Licorice Root for Skin Health

Research suggests that licorice root extract has a range of potential applications in skin health, with the body of evidence drawing primarily from laboratory studies, animal models, narrative reviews, and a small number of clinical trials. Studies indicate that glabridin, a key compound in licorice root, may inhibit melanin production by interfering with molecular signaling pathways involved in pigment synthesis, lending biological support to its traditional use as a skin-brightening ingredient, while separate research points to glycyrrhizin — another licorice-derived compound — as potentially useful for accelerating wound healing and reducing inflammation. Clinical and observational evidence, including one 50-participant trial combining licorice extract with other active ingredients, suggests that topical formulations containing licorice may help reduce facial hyperpigmentation such as dark spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory discoloration, and broader reviews have positioned licorice root as a candidate cosmeceutical ingredient for photoaged and inflamed skin as well as a potential antifungal agent relevant to conditions like seborrheic dermatitis. The overall direction of the evidence is supportive, but most findings come from preliminary or non-randomized research, and because many studies test licorice in combination with other ingredients rather than in isolation, it remains difficult to attribute observed effects to licorice root alone — making further well-controlled clinical investigation necessary before firm conclusions can be drawn.