The glycyrrhizin market is expensive and the industry development space has not yet opened up

Glycyrrhizin is a flavonoid extracted from a precious plant called Glycyrrhiza glabra. According to different quality indicators, glabridin can be divided into 20% glabridin, 40% glabridin, 90% glabridin, 98% glabridin, etc. Among them, 40% and 90% glabridin are the most popular in the Chinese market. mainstream products. Glycyrrhizin can eliminate free radicals and melanin in the skin, and is a holy tool for skin whitening and anti-aging. Glycyrrhizin has the effects of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, absorbing ultraviolet rays, whitening and brightening skin, removing freckles, inhibiting tyrosinase activity, moisturizing, and repairing damaged skin and hair.

Glycyrrhizin was once known as the “whitening gold”. Its reputation lies not only in its unparalleled whitening effect, but also in the difficulty and scarcity of glycyrrhizin’s extraction. The plant Glycyrrhiza glabra is the source of glabridin, but licorice only accounts for 0.1%-0.3% of its overall content. Due to the scarcity of natural resources, the market price of glabridin is high, such as the price of 40% glabridin. At about 20,000 yuan/kg, the price of 90% glabridin content even reaches 80,000-90,000 yuan/kg. The higher product price restricts the expansion of the consumer market for glabridin.

Glabridin is currently the main active ingredient in high-end whitening cosmetics in the world. High-end skin care products abroad have already used glabridin, such as Dior, Helena, Lancôme, Sekkisei and other brands of skin care products. , but due to the high price and limited application volume, skin care products containing glabridin are mainly in the form of compound ingredients.

From the domestic market, China’s glabridin industry is in the growth stage. In the early stages of development, due to historical reasons, glabridin was not included in the preparation of the domestic “INCI Catalog of Names of Used Cosmetic Raw Materials (2015 Edition)”, which resulted in Glycyrrhizin can only be used in the market named after Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract, which affects the industry status and efficacy reputation of glabridin. Due to the high price, only a few domestic cosmetics brands that advocate nature or those that focus on the concept of Chinese herbal medicine use glabridin. For example, the domestic brand Guyu, which positions itself as “natural skin care,” uses glabridin as its primary skin care ingredient.

The barriers to technology, talent, and other aspects of the glabridin industry in the glabridin industry are relatively high. In addition, China’s glabridin market is small and most companies have small production scales. The main production companies include Chenfeng Natural Materia Medica (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Aoli Industrial Co., Ltd., Gansu Fanzhi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Qinghai Qinghai Lake Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Luoyang Lansley Technology Co., Ltd., etc. Since the domestic market has not yet opened, domestic companies mainly export. According to the“China Glabridin Industry Market Monitoring and Future Development Prospects Research Report 2022-2026” released by the Industrial Research Center, In 2021, China’s licorice output was 307.0 kilograms, a year-on-year increase of 15.4%, of which export volume was 92.4 kilograms.

Industry researchers said that with the gradual growth of the “ingredient party” group, consumers have gradually deepened their understanding of cosmetic ingredients and truly have Only cosmetics with active ingredients will be welcomed by consumers, and active ingredients in cosmetics such as glabridin have been praised by the ingredients party. In the future, as consumers pay more and more attention to their own health and skin care needs, periodic and reasonable repeated purchases of cosmetics that suit them have become the daily needs of many consumers. The increase in cosmetics consumer demand will drive an increase in the supply of related cosmetic raw material industries, and As a fast, efficient and green cosmetic additive for whitening and removing freckles, glabridin will usher in more development opportunities.