Centella asiatica
Centella asiatica (cica): a small trial found better skin hydration, and animal tests suggest low allergy risk. Acne and redness evidence is indirect.
What it is
Centella asiatica, also called gotu kola or cica, is a plant whose extract is common in Korean skincare. Its main active compounds are triterpenes such as asiaticoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.
Evidence grades by concern
| Concern | Grade | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Transient dehydration | C | Anggraeni 2021 |
| Contact irritation / allergy-prone | C | Anggraeni 2021, Hausen 1993, Park 2021 |
| Acne scarring and marks | C | Balevi 2023 |
| Inflammatory acne | C | Anggraeni 2021 |
| Persistent erythema | C | Anggraeni 2021 |
Grade A: strong guideline recommendations or Korean MFDS notified actives. B: randomized controlled trials or systematic reviews. C: mechanism, small or uncontrolled studies.
What the evidence shows
Transient dehydrationC
In a double-blind trial of 30 batik workers with dry skin, a Centella asiatica cream significantly improved skin hydration on the palms and the backs of the hands, and skin acidity on the backs of the hands, after four weeks (Anggraeni 2021). The trial compared it with a ceramide cream, and the two did not differ significantly. The published abstract does not say what else the cream contained, so we grade this C until we can check the full paper.
Contact irritation / allergy-proneC
In guinea-pig tests, Centella extract and its main triterpenes were very weak sensitizers, which suggests a low allergy risk (Hausen 1993). That is animal data, not a human patch-test result, and the hydration trial above did not measure irritation or allergy.
Acne scarring and marksC
A randomized trial of 280 people who had carpal tunnel surgery found that a cream with 1% Centella asiatica extract, applied for six months, improved scar scores at 3 to 6 months and helped prevent scar tenderness, compared with no cream (Balevi 2023). Those were surgical scars, not acne scars, and the comparison group used no cream.
Inflammatory acneC
We have no trial of Centella asiatica in people with acne. The only trial we cite studied dry skin in batik workers, not acne (Anggraeni 2021). A 2021 review of Centella's effects on skin disease draws mainly on laboratory and animal studies, and its author calls for long-term controlled clinical trials (Park 2021).
Persistent erythemaC
We have no trial of Centella asiatica on persistent redness. The trial we cite measured hydration and acidity, not redness (Anggraeni 2021).
What it does not do
Our evidence file has no trial showing that Centella asiatica treats acne or persistent redness. The scar trial involved surgical wounds, so we do not know whether it fades acne scars.
Safety
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel conclusion: safe (report year 2023; IJT 42(S1):5-22).
Products in our catalog
- BRING GREEN - Tea Tree Cica Soothing Toner - 250ml
- Bring Green - Zinc Teca Trouble Serum
- Mediheal - Madecassoside Blemish Pad - 100ea
- Dr.G - Green Mild Up Sun+ (SPF50+ PA++++) - 50ml
- ILSO - Super Melting Sebum Softener (+ Skin Wrap Cotton Pad Set) - 150g + 40pcs
- numbuzin - No.1 Pantothenic Skincare 100 Powder - 7g
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References
- Anggraeni S, Umborowati MA, Damayanti D, Endaryanto A, Prakoeswa CRS. Role of Centella asiatica and ceramide in skin barrier improvement: a double blind clinical trial of Indonesian batik workers. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2021;32(4):589-593.
- Hausen BM. Centella asiatica (Indian pennywort), an effective therapeutic but a weak sensitizer. Contact Dermatitis. 1993;29(4):175-179.
- Park KS. Pharmacological Effects of Centella asiatica on Skin Diseases: Evidence and Possible Mechanisms. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021;2021:5462633.
- Balevi M, Balevi A. The effect of Centella Asiatica cream on scar development in patients who underwent open carpal tunnel release surgery. J Hand Ther. 2023;36(4):962-966.