A L'il Bit Of Liquorice

There are two kinds of people — ones that love liquorice, and ones that don’t. Making its way into grooming like never before, why has the skincare industry embraced this herb? Experts explain

- Ananya Swaroop

In a recent MW article, we decoded the sudden obsession with onion in the personal care space, and we know of other relatively bizarre ingredients that have also dominated products (here's looking at you, activated charcoal and bamboo and snail mucin). But amid all this, there has been a quiet entry of liquorice into the skincare world and before we knew it, this adaptogen, which is usually used as a natural substance to help the body adapt to stress, has re-emerged as a star product for Indian skin.

Ghazal Alagh, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Mamaearth, says, Liquorice contains liquiritin, an active compound that helps to diffuse and remove existing melanin in the skin, thereby fading dark spots and pigmentation and arresting more spots from forming. The brand has launched a liquorice-based product called Bye Bye Blemishes, which helps in fading pigmentation and marks.

Is it important for men to include liquorice in their skincare routine? Mansi Kaushik, senior manager, new product development, The Man Company, certainly thinks so. Their top-selling product, in fact, is the Lighting Lip Balm For Men. “Liquorice is an extract with multiple benefits. Liquorice helps to brighten and soothe itchy and irritated skin, and can be used as an anti-inflammatory to tackle a variety of skin conditions. In powder form or as part of a topical gel or lotion, it is an effective ingredient.