Centella asiatica is a low creeping plant that grows across wetland Asia. In Korean skincare it usually appears as "cica", which is shorthand rather than a different ingredient, and often as one of its isolated fractions: madecassoside, asiaticoside, asiatic acid, madecassic acid. Between them these are called the centella actives, and the reason brands name them individually is that they behave slightly differently from one another.
What it does
Centella has a long medical history in wound care, and skincare inherited part of that reputation. Reviews of topical centella and its triterpenes support anti-inflammatory and repair-related mechanisms, but that does not mean every cosmetic formula will reduce redness or speed recovery to the same degree. For ordinary skincare, the useful expectation is modest: a well-formulated centella product may help skin feel calmer and look less visibly irritated.
Madecassoside, asiaticoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid are among the compounds most often studied. A high percentage of whole centella extract is not directly comparable with a lower percentage of an isolated component, so front-label percentages are useful only when the brand explains what was measured and how the finished formula is built.
What it does not do
It is not an anti-inflammatory drug, and it will not treat an actual skin condition. It does not clear acne, though it can make the aftermath of a breakout look less dramatic. It is not a moisturiser, so a thin centella essence on dry skin will feel like nothing at all unless something goes over it.
And it will not rescue a routine that is causing the irritation. If exfoliating acids, retinoids or another strong step are making skin uncomfortable, reducing or pausing the irritating step may matter more than adding another soothing product.
Who it suits
Reactive or easily flushed skin can be a reasonable use case, as can a routine containing stronger actives when a simple soothing layer is wanted. A sudden change in how skin behaves can have many causes, so it is better not to assume that every new sensitivity is automatically a barrier problem.
If your skin is calm and your complaint is texture or tone, centella is not your ingredient. Rice or ginseng will do more for you.
How to use it
Centella works best low in the routine and left alone. A toner or essence straight after cleansing, or an ampoule before moisturiser. It layers with almost anything, which is part of its appeal, and it is one of the few actives with no meaningful rule about morning or evening.
There is rarely a need to stack several near-identical centella layers. One well-tolerated toner, essence, ampoule or cream can be enough; follow the directions and judge the whole formula rather than treating the plant name as a dose.
In the cabinet
Centella runs right through the catalogue, so this is a selection rather than a list.
- SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule 100ml, $22.00. A direct centella ampoule and one of the clearest expressions of the ingredient currently in the catalogue.
- Isntree Mugwort Calming Ampoule 50ml, $32.60. Not centella, but the same job, and worth comparing if centella has not worked for you.
- Torriden DIVE IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream 100ml, $24.00. The moisturiser to put over a centella essence when the essence alone feels like nothing.
- ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream 230ml, $20.00. Barrier repair rather than calming, and the sensible partner for centella when the skin is dry as well as reactive.
Browse the full set: centella in the catalogue.
Where it sits in the routine
Centella belongs to the recovery half of a routine rather than the correction half. The Ritual Guide has the full order, and the calming chapter of Face care is where this ingredient lives.
Sources and evidence
Centella has stronger clinical literature in wound care than in everyday cosmetics. That supports research into its triterpenes and repair-related mechanisms, but it does not make every cica toner or cream a wound treatment.
- 2024 review of topical Centella asiatica mechanisms and clinical wound-healing evidence
- 2022 systematic review of Centella asiatica and wound healing
Evidence is ingredient- and formulation-specific. Cosmetic products should be judged by their full formula, concentration, directions and individual tolerance.