Centella Asiatica: A Natural Skincare Solution for Acne, Wrinkles, and More
So, what is Centella Asiatica and what are the benefits? When it comes to skincare, several big concerns are consuming most people and they are acne, wrinkles, and sensitive skin. So locating care products for sensitive skin has never been more important than it is today. Surveys say more than 2/3 of consumers consider themselves to have sensitive skin.
Finding a natural ingredient plucked right from the ground that helps with acne, wrinkles, and various other skin conditions while being gentle and soothing on sensitive skin might feel far-fetched. However, looking at traditional medicine and Centella Asiatica, K-beauty trends have found an excellent way to care for the skin.
What is Centella Asiatica?
Centella Asiatica, also known by its nicknames Cica, Indian pennywort, Asiatic pennywort, Gotu kola, or Kodavan, is a perennial. This means it will come back year over year after dying out during the winter. A favourite name is Tiger Grass, so named because tigers will roll around in it to cure their small wounds and itches.
Cica is a hardy plant and it is native to the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and islands in the Pacific Ocean. This hardiness and widespread availability has seen Centella Asiatica develop into an easy-to-use and popular part of traditional medicines. It treats and cures a variety of ailments and these include:
- Minor burns and scratches
- Leprosy
- Lupus
- Varicose ulcers
- Eczema
- Psoriasis (https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/)
- Diarrhoea
- Fever
- Amenorrhea
Now, as more Korean beauty companies start to turn inwards and behind, looking to traditional medicine for knowledge that has existed for thousands of years, Centrella Asiatica has become popular for its uses in K-beauty products, especially those having to do with skincare and for sensitive skin.
Why is Centella Asiatica Such a Big Deal in K-Beauty?
Korean skincare has been in the know about natural solutions and concepts for a long time. Not only have they used them in different skincare forms for sensitive skin but in traditional medicine for example, Cica has been used to treat everything ranging from minor wounds and eczema to psoriasis, leprosy, and other illnesses.
Having the ability to use a naturally derived plant that grows abundantly in the wild and in agricultural environments means using the best of what nature has to offer to reach the skin results you want. Not to mention, Cica is especially nice for sensitive skin because natural ingredients are less likely to irritate or bother sensitive skin.
Korean Skincare with Centella Asiatica
K-beauty has started to leverage this interesting plant in its skincare for sensitive skin, primarily using its leaves and stems for their ingredients.
They use these because they contain two main kinds of ingredients:
- Saponins
- Madecassoside
- Asiaticoside
- Triterpenes
- Asiatic acid
- Madecassic acid
These ingredients all have healing, antioxidant, regenerative, and antibacterial properties. While doing all this, they’ve also been shown to increase collagen production, thereby encouraging your body to naturally fight back against wrinkles. Simultaneously, the skin barrier is strengthened, making Centella Asiatica an excellent all-around skincare ingredient.
Using Cica in K-Beauty
Being able to make the most of the long-standing power of Cica is a new method for Korean skincare brands to ensure that their products are natural, beautiful, and perfect for sensitive skin.
Checkout some of our favorite Centella Asiatica products below or explore all of them here.
