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Botanicals & Herbs

Centella Asiatica

Also known as: Gotu kola, Tiger grass, Cica, Centella asiatica extract, Madecassoside

The wound-healing herb behind every 'cica' cream — tiger grass with collagen-stimulating compounds and a soothing reputation.

  • By IngredientWiki Editorial Team
  • Fact-checked by IngredientWiki Editorial Team
  • Updated 2026-09-26
  • 2 min read

In short

Centella asiatica, better known as gotu kola or — in skincare — cica, is a small herb native to Asian wetlands with a centuries-old reputation for healing wounds, which is the origin of the 'tiger grass' nickname (tigers supposedly rolled in it to heal injuries). Its active triterpenes — madecassoside, asiaticoside, and asiatic acid — stimulate collagen synthesis and calm inflammation, mechanisms that transferred neatly from traditional medicine into modern cica creams for irritated, acne-prone, or post-procedure skin. It is also taken orally for vein health and anxiety support in traditional systems.

  • Herb nicknamed 'tiger grass' for its wound-healing legend
  • Triterpenes (madecassoside, asiaticoside) stimulate collagen
  • Core ingredient of K-beauty 'cica' soothing creams
  • Also used orally in Ayurvedic and TCM traditions

What is Centella Asiatica?

If you have seen 'cica' stamped on a Korean barrier cream, you have met Centella asiatica. The herb earned its skincare career through a real biological story: its triterpene saponins promote fibroblast activity and collagen production — the machinery of wound closure — while damping inflammation. That dual action makes centella the default soothing ingredient for reactive skin, acne recovery, and post-laser redness, and gives it a smaller but genuine presence in the supplement aisle for venous insufficiency and cognitive support.

Where it comes from

Natural sources

  • Creeping herb (Centella asiatica) native to wetlands across Asia
  • Used for thousands of years in Ayurveda, TCM, and Southeast Asian medicine
  • Leaves and stems extracted for cosmetics and supplements

How it's made

Commercial extracts standardize the triterpenes: madecassoside, asiaticoside, asiatic acid.

What it does in products

  • Stimulates collagen synthesis and wound healing
  • Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action
  • Supports skin barrier repair
  • Vascular support in oral preparations

Benefits

Wound healing and skin repair

moderate evidence

In vitro and animal work shows madecassoside and asiaticoside accelerate wound closure and collagen deposition; human studies support centella-containing products for post-procedure recovery.

Soothing irritated, reactive skin

moderate evidence

The anti-inflammatory triterpenes calm redness and irritation, the basis of cica creams' use for eczema-prone, acne-irritated, and sensitive skin.

Venous insufficiency (oral)

moderate evidence

Oral Centella extracts improved leg swelling and vein symptoms in some trials; standardized extracts are used as medication in parts of Europe.

Cognition and anxiety (oral)

emerging evidence

Traditional use as a brain tonic has modest trial support — some studies report reduced anxiety — but the evidence is preliminary.

Side effects & safety

Topical irritation or allergy (uncommon)Generally very well tolerated; patch-test if sensitive.
Stomach upset with oral use (uncommon)Take oral extracts with food.

Safety considerations

  • Insufficient safety data for oral centella in pregnancy — avoid oral use; topical use is generally considered acceptable.
  • Oral centella may interact with sedatives and diabetes medications; topical use has no known interactions.
  • Not for: Known allergy to the plant
  • Not for: Oral use with liver disease should be medically supervised

How it's used

In supplements

Oral trials used 30–120 mg of standardized triterpene extract daily. As a supplement, follow label dosing.

In skincare

Cica products typically use 0.1–5% centella extract or isolated actives (madecassoside 0.1–1%). Apply serums or creams to irritated areas after cleansing; suitable for twice-daily use.

Regulatory status

  • Cosmetic ingredient and dietary supplement under DSHEA; in some European countries, oral extracts are approved vein-health medicines.
  • INCI name on cosmetic labels: Centella Asiatica Extract.
  • CIR reviewed centella-derived ingredients as safe in cosmetics at typical use concentrations.

Popular products containing Centella Asiatica

  • Cicaplast Baume B5 — Madecassoside repair balmLa Roche-Posay · Skincare
  • Cicapair Tiger Grass CreamDr. Jart+ · Skincare
  • Madagascar Centella AmpouleSKIN1004 · Skincare

Product names and brands are shown for reference and belong to their respective owners.

Cica creams: what centella does for a damaged barrier

A skin barrier under stress — from retinoids, acne treatments, cold weather, or over-exfoliation — needs two things: reduced inflammation and faster repair. Centella supplies both. Its triterpenes suppress inflammatory signals while nudging fibroblasts to make more collagen and strengthening the lipid infrastructure of the barrier. That is why cica products cluster around retinoid beginners, post-acne redness, and post-procedure care. Pairing centella with ceramides and panthenol covers soothing and rebuilding simultaneously.

Frequently asked questions

What does 'cica' mean in skincare?

'Cica' is shorthand for Centella asiatica, a wound-healing herb whose triterpenes calm inflammation and support collagen. Cica creams are soothing, barrier-repair moisturizers aimed at irritated or sensitive skin.

Is centella asiatica the same as gotu kola?

Yes — gotu kola is the traditional oral name, centella asiatica is the botanical name, and 'cica' or 'tiger grass' are common cosmetic names. Skincare and oral supplements use different extracts of the same plant.

Can I use cica products with retinoids?

Yes, and that pairing is popular precisely because cica ingredients buffer retinoid irritation. Apply the retinoid, wait for it to absorb, then layer a cica cream to support the barrier.

The bottom line

Centella asiatica is a rare traditional herb with a clean modern mechanism: collagen-stimulating, inflammation-calming triterpenes that suit irritated, acne-prone, and post-procedure skin. In cica creams it is a gentle everyday ally; orally, standardized extracts have modest but real evidence for vein health.

References

  1. Centella asiatica and wound healing — literature search. PubMed (National Library of Medicine). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=centella+asiatica+wound+healing
  2. Madecassoside and skin — literature search. PubMed (National Library of Medicine). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=madecassoside+skin+collagen
  3. Centella asiatica triterpenes. PubChem (National Library of Medicine). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/#query=asiaticoside
  4. Centella asiatica for venous insufficiency — literature search. PubMed (National Library of Medicine). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=centella+asiatica+venous+insufficiency