Natural extract of licorice roots (glycyrrhiza glabra) in a base of glycerin and water, preserved with phenoxyethanol (contains 20% of extract). Licorice is native to the mediterranean region with striated stalks of about 1m tall. The extract contains glycyrrhetic acid & flavinoids that have soothing, regenerative and antioxidant properties. Licorice extract is used also as skin whitening agent. Amber liquid, characteristic odor. Water-soluble.
Name: Glycerin, water, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) extract
The distinctive flavor and sweetness of licorice comes from the glycyrrhizin that composes up to 25% of the root’s makeup. The root itself is hard and fibrous, and is thus typically used for food only as a liquid flavor infusion. In fact, many licorice flavored candies include no real licorice, and are instead flavored with similarly flavored spices such as anise and fennel.
Medicinally, Chinese licorice is a renowned component of traditional Chinese medicine, and is recognized as one of its fifty fundamental herbs. It shares many of the constituents common with Glycyrrhiza glabra, but uniquely, it also contains the flavonoid quercitin, which has been studied for a variety of medical uses.
Chinese licorice is not as well studied as its European counterpart, but both are indicated for many of the same functions. Licorice root may be used to assist with upper respiratory catarrhs and is recognized by traditional Chinese practitioners as an adaptogen, helping the body to cope with daily stress. It may also be used to relieve minor abdominal discomfort, and is used in the herbal preparation STW-5 to alleviate dyspepsia.