Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) is a perennial herb in the family of Leguminosae. It is not only traditional Chinese medicine but also has a wide range of applications in modern medicine, food and cosmetics. The active ingredients in licorice have the functions of anti-oxidation, anti-allergy, anti-inflammation, and effective removal of skin discolouration, as well as preventing skin ageing, effectively removing superoxide ions and inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase.

1. The Chemical Pharmacological Effects Applied in Cosmetics

Licorice Extract mainly contains three main types of active ingredients: flavonoids, triterpenoids (the main component is glycyrrhizic acid) and polysaccharides. For example, glycyrrhizic acid (GL), a pentacyclic triterpenoid, has a variety of biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-allergic, immune function enhancement, and interferon induction. Therefore, licorice active ingredients are widely used in cosmetics.

(1) Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Glycyrrhizic acid (GL) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Water-soluble glycyrrhizic acid has a mild anti-inflammatory effect, generally added to after-sun care products to eliminate subtle inflammation on the skin after intense sun exposure, but also inhibits capillary permeability. Glycyrrhizic acid has an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory reaction of the Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, but also restrains allergic reaction inflammation.

(2) Whitening Effects

Licorice with the name "whitening queen" known for its extracts of anti-ultraviolet light at the same time inhibit the activity of tyrosinase but also improve rough, dehydrated, inflamed skin. It’s a multi-functional whitening plant, widely used in cosmetics, and is the whitening of spot cosmetics in one of the main raw materials.

Researchers found that licorice in the effective component licoflavone, its main role for the inhibition of tyrosinase activity and the inhibition of dopa pigment inter-isomerase activity and the 5,6-dihydroxyindole polymerization of the obstruction, thus effectively restraining the generation of melanin, to achieve the whitening effect, with mild, safe and non-toxic side effects.

(3) Antioxidant and Anti-Free Radical Effects

Free radicals mainly damage cell membranes, including vascular endothelial cell membranes and submicroscopic structure and trigger a series of harmful biochemical reactions, leading to cell death, free radicals are also caused by cancer, ageing, and cardiovascular disease is the main root cause. Common free radicals in living organisms include superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical (·OH), alkoxyl radical (RO·) and so on. Licoflavones can achieve antioxidant effects by eliminating free radicals or quenching superoxide radicals and terminating the chain reaction of free radicals. Flavonoid components in licorice generally have antioxidant activity, and it has been experimentally confirmed that glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizic polysaccharides also have some antioxidant activity and can be used as free radical scavengers.

2. Application in Cosmetics

Market research found that many whitening and spot removal products are added with natural whitening ingredients, among which the most used natural ingredient is licorice extract. The three main components of licorice, licoflavones, glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizic polysaccharide, have certain whitening and antioxidant effects and are added to cosmetics with good whitening, spot removal and anti-ageing effects.

In addition to adding to whitening creams and lotions, licorice essential oil is a new type of skincare product that is also increasingly favoured by people. In addition to its whitening and anti-ageing effects as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, licorice essential oil, when used in daily life, can be used to purify the air, disinfect, and sterilize the air. Therefore, licorice essential oil is also widely used in skincare and daily life.

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