Licorice Root Extract as a Skin Brightener — Does It Really Work?

Yes, Licorice Root can be used to brighten skin and treat hyperpigmentation due to high levels of melanin.

Licorice Root extract is one of many natural compounds, along with certain types of citrus fruits, that are highly effective at fading discoloration and evening out skin tone when applied topically to the skin.

The magic compound in Licorice Root is glabridin. It’s found only in small, trace amounts, but it is a powerful skin lightener/brightener. Glabridin has been shown to inhibit pigment-producing enzymes and prevent formation of melanocytes, or dark patches on the skin. In fact, the brightening effect of glabridin has been shown in some studies to be greater than that of hydroquinone!

Licorice Root also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to calm and soothe skin. Best of all, it’s non-toxic, so it’s completely safe to use every day.

Now, there’s no need to run out and by a bottle of Licorice Root extract.  You can give your skin all the licorice root extract it needs, along with other natural skin brighteners like Bearberry

Leaf extract, just by using your Rx for Brown Skin Naturally Flawless Botanical Brightener.

Do You Know These Heroes of Black History?

Every February, as America marks Black History Month, it seems that we hear the same familiar names.

While the stories and sacrifices of heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa Parks obviously should be celebrated and remembered, there are so many others who have contributed so much to the ongoing struggle for justice and equality, and yet have remained under-appreciated and virtually unknown.

Rx for Brown Skin would like to celebrate some of these unsung heroes.

William Still: Considered the “Father of the Underground Railroad,” Still helped as many as 60 slaves escape to freedom each month for a period of years. He also kept meticulous records which were vital to preserving the history of the Underground Railroad as well as the names and stories of the fugitive slaves he helped save.

Annie Turnbo Malone: Her most famous employee, Madam C.J. Walker, has overshadowed her legacy, but Malone was the original pioneer of black beauty. She developed hair care products under the name Poro, which she sold door to door. As her business grew, Malone trained other agents to sell Poro products and built her own factory and beauty training school, known as Poro College, helping to provide jobs to hundreds of African Americans as well as breaking boundaries in American business.

Charles Hamilton Houston: Simply put, Houston was the man who killed America’s segregationist Jim Crow laws. He masterminded the NAACP’s legal strategy to challenge the “separate but equal” doctrine. Houston served as one of the U.S. Army’s first African American officers during World War. After the war, he enrolled in Harvard Law School, becoming the first black editor at the “Harvard Law Review” and went on to mentor Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court Justice of the United States.

Irene Morgan: Eleven years BEFORE Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her bus seat to a white men, Irene Morgan, a young mother of two, refused to yield her seat to white patrons when the bus got crowded in the summer of 1944. The NAACP appealed the case all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled segregation in interstate travel illegal in 1947, setting an important precedent in dismantling Jim Crow.

A Great Stretching Routine to Reduce Stress

Ever notice how good you feel for a second or two after a good stretch in the morning? There’s good reason ― combining mindful stretches with deep breathing can actually help to reduce stress levels.

Stretching has other benefits, too, including better circulation, less joint pain and improved flexibility.

You can stretch anywhere you like. Some people enjoy stretching in the great outdoors, at the beach or a local park, some prefer the privacy of home, while watching TV or accompanied by soothing music.

Whatever your preference, stretching for 15 to 20 minutes, three times a week, is an ideal elixir for the stresses we suffer every day in this hectic modern world.

Here’s a simple stretching routine to get you started. First, some tips:

• Always ease into a stretch. Use slow, controlled movements, and never bounce or push your body into position.

• Hold each stretch for 30 seconds. It takes time to safely lengthen muscle tissue.

• Remember to breathe! Concentrate on feeding oxygen to your muscles.

• Don’t overdo it. You should feel tension while you’re stretching, but not pain.

Now the routine:

1. Standing about 15 inches from a wall, place the backs of your forearms against the wall, bend one knee toward the wall and move the other foot back about a foot, then slowly lean forward. You should feel the muscles of your straight leg gently stretch. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat 2 times for each leg.

2. Using a sturdy chair or a wall for balance and support, bend your left knee slightly, then lift your right foot up toward your buttocks. Reach back with your right hand and grasp your right foot. Pull gently. Hold for 5 seconds, release, and switch to the left side. Repeat 2 times for each leg.

3. Lie flat on a mat or padded surface. Keeping your legs together, slowly raise your knees and bring them close to your chest. Reach both arms behind your legs and grip tight. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 2 more times.

4. Kneel down on a mat or padded surface. Keep your buttocks close over your heels. Start with your hands on your knees and slowly “walk” your hands forward until your arms are fully extended. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 more times.

Why You Should Never Use Hydroquinone

What price would you pay for beauty? Would you put chemicals on your skin that are used to develop X-ray films or used as additives for industrial monomers?

We hope not. Yet, thousands of women with darker complexions do exactly that — many without even realizing it — when they use products containing a chemical called hydroquinone in an attempt to lighten and brighten their skin.

The results aren’t always beautiful. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Administration, and multiple studies, hydroquinone sometimes produces very ugly side effects.

The FDA claims that the chemical has been associated with yellow growths on the skin, discolored spots and a condition known as ochronosis.

Even worse, The Environmental Working Group has classified hydroquinone as a carcinogen, an immunotoxicant as well as a developmental and reproductive toxicant.  

In addition to its possible carcinogenic effects, the chemical bleaches the skin, stripping away naturally protective melanin and making its user more susceptible to skin cancer. In studies, hydroquinone has been shown to contribute to tumor growth in mice.

The health dangers associated with hydroquinone prompted CampaignForSafeCosmetics.org to issue warnings about the use of products containing the chemical and calling it one of the most harmful substances that can be put on the skin.

Hydroquinone has already been banned in Japan, Europe and Australia, yet remains legal — and widely used in skin products in the U.S., especially those marketed to women with brown skin. The FDA did propose a ban on hydroquinone in 2006, but industry lobbying groups successfully blocked the effort.

Today, there are still dozens of products available that contain this harmful chemical. We want you to be aware that it’s out there, and to know the dangers so that you can protect yourself and the people you love.

Always check product labels and ask about the ingredients in any salon treatment before allowing it to be used on your skin. And tell your friends, too … because Hydroquinone just isn’t worth the price.