GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA EXTRACT

📋 Quick facts

Quick Facts:

• Category: other
• Also Known As: 光果甘草（GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA）提取物

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) extract contains compounds that may help reduce melanin production and skin pigmentation
• Glabridin, liquiritin, and isoliquiritigenin are identified as the main active compounds for melanin-inhibiting effects
• Research shows potential wound-healing benefits, particularly at lower concentrations in topical formulations
• The extract has been studied in various delivery systems including hydrogels, nanoparticles, and microneedle patches
• Lab studies show the extract is generally non-toxic to skin cells at tested concentrations

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Glycyrrhiza glabra extract, commonly called licorice root extract, has been a traditional medicine for skin health, but scientists have only recently begun understanding *how* it works at a molecular level (J Ethnopharmacol, 2025). #1: **Melanin reduction mechanism** — The extract’s skin-whitening activity appears to work by inhibiting tyrosinase, an enzyme central to melanin production. When researchers tested the 80% ethanol version of the extract (called GGE80) in laboratory and cell culture models, it reduced both melanin content and tyrosinase activity in melanoma cells (J Ethnopharmacol, 2025). The primary active compounds responsible for this effect are three molecules: glabridin, liquiritin, and isoliquiritigenin, with glabridin showing the strongest activity in both lab and animal models (J Ethnopharmacol, 2025).

Mechanistically, glabridin appears to work by interrupting a specific cellular signaling pathway — it suppresses CREB phosphorylation and reduces SOX10 protein expression, both of which normally activate MITF, a master regulator of melanin-making enzymes. It also blocks nuclear translocation of CRTC1, keeping it trapped in the cell cytoplasm instead (J Ethnopharmacol, 2025). #2: **Wound healing in burns** — In a mouse model of second-degree thermal burns, a 5% licorice root extract hydrogel achieved complete wound closure in 87.5% of animals by Day 19, compared to 25% in a sodium alginate control (Gels, 2025). Importantly, the 5% concentration maintained normal skin barrier function (measured by transepidermal water loss, or TEWL) while higher concentrations (10% and 20%) actually worsened barrier function.

Histological examination showed the 5% formulation produced near-normal skin architecture with minimal inflammation (Gels, 2025). #3: **Delivery system optimization** — Because the extract’s active compounds don’t penetrate skin easily on their own, researchers have developed nanotechnology-based delivery systems. Nanostructured lipid carriers (tiny fat-based particles around 185 nanometers) loaded with glabridin and liquiritin fractions showed strong anti-tyrosinase activity, good stability over 9 months, and efficient skin penetration with high entrapment efficiency (79% for glabridin, 69% for liquiritin) (Curr Pharm Des, 2024). Similar lipid vesicle systems called ufasomes, when loaded into wound dressings, allowed slow controlled release of glycyrrhizin (the main bioactive compound) and promoted complete scratch wound closure in fibroblasts after about 33 hours (Molecules, 2024).

#4: **Safety profile** — Across multiple studies, Glycyrrhiza glabra extract formulations showed no cytotoxicity (cell-killing effects) against various skin cell lines including fibroblasts and melanoma cells at tested concentrations (Curr Pharm Des, 2024; Gels, 2024; Molecules, 2024). Important limitations: Most evidence comes from laboratory and animal studies; human clinical trial data is limited in these abstracts. The wound-healing studies used mice, not human skin. The optimal concentration for any given formulation appears to matter significantly — higher isn’t always better, as shown by the burn study where 5% outperformed 10% and 20% (Gels, 2025).

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Liu J et al. (2025). Glycyrrhiza glabra extract as a skin-whitening Agent: Identification of active components and CRTC1/MITF pathway-inhibition mechanism. J Ethnopharmacol.
• Tarazi E et al. (2025). Healing Efficacy of Glycyrrhiza glabra Extract Hydrogels in Experimental Second-Degree Burns. Gels.
• Hoseinsalari A et al. (2024). Preparation and Characterization of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLCs) Containing Glycyrrhiza glabra Extract for the Treatment of Skin Hyperpigmentation. Curr Pharm Des.
• Khorshidian A et al. (2024). In Vitro Release of Glycyrrhiza Glabra Extract by a Gel-Based Microneedle Patch for Psoriasis Treatment. Gels.
• Rossello S et al. (2024). A New Wound-Healing Tool Based on Glycyrrhiza glabra Extract-Loaded Ufasomes on Spanish Broom Dressings. Molecules.

🧴 Products Containing GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA EXTRACT

• Eczebio, Oemine Laboratoire Liniment Naturel zones sensibles
• Eco Cosmetics Crème Solaire Baby & Kids SPF 45
• Eco cosmetics Opalovací krém SPF 15 bio
• OSHEA HERBALS Papaya Clean Anti Blemish Facewash
• whitelab Brightening Facial Wash
• Linibio, Oemine Linibio Liniment naturel