Li
Licorice Root Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract · Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract · Glycyrrhiza Glabra · Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract · Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract · Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract · Licorice Root ExtractActive
The most-studied plant remedy for melasma, though trials are few. Some people who used it got redness or a skin allergy.
What it does
It’s the plant remedy most studied for melasma. A 2025 review found it among the plant extracts that helped, and a 2020 review found more clinical evidence for it on dark spots than for most Asian skincare ingredients; both want more research. Some people who used it had redness or a skin allergy. If your skin reacts easily, try it on a small area first.
The evidence, graded
strongA 2025 review of clinical trials of herbal remedies for melasma found licorice the most extensively studied of them, and among those with positive effects. It also found that some people who used licorice had redness and skin allergies. A 2020 review of eight ingredients used in Asian skincare found that soy and licorice had the most clinical evidence for dark spots. Both reviews ask for more research, and neither abstract says which licorice compound, strength or product worked.Parvizi 2025 · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Also known as
glycyrrhiza glabra extract
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