Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root
What Is It?
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) RhizomeA subterranean plant stem with shoots above and roots below, serving as a reproductive structure, and often thickened by deposits of reserve food material./Root, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Leaf ExtractThe mixture of substances drawn out of a material by solution, heat, or another physical or chemical process., Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root JuiceThe liquid obtained by expressing various plants or plant parts, usually fruits., Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Powder, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract are ingredients made from various species of Licorice plant. In cosmetics and personal care products, Licorice-derived ingredients are used in the formulation of eye makeup, other makeup products, hair care products and skin care products.
Why Is It Used?
The following functions have been reported for the Licorice-derived ingredients.
- Antioxidants – Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water
- Cosmetic astringentIngredients that induce a tightening or tingling sensation of the skin. – Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water
- Flavoring agents – Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Rhizome/Root
- Skin conditioning agents – emollients – Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water
- Skin conditioning agents – humectantIngredients that slow the loss of moisture from a product during use. – Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
- Skin conditioning agents – miscellaneous – Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Juice, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Powder, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract
Scientific Facts
Licorice plants are perennial herbs or subshrubs, with horizontal underground stems. Licorice plants are native to the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia and are cultivated world wide. The roots of licorice plants are used to make the flavoring used in licorice candy. The substance in Licorice that gives it a sweet taste is called glycyrrhizic acid. Glycyrrhizic acid is 50 times as sweet as table sugar.
Safety Information
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists Licorice (the dried and ground rhizome and root portions of Glycyrrhiza glabra or other species of Glycyrrhiza) as a direct food substance Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.). The safety of the Licorice-derived ingredients has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that all of the Licorice-derived ingredients were safe for use as cosmetic ingredients.
CIR Safety Review: In addition to reviewing the safety of Licorice Extracts, the CIR Expert Panel has reviewed the safety of glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid and related derivatives isolated from Licorice. The CIR Expert Panel concluded that these derivatives, which give Licorice its sweet flavor, were safe for use as cosmetic ingredients. Search this website for glycyrrhizic acid for more information on the safety of these ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel acknowledged that Licorice plants contain a large number of components including some components with biological activity. Safety testing of Licorice-derived ingredients indicated that they were not dermal irritants or sensitizers. Licorice-derived ingredients were not mutagenic. Some studies indicated that Licorice-derived ingredients actually had anti-mutagenic activity. Large oral intakes of Licorice can increase blood pressure and reduce the amount of potassium in the blood.
The CIR Expert Panel concluded that exposure to components of Licorice when using cosmetics and personal care products containing Licorice-derived ingredients would be much less than exposure from eating licorice candy. In addition, the dermal penetration of compounds found in Licorice was low which would also limit exposure to the components of Licorice following dermal exposure. Therefore, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Rhizome/Root, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Juice, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Powder, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract were safe for use as cosmetic ingredients.
FDA:
Link to Code of Federal Regulations for licorice http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr…
Licorice-derived ingredients may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm
More Scientific Information
The licorice-derived ingredients belong to a large and diverse class of materials that are not defined chemically. The majority of the materials in this class are mixtures derived from plants (herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, or seeds). In cosmetics and personal care products, these ingredients function as antioxidants, flavoring agents and skin conditioning agents.
More information about botanical ingredients.
Resources
Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration
Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm
Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/default.htm
Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm
Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/