Licorice is a famous sweet treat, but it is a legume that is also a good skincare product with its special properties. Glycyrrhiza glabra extract is the formal name of licorice extract that can cure dark spots or hyperpigmentation caused by hormonal conditions, exposure to sunlight, and a leftover reminder of massive pimples.
Typically, hydroquinone is recommended for patients suffering from hyperpigmentation. But due to several drawbacks of using skincare products with hydroquinone, more products are switching to natural alternatives.
One of the best of these skincare alternatives is the Glycyrrhiza glabra extract or licorice extract that works similarly with hydroquinone in erasing dark spots.
What is Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Extract?
The Glycyrrhiza glabra extract comes from the root of the licorice plant that has been used for medicinal purposes for years and where black licorice candy comes from.
The extract is filled with skin lightening, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties that help fade dark spots. It is one of the choices of ingredients in several skin brightening products. It is used to treat several skin diseases, which include atopic dermatitis, rosacea, and eczema.
All in all, licorice is a great skincare ingredient with depigmenting, anti-inflammatory properties for dark spot-free skin, according to Inci Decoder.
Benefits of Glycyrrhiza glabra Extract to the Skin
Glycyrrhiza glabra extract works like hydroquinone, the gold standard for skin brightening. Its main purpose is to minimize the production of tyrosinase (or also known as melanin) to avoid discoloration on the skin.
"It contains liquiritin, an active compound that helps to disperse and remove existing melanin in the skin," New York City-based dermatologist Jennifer Chwalek explained to health and wellness website Byrdie. In short, licorice extract not only helps prevent dark spots but also fades existing ones.
As mentioned, Glycyrrhiza glabra extract contains antioxidant properties. Dermatologist Rita Linkner said that the flavonoid in licorice extract is an antioxidant property that decreases reactive oxygen species that causes discoloration of the skin.
Moreover, the flavonoid also inhibits two inflammatory markers that trigger post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or the dark spots formed after a massive pimple.
Lastly, it helps control the oil in the skin. Although not all experts agree on this benefit, Chwalek said that there is some evidence that suggests the licochalcone A compound may have an additional oil regulating benefit to the skin. That is why licorice extract is often added to Ayurvedic medicine as anti-dandruff.
Side Effects of Glycyrrhiza glabra Extract
Glycyrrhiza glabra extract rarely causes an allergy to the skin, but depending on what other ingredients it is mixed with, it sometimes could cause a reaction, Chwalek noted. Linkner also said that it could be irritating for some.
Generally, trying a skincare product on a small portion of the skin before using it is recommended to test if the skin is allergic to the product or any of its ingredients.
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