The Benefits of Licorice Root for Skin.

The extract of licorice contains a significant amount of glycyrrhizic acid. This natural saponin gives licorice its sweet taste. It is thus used as a sweetener. Moreover, a study showed that the effects of glycyrrhizic acid were close to deoxycorticosterone, a molecule known for its anti-inflammatory action in pharmacy. The extract of licorice root benefits skin with irritation and redness and relieves itching. It is particularly effective on atopic skins. It is even qualified as a natural cortisone: it relieves eczema effectively.

Pigment spots often impact the evenness of skin tone. Some may appreciate them and even want to show them off, but they can also be a source of discomfort in the lives of those affected. By definition, hyperpigmentation is due to a disturbance in the pigmentation process. In other words, melanin is overproduced in certain areas. This leads to the appearance of spots that can be classified into three categories: melasma or pregnancy mask, related to hormonal imbalances; solar lentigo or sun spots, due to excessive and repeated exposure to the sun; and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which is the result of an overproduction of melanin after an inflammation (wounds, burns, blemishes, acne outbreaks).

Licorice root for skin with hyperpigmentation is often referred to as a natural hydroquinone because of its pigment regulating benefits. It comes with the advantage of being gentler and better tolerated by the skin than hydroquinone, which has been banned in all cosmetic products by European regulations since 2001 due to its carcinogenic potential.

The benefits of licorice root for skin blemishes and marks is due to the presence of glabridine, a powerful depigmenting agent known for its lightening virtues. It acts by inhibiting tyrosinase, which is responsible for the production of melanin. The equation is simple: less melanin means less pigment, fewer brown spots and a more even skin tone.

Note: At Typology, we use “Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract”. Rich in over 95% glabridine, it inhibits melanin, hence its anti-spot properties. Nevertheless, from licorice, it is also possible to extract glycyrrhizic acid (INCI name: Glycyrrhizic Acid). This compound has contradictory properties compared to “Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract”. Indeed, it is qualified as pro-melanin, i.e., it stimulates melanogenesis at the origin of tanning. It is therefore often found in self-tanning products.

The glabridine mentioned above not only has a lightening action, but also antioxidant properties.

Indeed, this polyphenolic flavonoid protects the skin from repeated attacks of free radicals. As a reminder, the latter are reactive oxygen species produced naturally by the body. Nevertheless, when cells are confronted with stress, they generate them in an excessive way. This phenomenon has a name: oxidative stress. There are many factors involved, the main ones being exposure to UV rays, pollution, smoking, and a diet too rich in fats or sugars. Free radicals are particularly unstable molecules because of their single electron. They tend to react with other molecules to form an electron pair, and then cause damage by attacking healthy molecules of the body such as lipids constituting cell membranes (lipid peroxidation). Skin aging accelerates and wrinkles appear on the surface of the skin.

The glabridine molecules present in licorice extract specifically neutralize the superoxide anion, named O₂.-, preventing it from harming and degrading healthy compounds present in the skin. Thus, this plant active ingredient delays aging and protects skin cells from external aggressions.

Typology anti-marks serum is rich in licorice extract, as well as in lightening and repairing active ingredients, such as gluconolactone of the PHA category and Centella asiatica extract. It is recommended for people who want to fade their acne scars. It is applied in the evening, only on the concerned areas.

• MORTON J. F. Major medicinal plants : botany, culture, and uses (1977).

• SARKAR R. & al. Cosmeceuticals for hyperpigmentation: what is available ? Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery (2013).

• FRATTARUOLO L. & al. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of flavanones from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (licorice) leaf phytocomplexes: identification of licoflavanone as a modulator of NF-kB/MAPK pathway. Antioxidants (Basel), (2019).