By the Ancient Nutra Editorial Team

Some evenings call for a small, slow step that has nothing to do with a screen. A face pack is a good one: you mix it in a minute, sit with it for ten, and rinse. This ritual uses Ancient Nutra's Valmi Powder, the local name for licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), as a simple face pack. It is listed in the store as a cosmetic, and everything below treats it that way: on the skin, rinsed off, never swallowed.

Run the ritual, step by step

1. Patch test once, at least a day before. Mix a pinch of the pack, dab it on the inside of your forearm, leave it 10 minutes, rinse, and wait 24 hours. Any itching, redness or swelling means this pack is not for you.
2. Cleanse and pat dry. Use your usual gentle cleanser and lukewarm water. Tie your hair back.
3. Mix the paste. In a small clean bowl, stir 1 teaspoon of Valmi Powder with 1 to 2 teaspoons of plain water or rose water until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste, a little thicker than yogurt. For a creamier pack, use plain yogurt in place of the water.
4. Spread a thin layer. Use clean fingertips or a soft brush over the cheeks, forehead and nose. Keep it away from the eyes, lips and any broken or irritated skin.
5. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Sit upright, breathe, and leave your phone in another room. If it tingles or burns, rinse straight away.
6. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Use soft circles with your fingertips, then pat dry with a clean cotton towel. The pack can leave a faint yellow tint that washes out.
7. Follow with your usual light moisturiser and, in the morning, sunscreen as always.

The hands-on time is about two minutes. The other eight are the pack sitting on your skin, or you simply sitting still.

Know what licorice does and does not do for skin

Licorice root has been used in herbal skincare for a long time, and modern research has looked at a few of its compounds, including liquiritin. In a 2000 trial, Amer and Metwalli treated 20 women with epidermal melasma, using a liquiritin cream on one side of the face and a plain vehicle cream on the other, twice a day for 4 weeks, with sun protection throughout. That is the sort of study that gets cited when licorice and skin come up. Two things matter about it. It was small, and the cream was a purified liquiritin preparation. A teaspoon of whole root powder mixed with water is a different product with an unmeasured amount of any single compound, so you cannot assume the same effect.

A 2003 double-blind trial in Iran gave 30 people per group a licorice extract gel, standardised to its glycyrrhizinic acid content, or a base gel for atopic dermatitis over two weeks. Again, the study product was a formulated extract gel, tested on a specific skin condition. If you have eczema or any ongoing skin condition, ask a dermatologist before putting this on your face.

So what is the honest reason to do this ritual? It is a calm, low-effort evening step with an ingredient that has a traditional place in skincare. Treat it as a pleasant routine rather than a treatment. It does not lighten dark patches, clear acne or make skin look younger, and nothing in this article claims it will.

Choose when to do it, and when to skip it

Once or twice a week, in the evening, is plenty. Skip it on any day when your skin is sunburnt, freshly shaved, scratched, or already irritated by another product, and do not layer it with strong exfoliants or peels the same night. Humid wet-season weeks can leave skin feeling oily and a little congested, which is when a quick rinse-off pack feels most welcome. If you are curious about a different pack for those weeks, read the team's earlier pieces on a wet-season face-pack routine and an evening face-pack ritual with Love Beets.

Read this safety note first

This ritual is for the skin only. Valmi Powder is not a food in this routine, so do not swallow the pack or taste it, and rinse it off the lips if any lands there. Swallowing licorice is a different matter: the earlier piece on Valmi (licorice root) and why caution comes first explains why anyone with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or who is pregnant should speak to a doctor before using licorice by mouth. Do not use the pack if you have a known allergy to licorice or if your skin reacts at the patch test. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on prescription skin treatments or have a skin condition, ask a doctor or pharmacist first. Stop and see a doctor if you develop a rash, swelling or lasting redness.

The bottom line

Think of this as a 10-minute evening reset for your face and for you: patch test once, mix a teaspoon of Valmi Powder into a paste, spread it thin, set a timer and rinse. Do it once or twice a week, and judge it by how the evening feels rather than by promises about your skin. If you want the powder for the ritual, Ancient Nutra's Valmi Powder is the simple place to start.

Valmi Powder, 100g

Pure licorice root powder from Sri Lanka, for use as a simple topical face pack.

Shop Valmi Powder

Sources and further reading

• Amer M, Metwalli M. Topical liquiritin improves melasma. International Journal of Dermatology, 2000. Europe PMC.
• Saeedi M, Morteza-Semnani K, Ghoreishi MR. The treatment of atopic dermatitis with licorice gel. Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2003. Europe PMC.

Written by the Ancient Nutra Wellness Team. The team researches, sources, and tests every ingredient before it earns a place in an Ancient Nutra blend. Questions? Email info@ancientnutra.com or message Ancient Nutra on Instagram.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Ancient Nutra products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a medical condition.