What you need to know about licorice extract.

The licorice plant, botanically known as Glycyrrhiza glabra is primarily renowned for its aromatic roots. It is native to southern Europe and Asia, and now grows in various regions around the world (the Mediterranean basin, the southern United States, the Middle East, North Africa, Mauritius). In traditional medicine, licorice was a plant recognized for its abilities to treat colds, soothe heart pains, facilitate digestion, and calm coughing fits. It is consumed in the form of herbal tea but also as a stick corresponding to the underground stem of the plant.

Today, licorice extract is a compound frequently found in cosmetic formulas. It is hidden behind the following I.N.C.I. names: ammonium glycyrrhizate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, glycyrrhetinic acid, or glycyrrhiza glabra root extract. Its recommended dosage is between 2 and 5%.

To obtain this extract, the roots are dried, peeled, and then ground into a powder. The resulting compound primarily contains glabridine (over 95%). It also contains glycyrrhizic acid, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, as well as flavonoids and isoflavonoids (glabrene, isoliquiritigenin), which are capable of inhibiting tyrosinase involved in the synthesis of melanin.

Note : At Typology, we use "Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract". Over 95% rich in glabridin, it inhibits melanin, hence its anti-spot properties. However, from licorice, it is also possible to extract glycyrrhetinic acid (INCI name: Glycyrrhetinic Acid). This compound has contradictory properties compared to the "Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract". Indeed, it is classified as pro-melanin, meaning it stimulates melanogenesis, which is responsible for tanning. It is therefore often found in self-tanning products.

Rich in glabridin, a polyphenolic flavonoid with antioxidant properties, licorice extract is an excellent ally in protecting the skin from free radicals. As a reminder, these arereactive oxygen species naturally produced by the body. However, when cells are faced with astress, they generate them excessively. The sources of stress are numerous, the main ones being exposure to UVA, pollution, smoking, a diet too rich in fats and/or sugars. Free radicals are particularly unstable molecules due to theirsingle electron. They tend to react with other molecules to form apair of electrons, and thus causedamage to cells, DNA, and proteins in the body. This accelerates aging and wrinkles appear on the skin's surface. The flavonoids present in licorice extract specifically neutralize thesuperoxide anion, denoted O₂.⁻, thus preventing it from harming the skin's healthy molecules. Therefore, this plant-based active ingredient delays skin aging and protects the skin from external aggressions.