Ingredient glossary
Licochalcone A
On your shelf ✓What Licochalcone A does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract · Also: Licorice Extract
In short: Licochalcone A delivers anti inflammatory and antioxidant, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate.
- What it does
- Anti inflammatory, antioxidant
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Moderate
- How long
- Never measured
The Glow take
The kind of ingredient sensitive skin quietly loves.
Licochalcone A earns its place by calming things down: less redness, less sting, a happier barrier. Not a headline active.
— Maya
What it does
- anti inflammatory
- antioxidant
- brightening
moderate evidenceControlled studies show reduced redness and irritation. Tone benefits are mostly measured alongside stronger brighteners rather than for this extract on its own.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- sensitive
- pigmentation
- rosacea
- all
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Often chosen for pigmentation, rosacea.
Where it fits in your routine
Nobody has published how long this takes to work.
What is known, and what is missing
Measured on: facial erythema - instrumental redness (a*) or investigator-graded.
What is known: licochalcone A is the anti-inflammatory fraction of Glycyrrhiza inflata, manufacturer-run human work reports that formulations containing it reduce experimentally provoked erythema within a day or two, and an eight-week study of a licochalcone A skincare regimen in people with red facial skin reported less redness. What is missing is a vehicle-controlled trial of the extract itself with interim visits: the erythema work is an experimental challenge model rather than clinical redness over time, and the regimen study tests a whole product range without a comparator. The base's brightening 5 is likewise measured alongside stronger brighteners, so neither of its two jobs has a published onset.
Manufacturer-run human erythema-model studies of licochalcone A and the regimen study in red facial skin described in the base row; no vehicle-controlled trial of the extract identified.
Plays well with
- niacinamide
- antioxidants
- vitamin c
Licochalcone A, answered
Is Licochalcone A safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Licochalcone A is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Licochalcone A?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Licochalcone A. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Licochalcone A actually works?
Its concentration is rarely printed on the label, so use the ingredient list as your clue: near the top third it is likely doing real work, near the bottom it is more of a sprinkle.
Compare Licochalcone A with
Can you mix Licochalcone A with
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