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Liliana Morosini

How to Make Licorice Extract (Two Ways, Two Benefits)

Category: DIY Cosmetics / DIY Cosmetics Ingredients

Some plants are real treasure and Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is one of them. Behind its culinary qualities lies an extraordinary gift for our skin: licorice extract can help lighten dark spots and even out skin tone, calm irritation and support blemish-prone skin.

I became interested in licorice extract many years ago when I tried a Japanese acne spot gel. To my surprise, it was incredibly effective, drying out spots and calming redness almost overnight. When I read the ingredients, there it was: licorice extract! It sparked my curiosity and I began to study what made this root so powerful in cosmetics.

The secret is also in the solvent you choose to make your licorice extract. This detail is often overlooked in DIY cosmetics, but it’s essential if you want your extract to really work. Different solvents dissolve different compounds, and with licorice it changes the benefits dramatically:

  • Water + glycerin brings out glycyrrhizin (soothing, anti-inflammatory, anti-acne) and liquiritin (gradual support for post-acne marks).

  • Alcohol + water is necessary to extract glabridin, the compound responsible for licorice’s famous ability to lighten hyperpigmentation and even skin tone.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to make both: one focused on soothing and anti-blemish care, and the other designed for tone evening and spot correction. And don't forget the video!




Why Solvent Choice Matters

Licorice is rich in many different molecules, but not all are soluble in the same medium.

  • Glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid) dissolves easily in water/glycerin. This compound is a powerful anti-inflammatory and even has antimicrobial activity against Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus, two bacteria involved in acne. It soothes redness, calms irritation, and supports clearer skin.

  • Liquiritin is soluble in water/glycerin. It doesn’t block melanin formation, but helps disperse existing pigment, making it useful for post-acne marks and uneven tone over time.

  • Glabridin needs ethanol to be extracted. Glabridin is the star for direct tyrosinase inhibition, which makes it one of the best natural options for fading dark spots and evening out skin tone.

So, depending on your skin goal, you should carefully select your solvent. If you don’t, you might end up with an extract that doesn’t match your expectations.

Recipe 1 — Licorice Glycerite (Soothing / Anti-Blemish Focus)

Choose this option if your goal is to calm, soothe, reduce acne breakouts, and help post-acne redness.

Solvent mix: 30% glycerin + 70% distilled water
Preservative: Cosgard 1%

Batch example (1 : 5 ratio)

👉 Make sure the plant is fully soaked. If your licorice is very finely ground or powdered, you can add a bit more plant to make it stronger, but this will make filtering harder.

Method:

  1. Mix water and glycerin, then add the preservative.

  2. Add the licorice root in a sterilized jar and pour over the solvent, ensuring the plant is completely soaked. Add more solvent if needed.

  3. Seal and leave to macerate for 2–3 weeks at room temperature. Shake daily.

  4. Filter carefully, first through cloth, then through a paper filter.

  5. For better results, let your licorice extract to rest 24 h to allow sediment to settle and filter again if needed.

  6. Bottle in an amber container, label and store in a cool, dark place (best if in the fridge). 

How to use in DIY cosmetics:

  • Daily toners/serums for acne-prone or sensitive skin: 2–5%

  • Spot gels for inflamed pimples or for dark marksthat remain on the skin after inflammation: 5–10%

  • Calming creams for redness-prone skin: 2–3%


    DIY licorice extract

Recipe 2 — Licorice Alcoholic Extract (Pigmentation Focus)

Choose this option if your goal is to fade dark spots, even out skin tone and target hyper pigmentation.

Goal: maximize glabridin for tone evening.
Solvent mix: 65–70% ethanol in water (cold maceration).

Batch example (1 : 5 ratio):

👉 Again, make sure the plant is fully covered. Powdered root will make a more concentrated extract but is harder to filter. You don’t need to add any preservative, as the extract is naturally self-preserving thanks to its high ethanol content.
Keep in mind, though, that alcohol can be drying on the skin. This type of extract isn’t the best choice for very sensitive or reactive skin, and it should always be used inside a well-balanced formula, containing plenty of humectants and hydrators (such as glycerin, sodium PCA, betaine, hyaluronic acid or panthenol) and with barrier-supporting lipids like squalane. This way you benefit from licorice’s brightening power while keeping the skin comfortable and protected.

Method:

  1. Mix ethanol and water.

  2. Add the licorice and solvent to a sterilized jar, ensuring complete soaking.

  3. Macerate for 2 weeks, shaking daily.

  4. Filter carefully as mentioned in Recipe 1.

  5. Bottle in amber glass, label and store in a cool, dark place (best if in the fridge).

How to use this licorice extract in DIY cosmetics:

  • Brightening serums/lotions for uneven tone: 3–5%

  • For stronger results: 5–8%

  • Spot gels for dark marks: 5–10%


    Licorice extract notes

  • In theory, you could prepare a mixed licorice extract with water, glycerin, and alcohol (for example 33% each) to capture a bit of everything, like we do for other plants. However, it doesn’t work in this case. Glabridin won’t be extracted efficiently unless the alcohol content is at least 65–70%, so it’s better to stick with one of the two recipes I posted.

  • These extracts can usually be kept for about a year, and they stay at their best when stored in the fridge.

  • When you filter your extract, you’ll usually end up with less liquid than the starting solvent. This is normal: the plant absorbs part of the solvent, and some stays trapped in the filter. In professional labs, formulators sometimes add back fresh solvent to the plant and re-filter to restore the exact 1:5 plant-to-solvent ratio. At home, you can skip this step if you want. Your extract will simply be a little more concentrated, which is not a problem — it often makes it even more effective. Just keep in mind that results may vary slightly from batch to batch.