INGREDIENT · BOTANICAL
Licorice root extract in skincare: soothing and brightening
Licorice root is sold two ways: as a soother for itchy skin and as a gentler route to brighter skin. Both have trials, and both come with small print.
You may see it written as
- Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Licorice for itchy, inflamed skin
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has been used in herbal medicine for skin eruptions including dermatitis, eczema, pruritus and cysts.1
A double-blind trial compared 1% and 2% licorice gels with a base gel in atopic dermatitis, over two weeks, with 30 patients in each group. The 2% gel was more effective than the 1% gel in reducing redness, swelling and itching. The authors concluded that licorice extract could be considered an effective agent for atopic dermatitis.1
It was a small, short trial.1 The abstract we read reports 2% against 1%, not clearly against the base gel, so treat the conclusion with some caution.
Licorice for brightening: a mixture, not a solo
A 60-day study of 56 women with epidermal or mixed melasma, after 60 days of sunscreen alone, compared a cream containing 7% of a complex of licorice, emblica (Indian gooseberry) and daisy flower extracts against 2% hydroquinone. Both improved the melasma, with no statistically significant difference between groups, and fewer people had mild side effects in the licorice-mixture group (2 against 7).2 The authors concluded the combination is a safe and efficient alternative for melasma. Both creams and the sunscreen came from the same pharmaceutical company.2
The catch is the word combination. The cream held three active ingredients, so the result cannot be credited to licorice alone. It was also a mono-blind study, meaning the assessors but not the participants were unaware of the treatment, and it lasted two months.2
For the brightening claim, the honest summary is that licorice is a plausible ingredient in a mixture that worked about as well as a low-strength hydroquinone in one small study.
The compound behind the lightening claim
The lightening claim usually rests on glabridin, a compound from the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra. A 2026 review reports that in lab work glabridin inhibits tyrosinase, the enzyme that makes pigment, suppresses inflammatory signalling and interferes with pigment transfer between cells.3 The same review notes that glabridin dissolves poorly in water and is poorly available, which formulation work tries to overcome.3 All five of its authors work for a biotechnology company.3
This is mechanism evidence from lab studies. It does not tell you how much glabridin a given extract holds or whether a finished product delivers it, which is why the melasma result above stays a mixture result.
Using licorice extract with other products
We did not find a source saying licorice root extract clashes with another ingredient. In the melasma study it was compared with hydroquinone, not used alongside it, and both groups used a sunscreen for the 60 days beforehand.2 If you are treating pigmentation, sunscreen is the part of that study that applies to everyone.
Licorice root extract in pregnancy and breastfeeding
We found no pregnancy- or lactation-specific evidence for this ingredient.
Evidence on cosmetic products in pregnancy is limited overall, so ask your doctor or midwife about the specific product you use.4
What you will see on the label
On a label, look for Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract. Snifff shows it as Low risk. For the rest of the formula, see what the score means and how to read the list.
As Snifff shows itGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Pregnancy and nursing
We found no pregnancy- or lactation-specific evidence for this ingredient.
Wording as it appears in the extension, which can change between releases.
A FEW MORE ANSWERS
Common questions about licorice root extract
Is licorice root extract good for eczema?
In a two-week double-blind trial, a 2% licorice gel reduced redness, swelling and itch more than a 1% gel in atopic dermatitis.1 It was a small trial.
Does licorice extract lighten dark spots?
A cream with licorice, emblica and daisy flower extracts matched 2% hydroquinone in a 56-woman melasma study over 60 days,2 but the mixture means the effect cannot be credited to licorice alone.
Is licorice extract safer than hydroquinone?
In that melasma study, fewer people using the licorice mixture had mild skin side effects (2 against 7), but it is a small study.2
Is licorice root extract safe in pregnancy?
Snifff found no pregnancy-specific evidence for Licorice root extract. Ask your doctor or midwife about the product you use.
WHERE THIS COMES FROM
Sources
- The treatment of atopic dermatitis with licorice gelSaeedi M, et al. · Journal of Dermatological Treatment · 2003
- Association of emblica, licorice and belides as an alternative to hydroquinone in the clinical treatment of melasmaCosta A, et al. · Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia · 2010
- A narrative review of the multi-target mechanisms of glabridin in skin lighteningNie X, Ma Z, Wang A, Zhang X, Li A · Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology · 2026
- Cosmetic dermatology in pregnancy and lactation: a risk-benefit framework for clinical practiceKovacs T, et al. · International Journal of Dermatology · 2026
This page explains an ingredient. It is not medical advice, and it is not an assessment of any product. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a skin condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist.