What it is
Dipotassium glycyrrhizate is the water-soluble dipotassium salt of glycyrrhizic acid (glycyrrhizin), the chief sweet-tasting triterpene saponin found in licorice root. In cosmetics it is valued as a calming, anti-inflammatory agent often added to formulas intended for sensitive or reactive skin, including many sunscreens where it offsets the potential for filter-related irritation. Because it is the salt form, it dissolves readily in the water phase of emulsions, making it easy to incorporate at low levels. It is one of the most common soothing actives in Korean and Japanese skincare.
Safety & warnings
Dipotassium glycyrrhizate is generally regarded as a gentle, well-tolerated ingredient and is widely used in products marketed for sensitive and problem-prone skin. The systemic cautions associated with eating large amounts of licorice, such as lowered blood potassium and raised blood pressure, relate to oral intake of glycyrrhizin and are not the same as topical cosmetic use at the low levels found in skincare. As with any cosmetic ingredient, individuals with a known sensitivity to licorice derivatives should patch test.
Origin & sourcing
It is derived from licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), a perennial legume native to West Asia, North Africa, and southern Europe whose root contains roughly 7-10% glycyrrhizin. The parent compound glycyrrhizin is obtained by macerating and boiling the root in water, then the free acid is neutralized with potassium to yield the more soluble dipotassium salt used in cosmetics.
History
Licorice root extracts have a long record of use in herbalism and traditional medicine, and glycyrrhizin was identified as the root's principal sweet constituent, being roughly 30 to 50 times as sweet as table sugar. The purified salt forms were later adopted by the cosmetic and personal-care industries as standardized soothing actives derived from this traditional botanical.
Questions everyone asks
What does dipotassium glycyrrhizate do in sunscreen?
It is added as a soothing, anti-inflammatory agent that helps calm the skin, which is useful in leave-on products like sunscreens that are applied to large areas daily.
Where does it come from?
It is made from glycyrrhizic acid, the sweet active compound extracted from licorice root, converted into its more water-soluble dipotassium salt.
Is it the same as eating licorice?
No. Topical use in cosmetics is at low levels in the water phase; the health cautions tied to glycyrrhizin relate to eating large amounts of licorice, not skin care.