Licorice Root

A natural history

Licorice root is one of the oldest remedies known, and few plants leave a more vivid trail through history. Bundles of the root were placed among the treasures of Tutankhamun's tomb more than three thousand years ago, sent with the young pharaoh so he could keep making his favorite sweet drink in the afterlife. Ancient Greek writers called it the Scythian root, and it marched with armies: soldiers were told to chew licorice on long campaigns to quench their thirst and hold their stamina when water ran short.

Across those cultures the root was put to similar use. It was chewed or brewed to soothe the throat and quiet a cough, and it was prized as a gentle, sweet remedy that softened and comforted, including when smoothed onto the skin. In traditional Chinese medicine it became one of the most widely used herbs of all, the quiet harmonizer folded into countless formulas.

What it does for your skin

Licorice owes much of its brightening reputation to glabridin, a compound concentrated in the root. In laboratory and animal studies, glabridin was shown to inhibit tyrosinase, a key enzyme in pigment formation, and to reduce UV-induced pigmentation and redness.^[1] A 2011 review in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology groups licorice among the botanicals used to support a brighter, more even-looking tone, while noting the cosmetic evidence base is still building.^[2] Gently softening the look of dark spots while calming the look of redness is why licorice pairs so naturally with vitamin C.

References