Be yourself. Love yourself. Take care of each other.

Hello, world! Shelly here!

There's one question I get more than almost any other in my comments and inbox: "Can I use bakuchiol instead of retinol?"

And honestly? It's a great question. It's also one that deserves a real answer instead of the vague, hype-y non-answers that most brands give you.

Here's the short version: bakuchiol is a legitimately good ingredient... for the right person, with the right expectations. The problem is that the marketing around it has gotten so breathless that I started wondering if anyone was actually telling the truth about what it can and can't do. (Yes, it has some of the same skin impacts as retinol. No, it's not the same thing as retinol. Yes, it has some advantages, especially in terms of reduced irritation and no sun sensitivity. But, it works more slowly and has a less robust set of clinical study data about it compared to retinol).

So I went down the rabbit hole. Pulled the studies. Read the labels. And made a whole video about it.

If you've ever been curious about bakuchiol, or you've seen it on an ingredient list and wondered whether it's worth the hype, this one's for you.

Watch: Bakuchiol - Truth or Hype? →

No hype. Just the science. Enjoy!

Thanks and remember: be yourself. Love yourself. Take care of each other,

💜 Shelly