For your skin
A gentle Asian-skincare brightener derived from licorice root. Fades dark spots and calms redness, and it's a pregnancy-safe alternative to stronger fade ingredients.
Want the science? Keep reading ↓Mechanism of action
Contains glabridin and liquiritin; inhibits tyrosinase and quenches inflammatory cytokines without affecting cell viability.
Why we tier this moderate
7 cited papers across 5 countries. The mechanism is well-described and there's at least one controlled trial in the literature, but we tier this Moderate rather than Strong to stay honest about how many specific papers we cite directly.
Cited research
Liu Y et al., Glycyrrhiza glabra extract as a skin-whitening agent: Identification of active components and CRTC1/MITF pathway-inhibition mechanism, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2025;349:119948 — identifies glabridin as the principal active and maps skin-whitening mechanism via CREB/CRTC1/MITF suppression
Wang JY et al., Preparation of compound liquorice microemulsion gel and its pharmacodynamics evaluation, Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi (China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica) 2020;45(21):5193-5199 — compound licorice (Glycyrrhiza) microemulsion gel significantly reduced ear swelling and inflammatory infiltration in chronic eczema mouse model
MFDS Notified Functional Cosmetic Active — Glabridin / Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra) Root Extract (whitening). Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Cosmetic Functional Active Ingredient List — glabridin (the active marker from licorice root) is a notified whitening active under the Korean Functional Cosmetics Codex
Kowalska A, Kalinowska-Lis U (Poland), 18-beta-Glycyrrhetinic acid: its core biological properties and dermatological applications, International Journal of Cosmetic Science 2019;41(4):325-331 — licorice-derived 18-beta-glycyrrhetinic acid offers anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial benefits for inflamed and photoaged skin
Seino H et al., Efficient Percutaneous Delivery of the Antimelanogenic Agent Glabridin Using Cationic Amphiphilic Chitosan Micelles, PLoS ONE 2016;11(10):e0164061 — chitosan-micelle-encapsulated glabridin penetrated skin ~4x more efficiently and inhibited melanogenesis
Nerya O et al. (Israel), Glabrene and isoliquiritigenin as tyrosinase inhibitors from licorice roots, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2003;51(5):1201-7 — glabrene and isoliquiritigenin from licorice produced dose-dependent inhibition of tyrosinase and melanin formation
Yokota T et al., The inhibitory effect of glabridin from licorice extracts on melanogenesis and inflammation, Pigment Cell Research 1998;11(6):355-61 — glabridin inhibits both melanogenesis and inflammation via dual hydroxyl groups
Sources: PubMed · KCI · J-Stage · CNKI · Wanfang · SFD · MFDS · Cochrane · SCCS · CIR. Every entry points to a specific document. See methodology for what each outcome label means.