Centella Asiatica, or Cica, seems to be the current ‘it-girl’ of skincare. It has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of skin conditions but the more recent K-Beauty trend has seen it soar to new heights. Now research has confirmed what people have known for generations – Centella Asiatica is AWESOME for skin! So how do we get our eager hands on the best Centella Asiatica products?
You can find a selection of some of the best Centella Asiatica products below, but first, what is Centella Asiatica and why is it awesome for skin?
Centella Asiatica is a green leafy plant that is native to Southeast Asia and contains four key components (or saponins) that are largely responsible for its amazing skin benefits – Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassoside, and Madasiatic Acid.
In addition, the plant contains fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins B and C, and flavonoids. It has long been used to help heal wounds and is often used as an antibacterial and antioxidant.
What Are The Benefits of Centella Asiatica For Skin?
Centella Asiatica extracts improve wound healing by increasing the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid, as well as by reducing inflammation. They also help prevent scarring and increase the levels of antioxidants within the skin.
When combined with vitamin C, Centella Asiatica extracts can improve the firmness, elasticity, and hydration of the skin. Some research even suggests that medical-grade Centella Asiatica extracts (known as the titrated extract of Centella Asiatica; TECA) can help protect the skin from UVB damage.
Centella Asiatica is also excellent at soothing skin by repairing the skin barrier function, reducing the skin’s pH value, and by reducing skin irritation, redness, and inflammation. In addition, some research suggests that Centella Asiatica is an effective acne treatment and can reduce sebum levels and acne-related scarring.
This means that you may be interested in trying one of the best Centella Asiatica products if you would like to:
- Soothe skin and blemishes
- Intensely hydrate your skin
- Balance sebum levels
- Improve the appearance of acne
- Prevent the signs of aging
- Reduce oxidative stress and inflammation
- Increase skin levels of antioxidants
- Reduce redness
- Improve acne scars and marks
- Prevent further scarring
What Are The Best Centella Asiatica Products?
There is a huge variety of creams and serums to choose from, but here is a selection of some of the best Centella Asiatica products available on Amazon (Hello Prime Free One-Day Shipping!)
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Asiatica Ampoule (100ml)
This serum contains nothing but 100% Centella Asiatica extract which makes it ideal for all skin types, especially very sensitive skin types that are prone to irritation. Specifically, it contains 30% Asiaticoside, 30% Asiatic Acid, and 40% Madecassic Acid alongside other natural components of Centella Asiatica such as amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and phytochemicals.
COSRX Centella Blemish Cream
COSRX’s Centella Blemish Cream contains medical-grade Centella Asiatica extract as well as Centella Asiatica leaf water in the place of regular H2O. The addition of zinc oxide and zinc PCA means that this cream may be better suited to night-time use due to its potential to leave a ‘white-cast’ and its thick consistency. The cream should be used as a spot-treatment to soothe irritated skin and blemishes rather than as a moisturizer.
A’PIEU Madecassoside Cream
This cream contains 40% Centella Asiatica leaf water alongside 0.1% madecassoside (0.1% madecassoside was the form and strength of Centella Asiatica extract used in the anti-aging study). Additional ingredients include niacinamide, witch hazel extract, green tea extract, panthenol, adenosine, lactic acid, and urea. These ingredients enhance the creams’ soothing and hydrating effects and may help improve the appearance of acne and blemishes.
Dr Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serum
The Dr Jart+ Centella Serum contains seven different forms of Centella Asiatica; Madecassoside, Centella Asiatica leaf water, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Centella Asiatica meristem cell culture, as well as a standard Centella Asiatica extract. Additional awesome ingredients include niacinamide, dimethicone, adenosine, and multiple plant extracts – making this serum perfect for soothing and restoring hydration. The green-tinted serum absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving a sticky or greasy finish.
COSRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream
This smooth, lightweight cream helps balance the skin’s barrier with its mixture of ceramides and medical-grade Centella Asiatica extract. Although Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid are quite far down in the ingredients list, COSRX has decided to use 50% Centella Asiatica leaf water instead of plain old H2O to boost the Centella content of the cream. Ceramides are essential in order for the skin’s barrier to function properly and their combination with Centella Asiatica makes this cream a hydrating hero.
The Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream is suitable for all skin types, is hypoallergenic, and cruelty-free.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
Suffering from damaged skin that’s extremely irritated? Used too many actives or physical exfoliants? This soothing and healing cream may be the one for you! It’s so gentle that it is even recommended for babies as young as one-month-old. Centella Asiatica in the form of Madecassoside is present in this cream alongside the hydrating ingredients dimethicone, glycerine, shea butter, and panthenol. In addition, copper, zinc, and manganese enhance the effects of Madecassoside to help reduce the appearance of dry, irritated skin.
The cream is formulated with La-Roche Posay’s soothing thermal spring water and has a rich and nourishing texture complete with a non-oily, non-sticky, matte finish.
Innisfree Bija Cica Balm
Innisfree’s gel-like balm combines Centella Asiatica extracts with Bija seed oil to enhance its barrier strengthening and balancing properties. Bija fruit essence from the legendary Torreya trees of Jeju Island’s Bija Forest can help improve the appearance of blemishes and imperfections while helping to balance skin. The balm contains Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, and Asiatic acid alongside various plant extracts, glycerine, squalane, and panthenol. This Centella Asiatica product is better suited to those with oily or combination skin as it is not particularly moisturizing.
Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum (60ml)
This serum contains 49% Centella Asiatica extract, comprised of Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid. Other noteworthy ingredients include four different types of peptides, glycerine, panthenol, and collagen. The addition of glycerine and panthenol makes this serum an excellent option for increasing the water content of the skin as both are excellent hydrating ingredients. Panthenol and peptides also help to improve wrinkles and replenish skin.
Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF50+ PA++++
Looking for a new sunscreen? This SPF50+ (see update below) oil-free option by Purito is an excellent choice for acne-prone skin. In addition to Centella Asiatica extracts, it also contains niacinamide, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid. Niacinamide and Centella Asiatica both have sebum-reducing, anti-acne, and hydrating effects as well as being potent antioxidants. Antioxidants are an excellent addition to sunscreens as they neutralize the free radical damage generated upon sun exposure (sunscreen can only prevent approximately 55% of free radical production alone).
Furthermore, this sunscreen has a UVA protection rating of PA++++ which means that it must have a UVA-PF of at least 16. It is also cruelty-free and 100% vegan!
Update: This sunscreen is currently unavailable after INCIDecoder found that the sunscreen only had an SPF of 19 (which also brings into question its UVA protection). I would advise avoiding this sunscreen until the issue has been resolved (they have stopped selling it anyway). However, this is not the first instance of sunscreens not meeting their stated SPF claims (LabMuffin has a great article about this) so you can never be 100% sure you are receiving the stated SPF – another important reason not to rely on sunscreen alone (you also ideally need protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, to seek shade, and avoid the midday sun).
Summary
We have discussed 9 of the best Centella Asiatica products that are all available on Amazon and therefore readily available. Centella Asiatica has a number of awesome benefits for skin and, whether you choose a product from this article or a different one entirely, your skin will surely thank you for incorporating this super soothing ingredient into your daily skincare routine.
