Licorice Root
How does licorice root benefit your skin?
Benefits
Brightening, Calming, Even Tone
About
Licorice root is not only brightening but it’s also known to calm delicate and sensitive skin. That’s because licorice root for skin is naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, providing a gentle and soothing experience for most skin types. Licorice root extract can be found in one of TATCHA’s prized calming products: The Rice Polish: Gentle.
“ Licorice root benefits for the skin are numerous and impressive, but perhaps its most notable asset is visibly brightening and evening skin tone, while quickly fading and even potentially preventing dark spots.
Science
Pigmentation has many causes (from sun exposure to genetics), but no matter the origin, it’s enabled to appear on the skin’s surface by an enzyme called tyrosinase. This is where licorice root comes in. The root is rich in glycyrrhizate, an effective tyrosinase inhibitor, which helps to prevent the production of dark spots. But licorice root can minimize the appearance of already formed pigmentation, too. It also contains liquiritin, which targets pigmentation in the skin, helping to potentially fade existing spots on the skin.
History
Licorice root is one of the oldest remedies in history, called “the king of natural medicines.” In Ancient Egypt, healers used licorice root both topically and in medicinal treatments to soothe skin ailments and diseases. In fact, licorice root was found in both King Tut’s tomb and in Egyptian hieroglyphics as a pharmaceutical. For centuries in Japan, geishas recognized licorice root’s benefits for skin and used it to brighten and even out skin tone, making it an especially treasured ingredient in their beauty rituals.
Provenance
The English word “licorice” comes from the Greek word glukurrhiza, meaning “sweet root.” The herbaceous perennial is native to parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Did You Know?
The same root that has been used for skincare and medicinal purposes for millennia is also the source of black licorice candy. The delicious and distinct licorice is extracted from the root in similar ways as licorice root extract in skincare.
