Drug & supplement interaction

Licorice + Tretinoin

Tretinoin brand names: Vesanoid, Retin-A, Renova, Altreno.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Licorice has a moderate interaction with Tretinoin. Theoretically, licorice might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C8.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Licorice and Tretinoin

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C8 (CYP2C8) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Tretinoin

Tretinoin falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C8 (CYP2C8) SUBSTRATES — the group Licorice interacts with.

Theoretically, licorice might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C8.
In vitro, licorice extract from the species G. glabra and G. uralensis inhibits CYP2C8 isoenzymes. Theoretically, these species of licorice might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C8; however, this interaction has not yet been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for tretinoin (the pill form, used for a type of leukemia): your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2C8 to help clear it. In lab dishes, licorice extract has been shown to slow that same enzyme down. If that played out in the body, tretinoin could build up a bit, which in theory might mean stronger effects and more side effects like headache, dry skin and lips, bone pain, or fluid buildup.

I want to be honest, though: this is theoretical. It has only been seen in lab studies, never reported in actual people. Still, licorice in concentrated supplement amounts can also raise blood pressure and drop potassium on its own, so it's worth a quick chat with your oncologist or pharmacist before mixing the two. Don't change anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Li G, Simmler C, Chen L, et al. Cytochrome P450 inhibition by three licorice species and fourteen licorice constituents. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2017;109:182-190. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Licorice Also Interacts With Other Medications

Licorice has 976 moderate, 63 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Tretinoin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 976 Minor 63 No known interaction 1,791 (incl. Tretinoin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Licorice

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Licorice. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Licorice or Tretinoin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Licorice or Tretinoin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tretinoin

This page covers Licorice only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tretinoin page lists 52 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Vitamin A (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 37 moderate · 13 minor.

Open the Tretinoin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Licorice as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 4,721 real supplement products containing Licorice, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Licorice. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tretinoin too, on top of Licorice — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Licorice and Tretinoin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Licorice
Top 5%

#37 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Tretinoin
Steady interest

#2,425 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Licorice

What is Licorice?

Licorice
  • Sore throat and cough
  • Heartburn and stomach upset
  • Mouth ulcers and digestive complaints
  • Inflammation
  • Traditional tonic/adrenal support

Licorice root is a traditional remedy used for sore throats, coughs, and digestive complaints, but solid human evidence is limited for most uses. Regular licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which can raise blood pressure and lower potassium when taken in large amounts or for a long time, so deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) products are often preferred. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have high blood pressure, heart, or kidney problems.

Read the full Licorice monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tretinoin

What Is Tretinoin Used For?

Brand names: Vesanoid, Retin-A, Renova, Altreno

Tretinoin cream 0.02% is approved to help lessen the look of fine facial wrinkles in people who also follow a comprehensive skin care and sun-avoidance program — including daily sunscreen, protective clothing, and moisturizers.

It's important to know what tretinoin does not do: it will not erase wrinkles, reverse sun damage, repair deeply weathered skin, or restore younger-looking skin. It has also not been shown to help with coarse or deep wrinkles, rough skin texture, dark spots, or sagging skin.

See full Tretinoin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Licorice

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Licorice — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
976Moderate
63Minor
1,790No known interaction
976 Moderate 63 Minor 1,790 No interaction
Moderate

976 interactions

Showing 60 of 976 moderate interactions — see all 976 on the Licorice page.

Minor

63 interactions

Showing 60 of 63 minor interactions — see all 63 on the Licorice page.

No interaction 1,790 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Licorice against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,790 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Licorice list.

See the full Licorice interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tretinoin, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Licorice monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Tretinoin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Tretinoin, ranked by severity Tretinoin drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Licorice and Tretinoin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Licorice with Tretinoin?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Licorice and Tretinoin interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Tretinoin and Licorice?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.