Did you know that liquorice was used by ancient Chinese and Greek in their medicines? Liquorice root is a naturally occurring bactericidal, fungicidal, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, skin lightening solution. It is rich in biotin, folic acid, vitamin B complex, choline, glycyrrhizin, glycosides, chalcones, antioxidants like flavonoids, plant sterols, asparagines, phytoestrogens, phosphorous, potassium and many more essential nutrients.

Liquorice provides amazing skin lightening benefits and acne relief. Here are a few easy ways to use organic liquorice in your skin care regimes at home!

1. Lighten skin tone

Liquorice contains many active ingredients that have wonderful skin lightening properties. In order to exploit this, brew two tablespoons of liquorice in a cup of boiling water and strain to get liquorice tea. To this, add one tablespoon of fuller’s earth, two teaspoons of organic turmeric powder and one teaspoon of natural coconut oil. Mix well to form a paste and apply this face pack to your skin. Wash with clean water once dry and dab with a dry towel.

Liquorice and turmeric help lighten skin and fuller’s earth gives even skin tone while coconut oil hydrates the skin and prevents dryness.

2. Fade out dark spots

This is an easy facial that targets dark spots and helps to remove them. Blend half a cucumber along with two tablespoons of liquorice root powder or liquorice extract. To this, add one tablespoon each of sandalwood paste, tomato juice and lemon juice. Apply this mixture evenly to your face and allow it to dry. Rinse with warm water and pat with a towel. You can repeat this procedure twice a week.

Liquorice extract, lemon juice and tomato juice contain essential acids that remove darkness causing pigmentation and have a natural bleaching effect. Sandalwood soothes the skin.

3. Treat eczema and psoriasis

A number of skin disease such as psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis and skin rashes are caused due to skin’s disability to heal naturally. Liquorice has amazing skin healing properties and is also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Hence it reduces redness, inflammation and itching when applied topically.  Further to this, liquorice also has hydrating properties as a result of which it helps to trap and retain moisture beneath the skin eliminating the underlying cause for many common skin diseases.

For this, you can simply apply cooled liquorice tea mixed with yogurt. Cooled tea controls inflammation and redness while yogurt helps by hydrating the skin sufficiently.

4. Say bye to acne problems

Acne is a common problem faced by many which is caused due to increased oil production in the skin coupled with bacterial and fungal attack. Acne is a sign of skin infection and needs to be treated properly to prevent spreading and re-infection.

Take three teaspoons of organic brown rice, three teaspoons of natural oats, one teaspoon of liquorice root powder, half cut apple and half a teaspoon of organic turmeric powder and grind them well. To this, add half a cup of warm milk to form a smooth paste. Apply this paste to your skin evenly and allow it to remain for about fifteen minutes. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.

Brown Rice and oats are known to be skin healers. Apple and Liquorice help remove the acne while turmeric’s bactericidal properties help fight the actual cause. Milk hydrates the skin and soothes it after the acne-fighting is over!

5. Tone your skin

Liquorice can also be used effectively as a skin toner. Add two tablespoons of liquorice root powder to one cup of boiled water and allow it to stand for an hour. Strain the liquid to procure liquorice extract. To one tablespoon of this extract, you can add two drops of organic lavender oil that helps you to relax or add two drops of organic tea tree oil if you have acne problems. You can store the mixture in a dry place and apply it on your skin once during the day and once during the night.

Remember to moisturize your skin well when using liquorice in your skin care remedies. Try out these home-based skin care remedies with liquorice and see the benefits with your own eyes.

To know more about liquorice and its skin care benefits, click here.