Licorice Root Extract
Products with Licorice Root Extract
Azelaic Acid, Ceramide-Wrapped Pure AZ Control Serum
One of the more convincing azelaic acid serums on the cosmetic market: a stated 15% dose, listed right after water, in a soft, ceramide-rich lotion that avoids the grittiness of many azelaic products. It is well suited to redness, breakouts and oiliness. The drawbacks are price outside Japan, sachet waste and the tingle azelaic acid brings.
Key Azelaic Acid · Ceramides
Azelaic Acid Done Right Azelaic Acid 10 Ampoule
A genuinely treatment-strength azelaic ampoule that gets the formulation right — an 11.5% three-form azelaic complex, buffered by centella and beta-glucan, fragrance-free and well tolerated. It tackles acne, redness and marks at once, suits sensitive skin, and is one of the rare effective actives usable in pregnancy. An easy recommendation.
Key Azelaic Acid · Centella Asiatica
Gentle Acne Serum for Sensitive Skin Super Clear Acne Treating Serum (2% Salicylic Acid)
Super Clear is a gentle, well-buffered acne serum that gets the balance right: a full 2% salicylic acid — the effective OTC maximum — to clear pores and breakouts, wrapped in a genuinely thoughtful soothing complex of centella, colloidal oatmeal, zinc PCA, and licorice on a hydrating squalane base, fragrance-free. So it treats acne without the stripping dryness and irritation that make many acne products backfire, which makes it ideal for sensitive skin that also breaks out. It's not fungal-acne safe, and results build over weeks, but for everyday comedonal and inflammatory acne on reactive skin, it's a smart, kind, well-priced choice that clears without the collateral damage.
Key Salicylic Acid · Centella Asiatica
Invisible Liquid Pimple Patch Truly Targeted Acne-Clearing Solution with Salicylic Acid
An unusually well-thought-out spot liquid: monograph-strength salicylic acid to flatten a pimple overnight, a polyhydroxy buffer and licorice so it does not crust, and a genuine four percent niacinamide to fade the mark over the following month, drying to an invisible film that works under makeup. It stings on open spots, does nothing for cysts, and thirty dollars for fifteen millilitres is a luxury ask for what one drop does very well.
Key Salicylic Acid · Niacinamide
Clean Acne Fighter Acne+ 2% BHA and Azelaic Acid Acne Spot Treatment
A thoughtfully formulated spot treatment that proves clean beauty can pack a clinical punch. The BHA-azelaic acid-niacinamide trio targets both active blemishes and the marks they leave behind, though the small tube and $30 price tag demand precision application to justify the investment.
Key Salicylic Acid · Azelaic Acid
Gentle Triple-Acid Innovator Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant
A thoughtfully engineered triple-acid exfoliant that prioritizes inclusivity over intensity, delivering gentle multi-level exfoliation backed by a generous antioxidant complex. The gentle approach means patience is required, but for the right skin type, the payoff is a refined, clearer complexion without the drama.
Key Mandelic Acid · Salicylic Acid
Pediatrician's Eczema Pick Eczema Relief Cream
One of the more thoughtful drugstore eczema creams on the market — FDA skin-protectant colloidal oatmeal at 1%, ceramide NP for barrier repair, and licorice root extract for steroid-sparing anti-inflammatory activity, all under $15. The National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance and over a decade of derm-office recommendations support the formulation. Better-positioned for body than face use.
Key Colloidal Oatmeal · Ceramides
Multi-Mechanism Acne Fighter Sébium Global Intensive Care
The most scientifically ambitious OTC acne treatment you'll find in a pharmacy — six active mechanisms in one tube, backed by an actual published clinical trial. Best for oily, acne-prone skin that can tolerate aggressive actives. The fragrance inclusion and tiny tube size are frustrating compromises in an otherwise impressive formulation.
Key Salicylic Acid · Bakuchiol
Warming Nose Treatment Blackhead Solutions Self-Heating Blackhead Extractor with Salicylic Acid
A registered one percent salicylic acid treatment in a self-heating, water-free paste with mineral grit and a targeting nozzle. It shears the tops off nose blackheads without strips or squeezing and keeps them tidier with three sessions a week, but the warmth is a ten-second party trick, the tube is tiny for thirty-six dollars, and the grit rules out sensitive skin.
Key Salicylic Acid · Physical Exfoliants
Targeted Blemish Buster The AHA 2 BHA 2 Blemish Treatment Serum
A cleverly designed spot treatment that delivers real AHA/BHA exfoliation through a hygienic, cotton-ball delivery system that feels more like a skincare ritual than a chore. The triple-acid formula is balanced with soothing agents, and the results on active blemishes are fast and convincing.
Key Glycolic Acid · Salicylic Acid
Gentle Dual Exfoliating Scrub Scrub So Clean
A dual-action exfoliating wash that combines gentle rice-bran beads with low-dose salicylic acid and a genuinely soothing botanical base. It leaves oily, congestion-prone skin smooth and clean for very little money, but the added fragrance, physical particles, and acne-prone focus make it a poor fit for dry, sensitive, or reactive skin.
Key Salicylic Acid · Waxes
Redness & Brightening Multitasker Azelaic Acid Booster
A genuinely multitasking treatment that earns its place in routines targeting redness, acne marks, and uneven tone. The 10% azelaic acid concentration delivers real results backed by decades of clinical research, though the premium price for a small tube means you're paying for formulation intelligence over quantity.
Key Azelaic Acid · Salicylic Acid
Bacne Reach Solution CLEAR Acne Body Spray
The body-acne product that solves the two problems the category usually ignores: reaching the middle of your own back, and leaving 2% salicylic acid on the skin without alcohol to make it sting. It clears bacne and chest breakouts reliably over a month, cushions the acid with licorice and panthenol, and costs more per ounce than a whole back would like.
Key Salicylic Acid · Humectants
Acne Oil Pioneer UFO Ultra-Clarifying Acne Treatment Face Oil
U.F.O. is a genuinely innovative acne treatment that rethinks how salicylic acid should be delivered — but at $80 for a modest 1.5% BHA concentration, the creative formulation philosophy costs significantly more than the conventional alternatives it aims to outperform.
Key Salicylic Acid · Plant & Seed Oils
Multi-Active Acne Treatment Sébium Global Intensive Purifying Care
A genuinely sophisticated multi-active acne treatment that targets all four pathological steps of acne in one cream — salicylic exfoliation, bakuchiol cell turnover, zinc sebum and bacteria control, glycyrrhetinic acid anti-inflammation. Held back by a 30 ml size that finishes faster than the 8-12 week treatment timeline, plus fragrance inclusion that's unwelcome in an acne product.
Key Salicylic Acid · Bakuchiol
Budget Triple-Acid Solution Anti-Blemish Spot A Sol
A thoughtfully built, inexpensive three-acid solution that gently smooths oily, congested skin, with licochalcone A and other liquorice extracts to calm irritation. High alcohol, citrus oil and a little peanut oil narrow its audience, and the brand's own modest trial results are the right guide to expectations: steady improvement, not fast clearing.
Key Salicylic Acid · Glycolic Acid
Cooling Spot Soother Anti-Blemish Spot-X
A pleasant, well-packaged soothing spot cream, with purified centella compounds, licochalcone A and low-dose acids, that helps angry blemishes look calmer. It is not the superior alternative to OTC treatments that the brand claims, and the peppermint oil and limonene can sting sensitive or broken skin. Best as a gentle extra, not a primary acne treatment.
Key Salicylic Acid · Lactic Acid
Oily-Skin Spot Calmer Red Spot p53 Soothing Serum
A light, oil-free serum that gives oily, breakout-prone skin a genuine dose of niacinamide and a gentle touch of salicylic acid. The soothing claims, though, rest on a trace peptide and a late-listed licorice extract, and alcohol near the top makes it a poor match for truly sensitive or rosacea-prone faces. Good for oily redness, wrong for reactive skin.
Key Niacinamide · Salicylic Acid
Pore-Clearing Treatment Acne Pro Gel
A fast-drying salicylic-plus-glycolic gel that decongests pores and smooths texture, with a soothing botanical layer to soften the acids. It is the assertive, oily-skin counterpart to the gentler Acne Pro Cream, but a fairly high alcohol content and the acid-plus-tea-tree mix make it a poor fit for dry or sensitive skin.
Key Salicylic Acid · Glycolic Acid
Eucerin Patented Thiamidol Acne+PIH Serum DermoPure Triple Effect Serum
Eucerin's patented dual-action acne serum combining salicylic acid for active acne with Thiamidol (Beiersdorf's exclusive brightening active) for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Licochalcone A adds anti-inflammatory support. Earns its place as one of the few products addressing both concerns simultaneously with clinical research backing.
Key Thiamidol · Salicylic Acid
Innovative Spot Treatment Blemish Defeat'r BHA Spot-Targeting Gel
A smartly formulated dual-BHA spot treatment with genuinely innovative film-forming technology that solves the 'spot treatment under makeup' problem. The formulation earns respect, but the small size, premium price, and mixed user results on stubborn acne keep it from being a category knockout.
Key Salicylic Acid · Willow Bark Extract
Sensitive-Skin Blemish Pick A-Clear Soothing Serum
A genuinely smart take on blemish care that treats inflammation as seriously as it treats bacteria. The tea-tree-and-salicylic core does the clearing while centella, guaiazulene and licorice keep skin calm, making this the rare acne serum sensitive types can actually live with. The small bottle and a tea tree scent are its only real friction points.
Key Tea Tree Oil · Salicylic Acid
Everyday Exfoliating Swipe A-Clear Soothing Toner
A pared-down exfoliating toner that proves a fifteen-ingredient list can outperform a crowded one. Salicylic acid and tea tree do the clearing, centella and azulene keep it comfortable, and the 150ml bottle makes it a quiet value. Sensitive skin should pace it, and the tea tree note isn't for everyone, but for oily, congestion-prone faces it's a smart daily step.
Key Salicylic Acid · Tea Tree Oil
Budget Acne Pick Acne Serum
A budget acne serum that pairs salicylic acid with tea tree hydrosol, centella, and licorice to clear breakouts while keeping irritation in check. At around five dollars it's a smart, gentle entry point for oily and combination skin, though the tiny bottle and undisclosed BHA strength mean it's a starter, not a heavy hitter.
Key Salicylic Acid · Tea Tree Oil
Gentle Azelaic Ampoule Azelaic Acid Cica Exosome Ampoule
The gentlest, most hydrating way to use azelaic acid in VT's line — a fragrance-free, watery ampoule with azelaic acid high on the list, a soothing cica complex and an unusually deep hyaluronic acid base. It calms breakouts, fades post-acne marks and even tone while flooding skin with hydration, and it's gentle enough for sensitive and pregnant users. A genuinely well-judged treatment ampoule.
Key Azelaic Acid · Centella Asiatica
Richest Heparinoid Night Cream Carte HD Moisture Cream
The Carté HD Moisture Cream is the line's richest and most protective product: a fragrance-free quasi-drug cream with heparinoid and glycyrrhizinate actives, barrier-mimicking lipids, petrolatum and mineral oil. It is excellent for very dry, sensitive or winter-stressed skin, especially at night. It is heavy for oily skin, contains methylparaben and comes in a small jar.
Key Licorice Root Extract · Phytosterols
Heparinoid Melting Emulsion Carte HD Moisture Emulsion
The Carté HD Moisture Emulsion is a fragrance-free, medicated Japanese moisturizer that seals in hydration with a heparinoid active, glycyrrhizinate, mineral oil, petrolatum and barrier-mimicking lipids. It is excellent for dry, rough and sensitive faces and melts in without greasiness. It contains methylparaben and may feel too rich for oily skin.
Key Licorice Root Extract · Petrolatum
Family-Size Heparinoid Lotion Carte HD Moisture Face & Body Lotion
Carté HD's Face & Body Lotion is a fragrance-free, medicated moisturizer for widespread dryness, combining a heparinoid active and glycyrrhizinate with mineral oil, petrolatum and barrier-mimicking lipids. It relieves dry, itchy skin effectively and works for the whole family. It contains methylparaben, and oily facial skin may find it too rich.
Key Licorice Root Extract · Petrolatum
Heparinoid Hand Repair Carte HD Moisture Hand Cream
Carté HD's Moisture Hand Cream is a quietly excellent, fragrance-free hand repair cream: a Japanese quasi-drug pairing a heparinoid humectant with glycyrrhizinate, petrolatum and skin-mimicking lipids, in a texture that absorbs quickly. It heals chapped hands well. It contains methylparaben and is mostly available outside the US through online importers.
Key Licorice Root Extract · Petrolatum
Heparinoid One-Step Gel Carte HD Moisture Install All In One Gel
Carté HD's All In One Gel compresses a medicated Japanese routine into one fragrance-free step: heparinoid and glycyrrhizinate actives, a dense humectant base and occlusives including petrolatum. It is excellent for dry skin and anyone who wants minimal steps. Methylparaben, silicone and a rich finish make it less suited to oily skin.
Key Licorice Root Extract · Glycerin
Luxury Skin Rescue Balm Remedies Skin Salve Restoring Treatment
A conceptually smart rescue balm that paired a clinical-grade petrolatum-beeswax occlusive with genuine barrier repair actives — ceramide NG, cholesterol, centella, and licorice — in a luxury package. The formulation earned its small but devoted following, though the 6-per-ounce pricing and contradictory fragrance inclusion kept it from greatness. Now discontinued, it serves as a case study in what luxury barrier repair could look like.
Key Petrolatum · Ceramides
Dry-Skin Barrier Cream Borage Cream
A genuinely nourishing 'medicated' barrier cream built around borage oil's barrier-building GLA, a petrolatum seal, and a licorice anti-inflammatory active — fragrance-free and astonishingly cheap. It's a standout for very dry, rough skin and body areas, melting in rich and soothing. Just keep it off oily faces, and patch test if the clove extract worries you.
Key Borage Seed Oil · Licorice Root Extract
Sulfur Spot Treatment Acne Spot Therapy
An effective, sensible acne spot treatment built on 3% sulfur — a genuine, FDA-recognized acne active that's antibacterial, oil-absorbing, and notably pregnancy-compatible — plus vitamin C and licorice to fade the marks breakouts leave behind. Dabbed onto blemishes, it calms them within a day or two, and the mark-fading support is a genuinely useful touch. Sulfur's drying tendency (keep it to spots) and a royal-jelly allergen are the main considerations. A solid, affordable spot treatment.
Key Sulfur · Licorice Root Extract
Primer-Like Day Cream Smoothening Day Cream
Marubi's Smoothening Day Cream is a silicone-built morning moisturizer that blurs texture like a primer, hydrates adequately with glycerin and macadamia oil, and carries a decent dose of vitamin E; the cocoa and coenzyme Q10 are set dressing, and the fragrance, BHT and red dye are needless. It is a pleasant, ordinary day cream at a reseller price that asks a little more than it earns, and it offers no sun protection.
Key Dimethicone · Macadamia Oil
Legacy Luxury Moisturiser Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream
A two-decade-old luxury moisturiser whose genuine achievement is texture, a glycerin-rich water-in-silicone cream that sets to a powdery-satin finish and holds moisture all day. Its anti-ageing content is a yeast ferment and a hyaluronic acid at story-level doses, its fragrance declares eight allergens including lilial, banned in Europe since 2022, and a hundred and fifteen dollars buys a beautiful jar of hydration and nothing more.
Key Glycerin · Dimethicone
Winter Hand Rescue Gloves I'm Lovely Peach Hand Mask
Twenty minutes in these peach-scented plastic gloves leaves dry hands genuinely softer for a day or two, and the reason is the format, not the fruit: glycerin and mineral oil under occlusion do what no hand cream manages in the same time. The peach content is declared at a thousandth of the advertised figure and the fragrance is loud, but as a weekly winter treat it earns its five dollars.
Key Glycerin · Mineral Oil
Luxe Japanese Firming Cream Skin-Tightening Cream
A genuinely luxurious, deeply comforting anti-aging cream whose 'tightening' is mostly an immediate cosmetic effect from a beautifully textured rich emollient base — not a structural fix for sagging. Dry, mature skin will love how cushioned and smooth it feels. But it's fragranced, contains added dyes, isn't sold officially in the US, and carries steep, inconsistent import pricing that's hard to justify.
Key Petrolatum · Amino Acids
Gentle BPO Wash Gentle Clear Complexion-Clearing BPO Acne Cleanser
A rare benzoyl peroxide cleanser that won't torch sensitive skin: its micronized 2.6% BPO, buffered with licorice root, zinc, and glycerin, kills acne bacteria while staying genuinely comfortable. The small tube and per-ounce cost are the catch, and as with all BPO it bleaches fabric and isn't for pregnancy — but as a gentle entry to the gold-standard acne active, it's excellent.
Key Benzoyl Peroxide · Licorice Root Extract
Rosacea & Dark Spot MVP 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
The most elegantly formulated OTC azelaic acid product available — a 10% concentration backed by synergistic brightening, soothing, and exfoliating ingredients in a fragrance-free, vegan, cruelty-free package. The versatile booster format and pregnancy-safe profile make it uniquely adaptable, though the $39 price for one ounce demands commitment.
Key Azelaic Acid · Salicylic Acid
Redness-Calming Azelaic Serum Left Un-Red Reducer Serum
A genuinely well-built redness serum — a 10% azelaic acid complex, an ingredient quietly excellent for redness, blemishes, and tone, layered with a thoughtful soothing cast and accepted by the National Rosacea Society. Gentle, pregnancy-safe, and effective. The steep $68 price for inexpensive core actives is the honest reservation.
Key Azelaic Acid · Licorice Root Extract
Budget Brightening Essential Niacinamide Brightening Toner
A cleverly constructed multi-pathway brightening toner that combines four different melanin-targeting mechanisms at gentle concentrations. At fourteen dollars, it's a remarkably smart approach to hyperpigmentation that trades intensity for breadth — and for most skin types, that's the better strategy.
Key Niacinamide · Arbutin
K-Beauty Daily SPF Aqua Bomb SPF 45
belif Aqua Bomb SPF 45 combines a four-filter chemical UV complex (avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene) with niacinamide, multi-botanical antioxidants (marigold, noni, woodbine), and belif's signature apothecary herbal complex in a moisturizing K-beauty SPF at 42 dollars for 50ml.
Key Avobenzone · Niacinamide
No-White-Cast SPF for Men BGS Men SPF 30
Black Girl Sunscreen BGS Men SPF 30 combines four FDA-approved chemical UV filters (octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate) with a multi-botanical soothing and brightening layer (aloe, licorice, hops, red algae) and plant emollients (avocado, jojoba, sunflower, cacao butter) in a fragrance-free lotion at 19 dollars for 3oz. Mission-driven brand built around no-white-cast formulation for melanin-rich skin.
Key Avobenzone · Licorice Root Extract
High-Zinc Mineral Stick Sun Rise Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 40
Bubble Skincare's Sun Rise Mineral Sunscreen Stick commits to 25% zinc oxide — at the upper range of commercial mineral sunscreens — in a portable stick format at $15. Combined with shea butter, argan oil, meadowfoam seed oil emollient chassis and aloe/bisabolol soothing chemistry. Fragrance-free and vegan. The high zinc concentration delivers serious UV protection with the typical mineral SPF visible cast trade-off.
Key Zinc Oxide · Shea Butter
Budget Broad-Spectrum Pick Sunscreen Milk UV
A genuinely broad-spectrum SPF50+ PA++++ hybrid milk that uses a modern photostable UVA filter and lays down with minimal white cast — all for the price of a sandwich. The alcohol and octinoxate make it a skip for sensitive skin, and the 30ml tube is small, but as a lightweight everyday sunscreen for normal-to-oily skin it is a quietly excellent value.
Key Octinoxate · Titanium Dioxide
Waterproof Outdoor Pick UV Sun Veil Cream WP
Chifure's outdoor specialist: a waterproof, reef-safe, UV-absorber-free mineral cream that grips through sweat and water and moonlights as a primer, all for drugstore money. The SPF30 PA++ rating means more modest UVA protection than the brand's milks, and it leaves a slight cast, but for gentle, water-resistant sun cover it earns its place.
Key Titanium Dioxide · Zinc Oxide
Clean Beauty SPF Pick Daily SPF 32
A refreshingly honest mineral sunscreen that delivers exactly what the clean-beauty consumer is looking for — high-concentration zinc oxide, a short ingredient list of recognizable botanicals, and a texture that is surprisingly pleasant for a mineral formula. The white cast is real and the SPF is moderate, but for daily urban use on light to medium skin tones, this is one of the best values in clean-beauty sun protection.
Key Zinc Oxide · Argan Oil
Budget Dark-Spot Fader Niacinamide + Alpha Arbutin Serum
Deconstruct's Niacinamide + Alpha Arbutin Serum is a sensible, budget-friendly brightener that goes after pigmentation from several directions at once: 10% niacinamide to block pigment transfer, alpha arbutin to slow melanin production, and licorice for a botanical boost. Fragrance-free, fungal-acne-safe and gentle, it's a smart everyday pick for dark spots and uneven tone — provided you bring patience and daily sunscreen.
Key Niacinamide · Alpha Arbutin
Sweatproof Skin-Care SPF Protection 50 Sport SPF50
A sport sunscreen made by a skin-care company, and it shows: fragrance-free, alcohol-free, avobenzone stabilised with the full 10 percent of octocrylene, and safflower oleosomes that turn a 28 percent filter load into something that feels like body lotion. It is heavier than a daily face SPF and its filters are the ordinary American set, but for sweat, water and long days out it is one of the more comfortable tubes available.
Key Avobenzone · Homosalate
ETVOS Pressed Mineral Touch-Up SPF Mineral UV Veil (Sheer)
Pressed-powder companion to ETVOS Mineral UV Powder with dual mineral filters at SPF 45 PA+++ and the brand's clean-beauty treatment depth. Best as touch-up over base sunscreen for daily UV protection routine.
Key Zinc Oxide · Ceramides
Japanese Quasi-Drug Mineral Sunscreen-Serum Mineral UV White Serum
Japanese clean-beauty mineral sunscreen-serum hybrid with quasi-drug certified tranexamic acid for combined UV protection and bihaku function. Earns its place for users seeking combined sun protection and pigmentation correction in one product with clean-beauty discipline.
Key Zinc Oxide · Tranexamic Acid
Everyday Body SPF Spray Advanced Hydration SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray
The SPF 30 sibling of Eucerin's Advanced Hydration spray, sharing the same gentle, fragrance-free, antioxidant-boosted, hydrating formula in a lighter filter load. It is a convenient everyday body and reapplication spray for casual sun exposure, with the usual spray caveats about thin coverage and the lower SPF 30 ceiling making it a step down from the SPF 50 version for intense days.
Key Avobenzone · Licorice Root Extract
Hydrating Value SPF Advanced Hydration SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
A quietly excellent everyday SPF 50: fragrance-free, alcohol-free, genuinely hydrating, and anchored by Eucerin's licochalcone-A antioxidant complex with vitamins C and E, all at a price that undercuts most of the category. The chemical filters and a faint cosmetic feel are the only real caveats. For face and body daily protection on a budget, it is one of the easiest recommendations around.
Key Avobenzone · Licorice Root Extract
Easy-Reapply Body SPF Advanced Hydration SPF 50 Sunscreen Spray
The Advanced Hydration line's strong fragrance-free, antioxidant-boosted SPF 50, repackaged as a fast, hydrating, non-sticky aerosol for body coverage and easy reapplication. The formula is excellent and the price is keen; the deductions are inherent to sprays, namely the risk of thin, uneven coverage and the need to rub it in. Used correctly, it is a genuinely convenient way to stay protected.
Key Avobenzone · Licorice Root Extract
Matte Face SPF for Oily Skin Advanced Hydration Ultra-Light SPF 50 Face Sunscreen
The face-specific SPF 50 of the Advanced Hydration line, set apart by a silica-and-starch mattifying system that delivers a genuinely shine-free, makeup-friendly finish. It keeps the fragrance-free formula, antioxidant complex, and hyaluronic acid, making it a strong daily facial sunscreen for oily and combination skin, with a high-placed alcohol that asks drier or reactive skin to hydrate well underneath.
Key Avobenzone · Silica
Melasma Photoprotection Standout Sun Mineral Tinted Sunscreen Lotion SPF 35
A sophisticated tinted mineral facial sunscreen pairing 24% zinc oxide with iron oxides for visible-light protection and a five-antioxidant defense shield — addressing UV, HEVIS, and oxidative stress in a single drugstore product. The standout pick for melasma and hyperpigmentation photoprotection at the drugstore tier.
Key Zinc Oxide · Iron Oxides
Sensitive Skin Brightener Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum
A genuinely innovative dark spot serum that targets hyperpigmentation through three complementary mechanisms while remaining gentle enough for sensitive skin. The approach is smart and the formulation is thoughtful — but the small size and premium price demand commitment.
Key Niacinamide · Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Sensitive Skin Mineral Pick Self Reflect Probiotic Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 32
A rare mineral sunscreen that behaves like a day moisturizer on sensitive, rosacea-prone, and post-procedure skin, built on a meaningful 22.4% non-nano zinc load and tinted with iron oxides so it cuts the worst of the cast on fair and medium tones. The SPF 32 label and the 50 ml tube are the practical drawbacks, but the formulation philosophy is right.
Key Zinc Oxide · Probiotics & Prebiotics
Clinical Retinol Gateway 360 Retinol 0.5
A thoughtfully engineered clinical retinol that prioritizes tolerability without sacrificing efficacy. The entrapped microsphere delivery system genuinely reduces the irritation roller coaster that makes many people abandon retinol after a week. At $79 for 1 oz, you're paying a premium for Obagi's 35-year clinical heritage and a delivery technology that actually works — but that premium only makes sense if conventional retinol has burned you before.
Key Retinol · Vitamin C
High-Zinc Derm-Office SPF 50 Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ Sunscreen Lotion
The honest high-mineral option in Obagi's sun range: 15.6 percent zinc and 6.2 percent titanium, no organic filters, no boosters, no fragrance, in a lotion sheer enough to wear every day and carrying the Skin Cancer Foundation's seal. It protects post-procedure and melasma-prone skin properly and irritates almost nobody; it is a filter-first formula with little skin care in it, it casts faintly on deeper tones, and sixty dollars is a fair dispensed-sunscreen price rather than a good one.
Key Zinc Oxide · Titanium Dioxide
The full licorice root extract guide
Licorice root extract is a botanical that works on two fronts: one set of its compounds slows the enzyme that makes pigment, while another calms redness and irritation. That pairing matters, because irritation itself can leave marks behind.
It's gentle, which makes it a favorite for reactive skin that can't take harsher brighteners. Its headline compound, glabridin, appears in small and variable amounts, so an extract standardized for it does far more than a vague licorice root extract near the bottom of the list.
Where the evidence stands, by concern
Evidence for an ingredient is not one grade — it differs concern by concern. Each row below was researched separately against regulatory approvals, clinical guidelines, and trials our team opened and verified; the band and dots rank how central licorice root extract is to treating that concern, from first-line therapy down to supportive care, at treatment-level doses and vehicles. A product's own grade weighs its actual formula.
Researched, not established: Eczema, Hyperpigmentation, Melasma, Rosacea, Dark Spots. We looked at each of these and the current evidence does not clear our bar for a treatment standing — that is a finding, not a gap in our research.
How it's regulated in the US
FDA does not classify ingredients — it classifies products, by what they are sold to do. The same molecule can be a drug active in one product and a cosmetic ingredient in the next, and only the claim on the label decides which. What follows is a statement about that legal standing, not about whether it works — the evidence question is answered separately above.
Cosmetic Licorice Root Extract is a cosmetic ingredient in the US: no OTC monograph covers it and it is not an active in any FDA-approved drug, so a product built around it is a cosmetic rather than a drug.
Licorice draws interest for two sides: glabridin, which slows the enzyme behind pigment, and soothing compounds such as glycyrrhetinic acid and licochalcone A. Much of the brightening work is in the lab, with smaller human studies on sun-triggered darkening and on melasma, often using licorice inside a blend. The soothing side has been explored for redness and for rosacea- and eczema-prone skin. A practical thread is standardization, since crude extracts carry very different amounts of the active compounds. The panel below follows each concern separately.
How it works
Licorice packs several active compounds with complementary effects. Glabridin, its headline brightener, inhibits tyrosinase — the rate-limiting enzyme in melanin synthesis — interrupting pigment production without affecting DNA, which is why it's pursued as a gentler alternative to hydroquinone for dark spots and melasma. Related molecules like glabrene and isoliquiritigenin add further tyrosinase-inhibiting and antioxidant activity. On the soothing side, glycyrrhetinic acid, along with licochalcone A (prominent in the inflata species), dampens inflammatory signaling to calm redness and irritation. That matters because inflammation itself triggers post-inflammatory pigmentation, so licorice can tackle cause and effect at once. The extract is antioxidant on top of that, helping neutralize the free radicals that drive both irritation and uneven tone. The big variable is standardization: glabridin makes up only a small and inconsistent fraction of crude licorice extract, so a product built on a standardized, glabridin-titrated extract performs far more predictably than a vague 'licorice root extract.' It's gentle and well tolerated, which positions it as a supporting brightener best paired with stronger pigment actives.
Key benefits
- Takes the edge off the look of flushed, reactive skin
- A gentle route to a more even-looking complexion
- Brightens the look of tired skin without a sting
- Lends an antioxidant hand on polluted city days
- Plays well alongside vitamin C and tranexamic acid
Concentration & usage
The active that counts is glabridin, present in only small, variable amounts in crude extract — so a standardized, glabridin-titrated extract outperforms a generic 'licorice root extract' near the bottom of a formula. It's gentle and layers easily, working best as a supporting brightener alongside stronger pigment-fighters like vitamin C or tranexamic acid.
Who it's for & who should be cautious
Who it's for
Skin dealing with hyperpigmentation, melasma, or post-acne marks gets the most from it, particularly when sensitivity or redness rules out harsher brighteners. It suits reactive complexions looking for a gentle approach.
Who should be cautious
Licorice is gentle and rarely problematic, so the main caveat is potency — on its own it's a mild, slow brightener, and stubborn melasma usually needs it combined with stronger actives. As with any botanical, the very allergy-prone should patch test first.
Pairs with & conflicts
Pairs well with: Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid), Alpha Arbutin, Tranexamic Acid
Myths & facts
Myth: Licorice extract works as strongly as hydroquinone on dark spots.
Reality: Lab studies show glabridin is a potent tyrosinase inhibitor, but in finished products its low, variable concentration makes it a gentle, gradual brightener — a complement to stronger actives, not a hydroquinone-level replacement.
Myth: All licorice products brighten equally.
Reality: Brightening depends on standardized glabridin content, which varies enormously between extracts. A vague 'licorice root extract' may contribute little, while a titrated extract does real work.
Frequently asked questions
What does licorice root actually do for skin?
It brightens through glabridin, which inhibits the pigment-making enzyme tyrosinase, and soothes through compounds like glycyrrhetinic acid and licochalcone A. That combination targets dark spots and the inflammation behind them together.
Is licorice good for dark spots and melasma?
Yes, as a gentle brightener, especially in a standardized extract. For stubborn melasma it works best combined with stronger actives rather than relied on alone.
Can licorice help with redness and sensitive skin?
It can — its anti-inflammatory compounds calm redness and irritation, making it a useful soothing ingredient for reactive skin on top of its brightening role.
Is licorice a safe alternative to hydroquinone?
It's gentler and lower-risk, working through the same tyrosinase pathway more slowly. Think of it as a supporting brightener for those who want to avoid hydroquinone, not an equal-strength swap.
Why do some licorice products work much better than others?
Because effectiveness depends on standardized glabridin content, which varies hugely. A titrated, standardized extract delivers reliable brightening where a generic extract may do almost nothing.
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