it. No conflicting molecules. No diluted ingredients. No filler.
Notable players:
Helichrysum + bisabolol (CO2-extracted):
anti-inflammatory cofactors that amplify bakuchiol's calming effect.
Calendula + marshmallow root:
barrier-repairing botanicals that rebuild what retinoids historically destroy.
Squalane + shea + manuka:
the structural lipids your skin uses to hold moisture, especially overnight.
It is not a serum. It is not a moisturiser. It is a complete barrier-repair system with anti-ageing built in.
THE DEEP DIVE
A 2018 study compared bakuchiol against retinol over 12 weeks.
Here is what they found.
fine-line reversal.
59%
reduction in wrinkle surface area, matching retinol performance
no irritation.
0
reports of scaling, stinging, or photosensitivity (vs significant irritation in the retinol group)
am & pm appropriate.
24/7
morning, night, and every state in between. No purge. No photosensitivity.
who's it for
Bakuchiol is lipophilic. It belongs in lipids.
what lipophilic means
It means fat-soluble. Bakuchiol doesn't mix with water.
In water-based serums, it has to be emulsified to stay suspended — which dilutes it and adds stabilisers your skin doesn't need. In an anhydrous base, none of that. Bakuchiol sits at full dose. No compromise.
Your skin agrees. The pathways bakuchiol uses to absorb are lipid-rich. A lipid base delivers it along the route it already takes. Slower. Deeper. Longer contact with the cells doing the work.
Anhydrous formulas also stay on the skin longer. No water to evaporate. No preservatives interrupting the active. Bakuchiol works for hours instead of minutes.
This is the format the molecule was waiting for.
WATER-BASED MOISTURISER
75% WATER
evaporates within minutes
~25% ACTIVES
Often below functional dose.
Preservatives required. Water evaporates. Actives diluted.
ANHYDROUS BALM
100% LIPID SYSTEM
MCT
SHEA BUTTER
JOJOBA OIL
CALENDULA OIL
BEESWAX
SQUALANE
MARSHMALLOW
PLANTAIN
VITAMIN E
MONOLAURIN
MANUKA OIL
BAKUCHIOL
BISABOLOL
HELICHRYSUM
CARRIER BALANCE
No water. No preservatives. 15 actives at full dose. Nothing competing with your prescription.
who's it for
Made for the people retinol left behind.
Off retinol, or avoiding it.
Retinoids aren't for everyone, and plenty of people step away from them, whether in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or simply by choice. Bakuchiol isn't a retinoid, so it sits outside that category entirely. It's a plant-derived ingredient people reach for when they want a gentler route to collagen support. The research in pregnancy and breastfeeding specifically is still thin, so if that's you, have a proper chat with your GP before making it a long-term part of your routine.
Sensitive, reactive, or barrier-worn.
If retinol turned your face into a science experiment, this won't. Bakuchiol is gentle by nature and tends to calm rather than provoke, even on skin that's reactive, easily flushed, or just worn down by products that promised more than they delivered. No stinging initiation, no barrier to rebuild first.
On Roaccutane or Tretinoin.
Your prescription is already handling cell turnover. Bakuchiol is built to sit alongside it without piling on: no acids, no synthetic retinoids, no fragrance, no essential oils, nothing that competes with what your script is doing. Always run new products past your dermatologist first.
Retinol-curious. Not retinol-ready.
No purge phase. No adjustment period to grit through. Unlike retinol, bakuchiol isn't known to cause photosensitivity, so morning, night, whenever suits you. It's a gentler entry point, without the survival phase retinol usually asks for first.
expected results
Nothing real is overnight.
Week 1 to 2:
Skin feels softer, less reactive, more settled.
Week 4 to 6:
Texture begins to even. Fine lines around the eyes start to soften.
Week 8 to 12:
Visible firmness. Tone evens. That 'lit from within' thing people talk about. That is just a barrier doing its job again.