Licorice root is known to have lightening effects on the skin, mainly due to glabridin, its most active part. Studies have found that applying 0.5% glabridin on guinea pigs was able to inhibit UVB-caused pigmentation. Additionally, it has been suggested that licorice is more effective than hydroquinone, which is the standard for skin lightening. This makes licorice one of the safest agents for skin lightening, with minimal side effects. However, the amount of glabridin in commercial licorice extracts differs greatly. For example, some may contain only 4% glabridin, while others may contain up to 40%. The latter is very costly, so it is best to choose a product that advertises its high-quality licorice extract. Aside from lightening, licorice is also a potent anti-inflammatory.