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Want to know more about Centella Asiatica and what it can do for your skin? Today you are going to learn exactly that.
Centella Asiatica is a plant that now more than ever features in many skincare products. Personally, I was very intrigued so I decided to do a deep dive into this topic, and here is what I’ve discovered.
What is Centella Asiatica?
Centella Asiatica, aka CICA, is found in many Korean beauty products and, given their new-found popularity, CICA is now a very popular skincare ingredient.
Also, it is very used by European skincare brands only with a different name: medechicide which actually is a component of Centella.
Given its long history it is called by many names in different parts of the world:
- CICA
- Tiger grass
- Gotu Kola
- Kodavan
- Indian Pennyworth
- Asiatic pennyworth
Centella Asiatica is a herbaceous, perennial plant part of the family Umbelliferae. It is native to tropical regions such as Africa, Asia, India, and Australia.
Benefits of Centella Asiatica
Centella Asiatica has many benefits for our bodies for example it has a protective action on the walls of blood capillaries. What was super interesting to me though, it’s that it has many properties and, therefore, benefits for our skin too!
1. Moisturizing properties
First thing first, it is super rich in moisturizing properties. Centella Asiatica is made of centilloids which help our skin in stimulating its own glycosaminoglycans, aka GAGs, and hyaluronic acid. GAGs are sugars that help support and maintain collagen and elastin in the skin.
GAGs and hyaluronic acid are able to give our skin the plump, rich and dewy look we all strive for. This means, especially when transitioning from summer to winter, having Centella Asiatica in your moisturizer can be duper beneficial.
Also, these moisturizing properties can help people with eczema since it flairs up when the skin is dry and/or the skin barrier is damaged or irritated.
It was shown by clinical studies with in vivo tests (meaning they were done on humans) that formulations containing 5% of Centella Asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in moisturizing and hydrating the skin.
It was also found to have other fantastic properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties as well as anticarcinogenic activity (meaning it reduces the risk of cancer).
2. Burns and wounds
CICA can also help with burns and wounds as well as psoriasis thanks to its centilloids antioxidant properties that can combat free radicals.
Also, very interestingly, it can reduce erythema and therefore redness due to eczema and damaged skin barrier.
3. Other properties
It was also found to have other fantastic properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties as well as anticarcinogenic activity (meaning it reduces the risk of cancer).
Best products with Centella Asiatica
Products for dry and sensitive skin
These products are my top favorites when it comes to super dry skin and especially if you have an inflamed skin barrier. They helped me a lot when I was adjusting to retinoids.
By the way, if you’re interested, I have an entire article on how to use retinoids like a dermatologist.
La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 Balm
This product is loaded with Panthenol, aka vitamin B5, which is great for skin barrier health.
Of course, as you may have guessed, the “CICA” in cicaplast stands for exactly that: CICA or Centella Asiatica.
This is a very rich cream that helps your skin heal itself. I love it for the winter time but also it was very useful when I was dealing with the retinization process (irritation from using retinoids).
If you want to know the power of this ingredient check out the cicaplast B5 review, you will be amazed!
This helps soothe, hydrate, and restore dry and irritated skin.
I feel like this is a lightweight moisturizer and it comes slightly tinted. It is wonderful for the morning in my opinion.
Purito dermide cica barrier sleeping pack
This is fantastic to lather your face with. I feel like it’s very similar to the La Roche Posay cicaplast but it does not leave your face white since it does not contain zinc (which is an anti-inflammatory though).
Also, it’s not that dense, it glides more easily on the skin. Plus, I think it is pretty cheap.
Products for red skin
It is a super rich and dense cream which I was expecting since it is marketed as a sleeping mask, but it glides and absorbs very easily.
The formula is absolutely gorgeous and it’s fantastic if you flush easily.
Dr. Jart tiger grass color-correcting treatment
This is my favorite product but Dr. Jart actually has an entire CICA line that I absolutely want to try, I will keep you posted.
It is a green, super thick cream that I love to use in the morning whenever my skin is feeling red, irritated or I just want it to be more even in tone.
It has SPF in it but honestly, I still apply my sunscreen over it because you need a lot of product to have complete coverage, specifically two fingers worth.
