How to Use Licorice Extract for Skin Lightening

How to Use Licorice Extract for Skin Lightening

Like the sweet treat, it all comes back to the licorice plant (scientific term: Glycyrrhiza glabra...we'll just call it the licorice plant). The root of the plant has been used for medicinal purposes for years and is where black licorice the candy comes from, but it's also the source of licorice extract used topically for skin. This extract is filled with a variety of beneficial compounds, which do everything from delivering antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to helping fade dark spots.2 It's this latter effect that makes it a choice ingredient in many skin-brightening products.
It even acts similarly to hydroquinone (more on that in a minute), considered to be the gold-standard brightening ingredient, though notorious for its unwanted side effects and even potential safety concerns.