Compare · Ingredients

Hydroquinone vs Licorice Root Extract

Hydroquinone: Treats selected hyperpigmentation, including melasma, under an appropriate treatment plan. Licorice Root Extract: Some licorice-derived compounds are studied for uneven pigmentation.

Research updated 2026-10-25

Hydroquinone — Header Image

Five licorice root products on white, including two Acwell bottles, Éminence, Horbäach liquid extract and Versed

Which one?At a glance What it helps Diagrams Using both Strengths Results Safety How it works Products Questions

Which one is right for you?

Choose Hydroquinone if…

Choose for diagnosed stubborn pigment with professional guidance and a defined review point.

Stubborn melasma or dark marks
A clinician is supervising
You can take breaks between courses

Choose Licorice Root Extract if…

Consider as an optional pigment ingredient; independent clinical evidence is limited.

Mild uneven tone
Sensitive skin that dislikes stronger pigment actives
Modest expectations

Fine together

Can you use both?

Licorice is gentle and can be used between hydroquinone courses or alongside.

At a glance

● Hydroquinone

● Licorice Root Extract

Type

Pigment-suppressing medicine

Botanical pigment-targeting mixture

What it does

Treats selected hyperpigmentation, including melasma, under an appropriate treatment plan.

Some licorice-derived compounds are studied for uneven pigmentation.

Best for

Melasma; Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation; Sun Spots

Melasma; Uneven Skin Tone

Studied concentrations

4% cream is a common prescription strength; local access rules vary.

Extracts are not standardized; the cited small study used a liquiritin cream.

When to use

On the schedule specified for the product or prescribed treatment.

On the schedule specified for the product or prescribed treatment.

Time to results

Usually assessed over 8–16 weeks

Usually assessed over 8–16 weeks

Irritation

Can irritate; prolonged inappropriate use can cause paradoxical darkening (ochronosis).

Botanical extracts can cause allergy or stinging; check the complete formula.

Sensitive skin

Choose a simple formula and test a small area first. Avoid actively inflamed or broken skin unless the product is specifically directed for it.

Choose a simple formula and test a small area first. Avoid actively inflamed or broken skin unless the product is specifically directed for it.

Available

Professional guidance; nonprescription hydroquinone skin-lightening products are not legally marketed in the US.

Prescription or cosmetic status depends on the active, formula and country; check the label.

What it helps

Compare uses by strength of evidence. Evidence level describes confidence in a benefit, not its size.

Evidence level

Hydroquinone

Licorice Root Extract

Moderate evidenceSome supportive research

Flat tan patches with soft irregular edges across the forehead and upper cheek of an adult with light skin, the surface completely smooth.

Melasma

Clinical trials support improvement with monitored topical treatment.

—

Limited evidenceEarly or small studies

Flat light-brown residual marks on a fair cheek.

Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation

Used for selected pigment after diagnosis; the cited trial studied melasma.

AI-generated educational illustration of Sun Spots: 1. Sun Spots Header — Light Skin; Lighter skin. Not a clinical photograph.

Sun Spots

May lighten selected benign spots; a changing lesion first needs diagnosis.

Flat tan patches with soft irregular edges across the forehead and upper cheek of an adult with light skin, the surface completely smooth.

Melasma

A small study investigated a specific liquiritin cream.

Uneven Skin Tone.

Uneven Skin Tone

Possible pigment benefit is based on small compound-specific studies.

Insufficient evidence

The front of a forearm on fair skin. Two pale patches with sharp edges sit against lightly tanned skin, and the difference between the patch and the skin around it is subtle.

Vitiligo

The reviewed sources do not establish this ingredient as a treatment for this concern.

A close crop of one lower eyelid and the top of the cheek on pale skin, no full face. The skin under the eye looks bluish-purple with fine veins showing, and a shallow hollow sits between the lid and the cheek.

Dark Circles Under the Eyes

The reviewed sources do not establish this ingredient as a treatment for this concern.

The front of a forearm on fair skin. Two pale patches with sharp edges sit against lightly tanned skin, and the difference between the patch and the skin around it is subtle.

Vitiligo

The reviewed sources do not establish this ingredient as a treatment for this concern.

Redness and fine superficial vessels across a light-skinned cheek and nose.

Rosacea

The cited pigment study did not test rosacea.

Inflamed acne on light skin. The spots sit in a patch of pink, and the ring of redness around each one is easy to see. A few have a yellow-white head, and the skin between them is dry and flaking.

Acne

The reviewed sources do not establish this ingredient as a treatment for this concern.

How it works

Hydroquinone mechanism diagram. Acts on tyrosinase pathways: Hydroquinone suppresses melanin synthesis. Targets excess pigmentation: Appropriate use and monitoring matter. — Open full-size diagram
Diagram explanation and sources
Acts on tyrosinase pathways: Hydroquinone suppresses melanin synthesis. Targets excess pigmentation: Appropriate use and monitoring matter.
Schematic illustration; not a measurement of skin penetration. Effects vary with ingredient identity and formulation.
Source 1 · Source 2

Licorice Root Extract mechanism diagram. Contains several active compounds: Glabridin and liquiritin have different actions. May help uneven pigmentation: Extracts and clinical evidence vary. — Open full-size diagram
Diagram explanation and sources
Contains several active compounds: Glabridin and liquiritin have different actions. May help uneven pigmentation: Extracts and clinical evidence vary.
Schematic illustration; not a measurement of skin penetration. Effects vary with ingredient identity and formulation.
Source 1

Using both in one routine

Built from where each one usually sits in a routine. Introduce one at a time.

Morning

Step 1

Cleanser

Step 2

Licorice Root ExtractMorning or night

Step 3

Moisturizer

Step 4

Sunscreen

Night

Step 1

Cleanser

Step 2

HydroquinoneNight

Step 3

Licorice Root ExtractMorning or night

Step 4

Moisturizer

Strengths and forms

Concentrations

4% is a common clinician-directed hydroquinone strength. In the U.S., hydroquinone skin-lightening products are not legally marketed over the counter; higher compounded strengths are not routine starting points.

4%

Clinician-directed strength

Used in melasma treatment and in the approved combination TRI-LUMA. Treatment length and the complete formula require medical guidance.

Choosing a strength: Get a diagnosis and a treatment plan for the pigmented area rather than choosing solely by concentration.

Higher strengths: More is not automatically better. Irritation and blue-black discoloration called ochronosis are important risks, especially with inappropriate or prolonged use.

Formula matters: Single-ingredient creams, compounded blends and TRI-LUMA are different products. A combination containing a steroid or retinoid needs its own instructions.

Licorice root extract contains multiple compounds, including liquiritin and glabridin. Whole-extract percentages do not reveal the dose of these individual compounds.

Choosing a strength: Look for the named extract or purified compound and evidence for the finished product.

Higher strengths: There is no established universal percentage range or proof that higher whole-extract concentrations improve pigmentation.

Formula matters: A small study of liquiritin cannot establish a recommended strength for every licorice extract, species, or formulation.

Forms

Cream · Triple cream

Serum · Cream

When you’ll see results

Approximate windows, not promises.

● Hydroquinone

● Licorice Root Extract

First few weeks

First few weeksAssess tolerance first; pigment change is usually slower.

First few weeksAssess tolerance first; pigment change is usually slower.

4–8 weeks

4–8 weeksSome studied regimens begin showing pigment improvement.

4–8 weeksSome studied regimens begin showing pigment improvement.

8–12 weeks

8–12 weeksA useful review point for benefit and irritation.

8–12 weeksA useful review point for benefit and irritation.

3–6 months

3–6 monthsMany melasma trials assess results over three to four months; recurrence is common.

3–6 monthsMany melasma trials assess results over three to four months; recurrence is common.

6–12 months

6–12 monthsLong-term use depends on the active; follow a monitored plan rather than extending treatment automatically.

6–12 monthsLong-term use depends on the active; follow a monitored plan rather than extending treatment automatically.

Safety and sensitive skin

Common reactions

Can irritate; prolonged inappropriate use can cause paradoxical darkening (ochronosis).

Botanical extracts can cause allergy or stinging; check the complete formula.

When to stop

Stop for persistent burning, swelling, blistering or a new rash. Seek urgent care for breathing difficulty or a severe allergic reaction.

Stop for persistent burning, swelling, blistering or a new rash. Seek urgent care for breathing difficulty or a severe allergic reaction.

Sensitive or inflamed skin

Choose a simple formula and test a small area first. Avoid actively inflamed or broken skin unless the product is specifically directed for it.

Choose a simple formula and test a small area first. Avoid actively inflamed or broken skin unless the product is specifically directed for it.

Important limits

Do not use to lighten normal skin broadly or continue through worsening pigmentation. US nonprescription hydroquinone skin-lightening products are not legally marketed.

Do not use a cosmetic product as a substitute for diagnosis of an unexplained, changing or persistent skin problem.

Pregnancy

More of it is absorbed through the skin than with most topicals, so it is usually stopped. Azelaic acid is the common substitute. Ask the doctor managing your pregnancy.

Data are limited; ask the clinician managing your pregnancy.

How it works

In the skin

On the skin. The finished product delivers hydroquinone in a particular vehicle.

Entering skin. Below the 500 Da guideline; delivery still depends on the formula, solubility, stability and skin condition. Size does not prove effectiveness or penetration depth.

Conversion. No activation step is established as necessary for its intended topical role.

Skin response. Suppresses melanin synthesis through tyrosinase-related activity; targeted use and monitoring matter.

Additional effects. Proposed pathways do not establish a measured depth of delivery or clinical benefit beyond the studies cited.

On the skin. The finished product delivers licorice root extract in a particular vehicle.

Entering skin. No single molecular mass. The 500 Da guideline cannot be applied to this whole ingredient family or mixture.

Conversion. No activation step is established as necessary for its intended topical role.

Skin response. Compounds such as liquiritin and glabridin have different pigment-related actions; they are not interchangeable extracts.

Additional effects. Proposed pathways do not establish a measured depth of delivery or clinical benefit beyond the studies cited.

Getting in

Below the 500 Da guideline; delivery still depends on the formula, solubility, stability and skin condition. Size does not prove effectiveness or penetration depth.

No single molecular mass. The 500 Da guideline cannot be applied to this whole ingredient family or mixture.

Product examples

Hydroquinone

Obagi Nu-Derm Sunfader

Licorice Root Extract

Anua Azelaic Acid 3 Cica Skin Clarifying Toner

Common questions

Hydroquinone:What should I choose hydroquinone for?

Choose for diagnosed stubborn pigment with professional guidance and a defined review point.

Hydroquinone:How strong is the evidence?

The reviewed active-comparator melasma study was small with substantial attrition. Hydroquinone has broader clinical use, but this comparison does not support indefinite treatment or unsupervised high strengths.

Licorice Root Extract:What should I choose licorice root extract for?

Consider as an optional pigment ingredient; independent clinical evidence is limited.

Licorice Root Extract:How strong is the evidence?

A 20-woman split-face study tested a specific liquiritin cream for four weeks with sun protection. It does not establish that all licorice extracts treat melasma or rosacea.

Sources

Sources and further reading

Dermapedia on YouTube