How Naturopathica Created An Entire Retinol Collection That Won’t Irritate Your Skin

In the age of natural beauty, people want their skincare ingredients to be grown (organically) and harvested (by an herbalist in a straw hat, please), not to sound like they were whipped up by a mad scientist in a florescent-lit laboratory. Well, here's where retinol gets a bad rap. Because according to Naturopathica, the holistic brand now selling an entire retinol collection, this potent cosmeceutical actually pairs well with botanicals.

"My first inspiration for a Retinol Collection came through the ingredient bakuchiol, now popular for its wrinkle-fighting results," Naturopathica founder Barbara Close told The Zoe Report via email. "After diving into the research on bakuchiol years ago, I knew that there could be a pathway to clean retinol. The complementary relationship between synthetic retinol and plant-based bakuchiol is astonishing."

Although retinol is often shunned by clean beauty brands because of its tendency to cause irritation, Close says it's all about using the right retinol, and mixing it with the right companion products. That's where bakuchiol — one of the new Holy Basil & Retinol Ageless Night Oil's hero ingredients — comes in.

Bakuchiol, derived from the traditional Indian and Chinese medicinal plant babchi, is an antioxidant-rich nourishing agent, and when used together with holy basil, which increases skin's resilience to stress, the two keep skin calm and irritation-free while the retinol does its renewal thing.

Naturopathica's holy basil-spiked night oil — described by Close as "a good night's sleep for tired skin" — is one of three new retinol products, each blending 1 percent of retinol with earthy ingredients like edelweiss and passion fruit. There's also the Passion Fruit & Retinol Ageless Eye Serum, combatting the usual dark circles and puffiness while also protecting against free radicals, and the Argan & Retinol Advanced Wrinkle Remedy Night Gel Cream, a p.m. moisturizer featuring encapsulated retinol for slow penetration while you sleep.

As a bonus, the Retinol Collection also launched with an Argan & Peptide Advanced Wrinkle Remedy Water Cream, made with argan (to firm and tone) instead of retinol. All but the Holy Basil & Retinol Ageless Night Oil feature peptides, the reputed "building blocks" of collagen and elastin, and all four are to be used at night.

"To alleviate any concern of UV sensitivity, we still recommend retinol for overnight use followed by an SPF each morning," Close says. "Our three new retinol formulas are designed to renew the skin while you sleep — working with the skin's natural processes to hydrate, smooth, and restore ageless skin by morning."

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