The Science Behind Our Ingredients: Licorice Root
A common ingredient in classic herbal formulas in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), licorice has been used for generations as a potent medicinal plant. Licorice is widely used in TCM for its unique ability to enhance the effectiveness of other ingredients, and is often combined with other herbal ingredients for this reason1.
Among cosmetic scientists, licorice has come to be known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, and skin-lightening properties2 . It contains a high percentage of glabridin, one of the most widely studied licorice flavonoids. Glabridin’s anti-inflammatory effect was first demonstrated in a study as far back as 19983, and it effectively helps control redness and other types of skin inflammation. When it comes to its brightening effect, glabridin works by inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme that causes pigmentation in response to sun exposure. This makes it an excellent choice for addressing skin discolorations such as sun spots and other brown spots.
Our licorice root is 100 percent natural, never processed, and is created from certified organic whole roots that are carefully dried, lab-tested for purity, and then ground into a fine powder for use in our facial masks. The powder is as close to nature as you can get: It is never processed to remove the root’s scent or color, and comes straight to us from the grower for the purest, freshest possible final product.
1 https://www.botanicalmedicine.org/licorice-root-antiviral-antimicrobial-antifungal/
2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0367326X13001743?via%3Dihub