Licorice is a plant native to southern Europe, North Africa and South-East Asia. It is cultivated for medicinal purposes and its root is dug up after three years in the ground. Licorice has been used in France since the Middle Ages. It also appears in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as having anti-inflammatory and bacteriostatic properties useful for treating skin ailments such as eczema and psoriasis. It's a delicious candy and it's used to flavor liqueurs. It's also a remedy found in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia to treat abdominal pains and coughs. Liquorice is a hardy plant found around the Mediterranean basin and in Asia and is famous for its sweet, aniseed flavor and the many active principles present in its roots which are collected after three years of cultivation. In cosmetics, its most important component is Glycyrrhetinic Acid, which has soothing and anti-oxidant properties which comfort and protect sensitive skin.