Product record / Serums, licorice-root
SerumACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Advance Serum
- $17.64
- retail price
- $0.35
- per mL
- Data source
- Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water is the #1 ingredient — plus Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract (INCIDecoder-verified) Licorice verified high in INCI via INCIDecoder 2026-06-14; ASIN B09B3D4G28 price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14.
- Best for
- Brightening & dark spots · Hydration
- How it feels
- Lightweight, fast-absorbing serum
- Value
- $17.64 for 50 mL · $0.35/mL
Bottom line The licorice-led 'glow' serum — Glycyrrhiza Glabra root water as the literal base, with niacinamide and a second licorice species for soothing and gradual brightening.
Editorial verdict / Social intelligence
The licorice-led 'glow' serum — Glycyrrhiza Glabra root water as the literal base, with niacinamide and a second licorice species for soothing and gradual brightening. 1
- Beauty benefit
- A licorice-forward brightening-and-soothing serum whose number-one ingredient is Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water, paired with niacinamide (8th), a second licorice (Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract), adenosine, beta-glucan and glutathione — aimed at a calm, even, hydrated 'glow'.
- Does it work
- Yes for gentle, gradual brightening with real soothing, and it's honest to its name. Licorice root water genuinely forms the base — not a token accent — so you're getting licorice's antioxidant and mild tyrosinase-inhibiting (glabridin) character, and the formula even carries BOTH licorice species: Glycyrrhiza glabra (the brightening side) and G. uralensis (the licochalcone-A, anti-redness side). Niacinamide adds tone and barrier support. Honest framing: licorice's brightening is gradual and mostly lab-evidenced, not hydroquinone-level spot-fading, and the % isn't disclosed — so think calm, even glow over weeks, paired with SPF, not a dark-spot eraser. See the verified data below →
Consensus strength
ModerateLicorice is well-liked for gentle brightening and calming redness, and both have real support — glabridin inhibits tyrosinase/MITF and licochalcone A has human vehicle-controlled erythema trials. The honest limits: the brightening evidence is largely in-vitro and gradual, the two effects come from different compounds, and active content is rarely disclosed.
01 / The key active
licorice-root
licorice-root is present in the formula; the brand does not disclose the exact concentration.
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water is the #1 ingredient — plus Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract (INCIDecoder-verified). Licorice verified high in INCI via INCIDecoder 2026-06-14; ASIN B09B3D4G28 price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14.
Other products with licorice-root:
02 / The full ingredient list
Every ingredient, in label order
Exactly as printed, each token matched to the EU CosIng register and flagged where a CIR safety assessment exists. Highlighted rows are the key actives.
| # | Ingredient, as printed | CosIng functions | CIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 02 | Methylpropanediol |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 03 | Glycerin |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 04 | 1,2-Hexanediol |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 05 | Butylene Glycol |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 06 | Polyglycerin-3 |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 07 | Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 08 | Niacinamide |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 09 | Propylheptyl Caprylate |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 10 | Water |
| — |
| 11 | Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 12 | Xanthan Gum |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 13 | Sodium Citrate |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 14 | Ethylhexylglycerin |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 15 | Citric Acid |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 16 | Carbomer |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 17 | Glyceryl Polymethacrylate |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 18 | Disodium EDTA |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 19 | Adenosine |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 20 | Tromethamine |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 21 | Polyquaternium-51 |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 22 | Sodium Hyaluronate |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 23 | Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 24 | Beta-Glucan |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 25 | Hydrogenated Lecithin |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 26 | Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract |
| — |
| 27 | Pteris Multifida Extract |
| — |
| 28 | Dextrin |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 29 | Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract |
| — |
| 30 | Dipropylene Glycol |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 31 | Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 32 | Tocopherol |
| ✓ reviewed |
| 33 | Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract |
| — |
| 34 | Glutathione |
| — |
| 35 | Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract |
| — |
35 ingredients as printed · 35 exact CosIng matches · source: glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root water is the #1 ingredient — plus glycyrrhiza uralensis root extract (incidecoder-verified)
03 / Where to buy
Where to buy Licorice pH Balancing Advance Serum
Some links on this page earn us a commission. It never changes our analysis — the methodology is public.
04 / What people say
What buyers actually say
What works
-
Glabridin, an isoflavan, isolated from the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn, has exhibited several pharmacological activities, including excellent inhibitory effects on tyrosinase. Study
-
Topical LicA causes a highly significant reduction in erythema relative to the vehicle control in both the shave- and UV-induced erythema tests, demonstrating the anti-irritative properties of LicA. Study
What to know
- Common The brightening is gradual and mostly lab-based — not hydroquinone-level, and licorice content/species varies 46
Glabridin, a prenylated isoflavonoid of G. glabra L. roots (European licorice, Fabaceae), has been associated with a wide range of biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, regulation of energy metabolism, estrogenic, neuroprotective, anti-osteoporotic, and skin-whitening. review
What you'd only know from the reviews
-
This is the rare product where licorice genuinely leads — root water at #1 — and it captures licorice's split personality in one bottle: G. glabra for gentle brightening (glabridin) and G. uralensis for calming (licochalcone A). Treat it as a soothing, gradual brightener; pair it with a dedicated brightener (tranexamic, vitamin C) and daily SPF if dark spots are the goal. 2
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05 / Questions
Frequently asked
- What's in ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Advance Serum?
- ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Advance Serum lists 35 ingredients. Key active: licorice-root (concentration undisclosed). Licorice verified high in INCI via INCIDecoder 2026-06-14; ASIN B09B3D4G28 price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14. The full ingredient list, matched to EU CosIng, is on this page.
- Does ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Advance Serum work?
- Yes for gentle, gradual brightening with real soothing, and it's honest to its name. Licorice root water genuinely forms the base — not a token accent — so you're getting licorice's antioxidant and mild tyrosinase-inhibiting (glabridin) character, and the formula even carries BOTH licorice species: Glycyrrhiza glabra (the brightening side) and G. uralensis (the licochalcone-A, anti-redness side). Niacinamide adds tone and barrier support. Honest framing: licorice's brightening is gradual and mostly lab-evidenced, not hydroquinone-level spot-fading, and the % isn't disclosed — so think calm, even glow over weeks, paired with SPF, not a dark-spot eraser.
- How much licorice-root is in ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Advance Serum?
- ACWELL does not publicly disclose the exact concentration. licorice-root appears in the INCI list; the amount is undisclosed. Licorice verified high in INCI via INCIDecoder 2026-06-14; ASIN B09B3D4G28 price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14.
- Where can I buy ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Advance Serum?
- $17.64 on Amazon (price recorded as of the date shown). Licorice verified high in INCI via INCIDecoder 2026-06-14; ASIN B09B3D4G28 price PA-API-verified 2026-06-14.