Licorice Extract for the Skin: Effects, Application, Compatibility

Licorice extract, usually listed as Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract on the INCI list, is one of the most versatile plant substances in skincare. The extract from the licorice root has a calming effect on red and irritated skin, provides antioxidant protection, and helps you achieve a more even complexion because certain ingredients slow down melanin production. It is generally well tolerated and can be incorporated into almost any routine, from toner to cream. In this guide, we explain which active ingredients are behind it, what research shows, how to properly use licorice skincare, and what to watch out for with sensitive skin.

In Short

• Licorice extract comes from the root of the licorice plant and contains several skin-relevant active ingredients, especially Glycyrrhizin, Glabridin, Liquiritin, and Licochalcone A.
• On the skin, it primarily has a calming, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effect, and it can balance out pigmentation spots and a dull skin tone.
• Particularly beneficial for sensitive, redness-prone skin, blemished skin, and skin with an uneven complexion.
• You usually apply it in toner, serum, or cream, morning and evening, and always combine it with sunscreen during the day.
• Licorice as a food and licorice in cosmetics are two different things: The known risks of eating large amounts concern ingestion, not the cream.

Table of Contents

• What Licorice Extract is in Skincare
• The Most Important Active Ingredients of the Licorice Root
• What Licorice Extract Can Do on the Skin
• For Which Skin Types Licorice is Suitable
• How to Incorporate Licorice Extract into Your Routine
• Combinations That Work Well
• What Sensitive Skin Should Pay Attention To
• Eating Licorice or Applying It to the Skin: The Difference
• Our View on Licorice in K-Beauty
• Discover Licorice Skincare at Rammilav
• Frequently Asked Questions About Licorice Extract on the Skin
• Sources

What Licorice Extract is in Skincare

The licorice plant (Glycyrrhiza) grows in the Mediterranean region and Asia. You probably know its root from licorice candy: The sweetness comes from Glycyrrhizin, a substance that is many times sweeter than sugar. For cosmetics, the root is dried and extracted with water, glycerin, alcohol, or oils. Depending on the method, different proportions of the active ingredients end up in the extract.

In Korean skincare, licorice has a long tradition, as the root has been part of East Asian herbal medicine for centuries. Today, you find it in toners, essences, serums, masks, and creams, often as one of several soothing plant extracts.

You can recognize licorice on the packaging by these INCI names:

• Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract: the classic licorice root extract
• Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract: extract from Chinese licorice
• Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract: source of Licochalcone A
• Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate: a salt of glycyrrhizic acid, often used as a soothing additive

If one of these terms appears, licorice is in your product. If it is high up on the list, the proportion is rather higher.

The Most Important Active Ingredients of the Licorice Root

Licorice is not a single active ingredient but a whole bundle of plant substances. An overview article in the journal Cosmetics describes which of these are particularly interesting for the skin. The following table summarizes them.

This diversity explains why the same extract appears in such different products: in a cream for irritated skin as well as in a serum for a radiant complexion.

What Licorice Extract Can Do on the Skin

Calming Redness and Irritations

The most well-known property of licorice is its calming effect. Glycyrrhizin and its breakdown products dampen inflammatory processes in the skin, which manifests as less redness, less tightness, and less itching.

There are also clinical data on this. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study summarized in a review in the Journal of the German Dermatological Society, a licorice extract standardized to glycyrrhetinic acid was tested as a 2-percent gel in atopic dermatitis. After two weeks, redness, swelling, and itching improved significantly more than under placebo and under a 1-percent gel. A review on phytotherapy for skin problems also positively evaluates the external use of licorice root extract in atopic dermatitis.

Important for you: This study concerns a skin disease and a standardized gel. A skincare cream with licorice supports stressed skin in everyday life but does not replace treatment. If you have neurodermatitis or your skin is weeping, open, or severely itchy, it belongs in the hands of your dermatologist or general practitioner.

Even Complexion and Pigmentation Spots

Pigmentation spots occur when the skin produces too much melanin in certain areas, such as after sun exposure, after pimples, or due to hormonal changes. A key enzyme in this process is tyrosinase. This is where Glabridin comes in: According to the review in Cosmetics, it showed an anti-melanogenic effect attributed to the inhibition of tyrosinase. A study from 2023 describes Glabridin as a natural isoflavone that inhibits tyrosinase and also scavenges free radicals.

Liquiritin works in a different way: It helps distribute already present pigment. It has been studied in a cream against melasma, which are often hormonally induced, widespread pigmentations.

In practice, this means: Licorice is a gentle companion on the way to a more even skin tone. Dark spots after pimples, a dull complexion, or light sun spots respond to it if you use it regularly over several weeks. The skin renews itself in about a month, so patience is worthwhile. Pronounced or suddenly appearing spots should be checked by a dermatologist before you treat them yourself, as not every dark spot is harmless.

Support for Blemished Skin

For blemished skin, Licochalcone A is particularly interesting. A review in Frontiers in Pharmacology (2025) summarizes studies according to which Licochalcone A regulates sebum production and works against the acne bacterium C. acnes. The same review also describes less redness and hyperpigmentation.

This fits well with the needs of blemished skin: Inflamed pimples become calmer, the skin shines less, and the dark marks that pimples often leave behind fade faster. Especially teenagers whose skin is both oily and sensitive appreciate licorice because it does not dry out like some classic anti-pimple agents.

Antioxidant Protection

UV radiation, air pollution, and stress generate free radicals that attack collagen and accelerate skin aging. The flavonoids of the licorice root capture such radicals. A plant portrait in the Journal of Phytotherapy also mentions that licorice root extract can inhibit the formation of a biofilm in Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that often plays a role in a disturbed skin barrier.

For mature skin, this means: Licorice is not a wrinkle killer, but a valuable protective component that keeps the skin calm and helps maintain an even, fresh complexion. Skin that glows from within is often primarily one thing: calm skin.

For Which Skin Types Licorice is Suitable

Thanks to its gentle effect, licorice extract is suitable for almost all skin types. Particularly benefit:

• Sensitive skin: It reacts quickly with redness and tightness. Licorice calms without irritating.
• Redness-prone skin: Diffuse redness on cheeks and nose is visibly reduced.
• Blemished and oily skin: Licochalcone A supports sebum regulation, Glycyrrhizin calms inflamed areas.
• Skin with pigmentation spots: Glabridin and Liquiritin help balance the skin tone.
• Mature skin: Antioxidant protection and an even complexion complement firming agents like peptides.
• Dry skin: In moisturizing formulations, licorice brings additional calm to a stressed skin barrier.

How to Incorporate Licorice Extract into Your Routine

Licorice is an uncomplicated active ingredient. You don't have to overhaul your routine but rather complement it at the right spot. Here's how you proceed:

1. Cleansing: In the morning, a mild cleanser is sufficient; in the evening, we recommend a double cleansing in K-Beauty style with makeup or sunscreen, for example, with a cleansing balm and a gentle foam.
2. Toning: A toner with licorice prepares the skin and provides initial moisture. We explain the difference between toner and essence in the article Toner or Essence.
3. Serum: For targeted effects, such as pigmentation spots, a serum with licorice is best. If you use multiple serums, the rule for layering serums is: from the thinnest to the richest texture.
4. Moisturizing: A cream locks in moisture. For irritated skin, a soothing cream like the I’m Sorry for My Skin Age Capture Soothing Skin Cream is a good base.
5. Protecting: In the morning, always finish with sunscreen. Without it, new pigmentation spots form faster than any brightening agent can balance them out.

You can use licorice both morning and evening. Since the extract does not make the skin photosensitive, it is also suitable for daytime care.

Combinations That Work Well

Licorice is compatible with most active ingredients and is often combined with others that work in a similar direction:

• Niacinamide: The classic for an even complexion and a strong skin barrier. Read more in our guide on the effects of niacinamide.
• Arbutin or Vitamin C: Also active ingredients against pigmentation spots that complement licorice for a comprehensive brightening routine.
• Centella asiatica and Panthenol: Soothing partners for sensitive or irritated skin.
• Hyaluronic acid and Ceramides: They provide moisture and strengthen the barrier while licorice calms.
• Snail slime filtrate: It supports regeneration, for example, in the Cosrx Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream.

If you use stronger active ingredients like retinol or acid peels, licorice is a good balance. It helps keep the skin calm while it gets used to the active substances.

What Sensitive Skin Should Pay Attention To

Licorice is considered a gentle active ingredient, but every skin reacts individually. The aha! Allergy Center Switzerland points out that sensitive and allergy-prone skin can react to even small amounts of certain ingredients with redness, itching, or tightness. It also emphasizes that terms like "hypoallergenic" or "dermatologically tested" are not protected. A look at the full ingredient list is therefore more informative than any label.

Here's how to safely introduce a new product with licorice:

• Test it first on a small area, such as behind the ear or on the jawline, for two or three consecutive days.
• Introduce only one new product at a time so you know what your skin is reacting to.
• For very sensitive skin, look for formulations without perfume and without essential oils, as these are more likely to irritate than the licorice extract itself.
• Do not apply skincare products to open, injured, or acutely inflamed skin.

Allergic reactions to licorice in cosmetics are rare but do occur. If you already know that you are allergic to licorice or licorice root, it is better to avoid products with this ingredient. If your skin burns or itches persistently after application, wash off the product and consult your dermatologist or pharmacy if symptoms do not subside.

Eating Licorice or Applying It to the Skin: The Difference

Many readers are familiar with the warnings about too much licorice. These concern eating and ingestion, not skincare. According to the MSD Manual, licorice in higher doses can cause the kidneys to retain salt and water, which can increase blood pressure, and cause more potassium to be excreted. Pregnant women are advised by the MSD Manual to avoid licorice and licorice root because they could increase the risk of premature birth.

In cosmetics, licorice extract is an ingredient that you apply externally, in much smaller amounts, and without the intention of it entering the body. It is neither a dietary supplement nor a medication. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, briefly discuss your skincare routine with your gynecologist or midwife. This applies to all active ingredients, not just licorice.

Conversely, eating licorice does not provide your skin with the benefits that skincare with licorice does. The active ingredients unfold their benefits where you apply them.

Our View on Licorice in K-Beauty

When we select products for our range, we ensure they solve specific skin problems: lack of moisture, blemishes, sensitivity, or the desire for firmer skin. We encounter licorice again and again, and there's a reason for that.

Korean skincare thinks in layers and relies on active ingredients that complement each other rather than a single strong substance. Licorice fits perfectly into this concept: It calms, balances the skin tone, and protects without burdening the skin. That's why you find it in toners as well as in serums and creams.

I often find that people with sensitive skin hesitate to try new products. We particularly recommend licorice skincare to them because it is gentle and combines well with other soothing ingredients. Our customers report visibly improved skin tone and faster regeneration when they build their routine with suitable products.

It is important to us that you get original products. We source each product directly from verified suppliers so you can rely on the quality the brand promises.

Aleksejs

Discover Licorice Skincare at Rammilav

In our online shop for Korean cosmetics, you will find toners, serums, moisturizers, masks, and sunscreens from brands like Cosrx, Beauty Of Joseon, and Purito. Check the ingredient list of each product for Glycyrrhiza or Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate if you are specifically looking for licorice. We deliver throughout Switzerland, usually within two to three days, and shipping is free for orders over CHF 80.

Frequently Asked Questions About Licorice Extract on the Skin

What Effect Does Glycyrrhizin Have on the Skin?

Glycyrrhizin and its breakdown product glycyrrhetinic acid have anti-inflammatory and calming effects. They reduce redness, swelling, and itching. Therefore, Glycyrrhizin, often as Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, is used in care for sensitive and irritated skin.

Does Licorice Extract Help Against Pigmentation Spots?

Yes, licorice can balance an uneven skin tone. Glabridin inhibits tyrosinase, the key enzyme in melanin production, and Liquiritin helps distribute existing pigment. Expect several weeks of regular use and consistently use sunscreen during the day.

Can I Use Licorice Extract Daily?

Yes. Licorice is a gentle active ingredient that you can apply morning and evening. It does not make the skin photosensitive and can be combined well with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, or centella. For very sensitive skin, introduce a new product first on a small area.

Is Licorice Suitable for Blemished Skin?

Yes, especially Licochalcone A is interesting for blemished skin: Studies show it regulates sebum production and works against the acne bacterium C. acnes. Additionally, licorice calms inflamed pimples and helps balance dark marks after blemishes without drying out the skin.

Is Licorice Extract in Cosmetics the Same as Licorice for Eating?

No. Both come from the licorice root, but the known risks like increased blood pressure or potassium deficiency concern the ingestion of larger amounts. In cosmetics, you apply licorice externally and in small amounts. If pregnant, it is best to discuss your routine with your gynecologist.

Sources

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. uralensis, and G. inflata) in Cosmetics, MDPI Cosmetics Therapeutic potential of Licochalcone A, Frontiers in Pharmacology Which plant for which skin disease? Part 1: Atopic dermatitis, JDDG Phytotherapeutic treatment for skin problems, Natürlich (Thieme) Glabridin as a Tyrosinase Inhibitor, PMC In the Plant Portrait: The Licorice Root, Journal of Phytotherapy Care for Sensitive Skin, aha! Allergy Center Switzerland Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), MSD Manual

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