Licorice — one root, two different ingredients on your label
Licorice-derived ingredients appear in 1,379 of 7,878 cataloged Korean products (17.5%) — but “licorice” on a label means one of two quite different things.
Last reviewed 28 August 2026.
Licorice-derived ingredients appear in 1,379 of 7,878 cataloged Korean products (17.5%) — but “licorice” on a label means one of two quite different things. Dipotassium glycyrrhizate (990 products) is a soothing salt used for calming. Licorice root extract is the tone-focused version associated with brightening formulations. Same plant, different molecules, different jobs.
What it is
Derivatives of the licorice root (Glycyrrhiza family). The glycyrrhizate salt is water-soluble and prized for its calming profile; the whole-root extract carries a broader mix of compounds, including glabridin, the molecule brightening formulators care about.
What it’s used for
The salt: soothing support in masks, essences, and creams — often riding alongside cica-type ingredients. The extract: tone-evenness formulations, frequently stacked with niacinamide. Neither version diagnoses or treats anything; they’re formulation choices with different intents you can read off the INCI list.
In the Korean market
17.5% of the catalog: sheet masks (222), essences/serums (217), creams (173). Top partners: niacinamide (641), centella (512), ceramide NP (433). Most-committed brands: isoi (50 products — it has built signature lines around it), Round Lab (37), Abib (28).
Who tends to like it / who should be careful
The glycyrrhizate salt has a gentle reputation and appears deliberately in sensitive-skin formulas. True licorice allergies are uncommon but exist; the usual patch-test advice applies.
On the label
다이포타슘글리시리제이트 = the soothing salt; 감초추출물 or 감초뿌리추출물 = the extract. Now you can tell at the shelf which licorice you’re holding.