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Licorice Root Extract vs Zinc Oxide

Licorice Root Extract: Some licorice-derived compounds are studied for uneven pigmentation. Zinc Oxide: Provides UV protection in tested sunscreens and wetness protection in barrier creams.

Research updated 2026-10-25

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

Four mineral sunscreens on white: Native SPF 30, Thinksport SPF 50, Colorescience Flex and EltaMD UV Clear

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 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

Choose Zinc Oxide if…

Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen you will use consistently, or a labelled barrier paste for wetness.

Sensitive skin or melasma
Broad UVA and UVB protection
Diaper or friction areas

Often combined

Can you use both?

Sunscreen is essential when treating dark spots. Apply licorice first, then zinc sunscreen.

At a glance

● Licorice Root Extract

● Zinc Oxide

Type

Botanical pigment-targeting mixture

Mineral UV filter and skin protectant

What it does

Some licorice-derived compounds are studied for uneven pigmentation.

Provides UV protection in tested sunscreens and wetness protection in barrier creams.

Best for

Melasma; Uneven Skin Tone

Sunburn; Diaper Rash; Melasma; Wrinkles and Fine Lines

Studied concentrations

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

Use a tested sunscreen by its broad-spectrum SPF; barrier pastes are different products.

When to use

On the schedule specified for the product or prescribed treatment.

Each morning and before sun exposure.

Time to results

Usually assessed over 8–16 weeks

Protection with correct application; prevention continues over time

Irritation

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

May leave a white cast or feel heavy; other formula ingredients can irritate.

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. Individual tolerance matters more than an ingredient’s reputation for being gentle.

Available

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

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

Licorice Root Extract

Zinc Oxide

Strong evidenceMost established uses

—

Sunburn: 1. Sunburn Header — Light Skin; Lighter skin.

Sunburn

A correctly used tested sunscreen helps prevent UV sunburn.

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

Sun protection supports melasma care; tinted formulas may add visible-light protection.

Diaper Rash, close-up of representative skin findings.

Diaper Rash

Labelled zinc-oxide pastes protect skin from wetness and friction.

A relaxed forehead with faint shallow horizontal fine lines.

Wrinkles and Fine Lines

Regular sunscreen helps prevent further photoaging rather than erase existing folds.

Limited evidenceEarly or small studies

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

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

Rosacea

The cited pigment study did not test rosacea.

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.

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.

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

Rosacea

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

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

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

Zinc Oxide mechanism diagram. Absorbs and scatters UV: Particles act in a film at the skin surface. The full sunscreen matters: Broad-spectrum protection depends on the formula. — Open full-size diagram
Diagram explanation and sources
Absorbs and scatters UV: Particles act in a film at the skin surface. The full sunscreen matters: Broad-spectrum protection depends on the formula.
Schematic illustration; not a measurement of skin penetration. Effects vary with ingredient identity and formulation.
Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4

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

Zinc OxideMorning

Night

Step 1

Cleanser

Step 2

Licorice Root ExtractMorning or night

Step 3

Moisturizer

Strengths and forms

Concentrations

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.

Zinc oxide sunscreen and thick barrier ointment have different jobs. U.S. sunscreen concentrations can be up to 25%; some skin-protectant ointments use more than 25% through 40%.

25%

25–40%

U.S. sunscreen ceiling

The permitted upper concentration is not an SPF rating. Choose a finished sunscreen by its tested protection.

Higher skin-protectant ointments

The monograph specifies more than 25% through 40% in ointments. These barrier products are not automatically sunscreens.

Choosing a strength: For sun protection, choose a tested broad-spectrum sunscreen with appropriate SPF. For a barrier ointment, choose its labeled protective purpose.

Higher strengths: More zinc oxide alone does not prove higher SPF, better UVA coverage or a better diaper-rash result.

Formula matters: Particle characteristics, dispersion and the full formula affect protection and feel. An unlabeled zinc paste should not be substituted for sunscreen.

Forms

Serum · Cream

Sunscreen · Tinted sunscreen · Barrier paste

When you’ll see results

Approximate windows, not promises.

● Licorice Root Extract

● Zinc Oxide

First few weeks

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

First few weeksProtection starts with correct application; it does not require a weeks-long course.

4–8 weeks

4–8 weeksSome studied regimens begin showing pigment improvement.

4–8 weeksConsistency matters; this is prevention, not a spot-clearing treatment.

8–12 weeks

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

8–12 weeksContinue correct application and reapplication.

3–6 months

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

3–6 monthsMonitor tolerance and sun exposure; a changing spot needs assessment.

6–12 months

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

6–12 monthsPhotoaging prevention is a long-term benefit, not a promise of wrinkle reversal.

Safety and sensitive skin

Common reactions

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

May leave a white cast or feel heavy; other formula ingredients can irritate.

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. Individual tolerance matters more than an ingredient’s reputation for being gentle.

Important limits

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

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

Pregnancy

Data are limited; ask the clinician managing your pregnancy.

Mineral sunscreens are generally considered acceptable in pregnancy.

How it works

In the skin

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.

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

Entering skin. Formula-unit mass is not particle size. These mineral particles act in the surface sunscreen film; the 500 Da guideline does not predict particle penetration.

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

Skin response. Particles absorb and scatter UV at or near the surface; barrier pastes also shield skin from moisture and friction.

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

Getting in

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

Formula-unit mass is not particle size. These mineral particles act in the surface sunscreen film; the 500 Da guideline does not predict particle penetration.

Product examples

Licorice Root Extract

Anua Azelaic Acid 3 Cica Skin Clarifying Toner

Zinc Oxide

ROUND LAB Birch Juice Sun Cushion — A zinc oxide sunscreen in a cushion compact, made for reapplying over makeup. Unlike much of the K-beauty sun market, this one is sold here by the brand itself.
Vanicream Facial Moisturizer SPF 30 — Fragrance-free mineral sunscreen — 19.5% zinc oxide, five ceramides. Cheap, boring, built for reactive skin.
EltaMD UV Clear Tinted — The same formula as EltaMD UV Clear, with iron oxides added for a sheer tint. The tint cancels the white cast — up to a point.

Common questions

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.

Zinc Oxide:What should I choose zinc oxide for?

Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen you will use consistently, or a labelled barrier paste for wetness.

Zinc Oxide:How strong is the evidence?

Sun protection is established for tested sunscreen products, not loose zinc powder. Formula-unit mass is not particle size. A sunscreen ageing trial cannot isolate zinc oxide or prove reversal of existing wrinkles.

Sources

Sources and further reading

Dermapedia on YouTube