Licorice possesses potent and effective anti-inflammatory, antioxidant as well as melanogenesis-inhibiting properties. Thus, it would be a good ingredient for various cosmetic and/or medicinal skin care products (e.g. creams, lotions, body wash products, etc.). Licorice is used in skin-whitening creams, and there are a number of patented formulations for this purpose. One patented formula for a skin whitening cream contains 0.05% Licorice extract, galacturonic acid, lactic acid, kojic acid, ascorbyl palmitate and tocopheryl linoleate. It is said to lighten the skin color by inhibiting melanin formation, mainly by the inhibition of tyrosinase activity.