
Liquorice is the British spelling, licorice is the American spelling and its scientific name is Glycyrrhiza glabra. It is a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae that grows to about a metre in height. The root extract is commonly used as a sweet and aromatic flavouring.
The root extract contains glycyrrhizin which is 30 – 50 times sweeter than sugar. The scent is also contributed by various volatile compounds which include anethole which is the familiar smelling aromatic compound that is also present in anise, star anise and fennel. This combination gives liquorice its special aroma and sweetness which we have been using to make candy and to flavour food and drink.

When it comes to skincare, it shows :
- Skin whitening effect : Similar to Japanese knotweed where it is able to suppress the production of the enzyme tyrosinase which is used to produce melanin (skin pigments). This has the effect of whitening the skin as well as helping to fade or reduce the intensity of existing dark spots.
- Anti-oxidative effect : Liquorice extract contains flavonoids which have anti-oxidative properties that can protect the skin from oxidative stresses which can cause signs of premature aging.
- Anti-inflammatory effect : Glycyrrhetinic acid and licochalcone A which is derived from liquorice exhibits anti-inflammatory activities. This can help treat atopic dermatitis and eczema.
- Oil and sebum control : Licochalcone has also been shown to help regulate oil secretion by the skin. In Ayurvedic medicine, liquorice extract is administered for dandruff treatment.
ioula includes liquorice extract for its skin whitening effects and its ability to promote wound healing due to its combination of anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.
images courtesy of Joanna Boisse and N. Teerink