Liquorice + Red Sandalwood: The Ancient Duo That Corrects Pigmentation Naturally
When you look into the mirror and notice dark patches, uneven tone, or new pigmentation, the first instinct is usually to search for fast brightening products. But pigmentation is not a flaw. It is a signal.
In the world of bleaching creams and instant whitening promises, the true question becomes:
What if your pigmentation is not darkness, but your melanin trying to protect you?
At Araah, we believe healing begins with understanding.
This guide brings you the deeper truth behind pigmentation and the ancient 100-year-old duo your grandmothers trusted: Liquorice + Red Sandalwood.
A duo that does not bleach you.
A duo that balances you.
Pigmentation Is Melanin in Defense Mode
From a scientific perspective, melanin increases when your skin senses a threat.
Common triggers include:
• Heat
• Inflammation
• Sugar spikes
• Hormonal imbalance
• UV exposure
• Stress
• Friction
Melanin is not trying to make your skin darker.
Melanin is trying to shield you.
In Ayurveda, this is described as Pitta aggravation — internal heat rising to the skin’s surface.
This is why bleaching creams fail.
When you attack melanin, it rebounds darker.
When you calm melanin, your tone evens gently and naturally.
Nothing calms melanin like Liquorice + Red Sandalwood.
What Triggers Pigmentation (And Makes It Worse)
Pigmentation almost always begins from your lifestyle, not from your skin itself.
1. Tea or Coffee + Bakery Snacks = Melanin Spike
A common morning combination: tea/coffee + biscuits or buns.
This causes:
• Insulin spike
• Melanin surge
• Pigmentation around the mouth and cheeks
Swap:
Fruit + nuts at least three days a week.
2. Internal and External Heat
Heat from food, sun, screens, stress, friction, and hot showers activates melanin.
Effects:
• Tanning
• Uneven tone
• Redness
Swap:
Cooling foods and cooling breath practice.
3. Inflammation
When your gut is inflamed, your skin becomes inflamed, and melanin rises.
Swap:
Herbal teas and Liquorice-based skincare.
4. Stress and Jaw Tension
Jaw tightness increases cortisol, leading to:
• Upper lip darkness
• Chin pigmentation
• Under-eye darkening
Swap:
Two-minute cooling breath and jaw relaxation.
5. Friction
Scrubbing, rubbing, tight clothes, or harsh soaps activate melanin.
Swap:
Gentle fabrics and zero-scrub routines.
Meet the Ancient Duo: Liquorice + Red Sandalwood
This combination has been used for over 100 years because it heals pigmentation without harming melanin.
Liquorice: The Gentle Melanin Regulator
Liquorice is one of the safest brightening herbs in Ayurveda.
Benefits:
• Slows excess melanin production
• Reduces dark spots
• Soothes inflammation
• Brightens naturally
• Helps both men and women
Liquorice does not bleach.
It balances melanin.
Perfect for:
• Sensitive skin
• Post-acne marks
• Hormonal pigmentation
• Puberty pigmentation
• Underarm and inner thigh darkness
Red Sandalwood: The Cooling Ayurvedic Healer
Red Sandalwood works on the root cause of pigmentation — inflammation and heat.
Benefits:
• Cools Pitta
• Reduces dark patches
• Clears tan
• Improves skin clarity
• Boosts glow
Calm skin = calm melanin.
Why This Duo Works So Powerfully Together
Liquorice reduces excess melanin formation.
Red Sandalwood cools the heat that triggers melanin.
Together they:
• Correct pigmentation
• Fade spots
• Even the skin tone
• Calm inflammation
• Support long-term clarity
This is why this combo works for:
• Suntan
• Acne marks
• Natural dark patches
• Hormonal pigmentation
• Uneven tone
• Dull skin
They work with your skin, not against it.
Balance Works. Bleaching Damages.
Bleaching attacks melanin → melanin rebounds darker.
Calming melanin → skin becomes even, bright, and stable.
Araah never creates whitening creams.
We respect melanin.
We restore balance.
Your Daily Pigmentation Ritual (Araah Method)
1. Morning Routine
• Cleanse with Liquorice soap
• Optional: apply a cooling face pack
• Avoid tea/coffee + bakery
• Eat fruit + nuts
• Apply sunscreen
2. Evening Routine
• Apply Red Sandalwood pack 3–4 times weekly
• Follow with a cooling gel
• Do a 2-minute jaw release
• Replace sugary snacks with herbal tea
3. Weekly Ritual
• Have one “cooling meal day”
• Include curd, cucumber, ash gourd, coconut water
• Practice 5 minutes of silence or breathwork
4. Diet Guidelines for Pigmentation
• Reduce white sugar
• Drink more water
• Avoid friction-causing clothes
• Add turmeric, fennel, coriander
• Eat Vitamin C–rich foods like amla and guava
Small changes create big shifts in melanin behavior.
Healing Affirmation
“My skin is not flawed. My melanin is protecting me. I choose balance and gentleness.”
