Centella asiatica (Cica)

centella asiatica · cica · madecassoside · asiaticoside · gotu kola

A botanical ('cica') used to calm, soothe and support the skin barrier.

TipoCosmetic (topical)

Il voto risponde a: What does the human evidence support for: Soothing & barrier support?

Grado

Limitata

Il voto misura la qualità dell'evidenza, non è un consiglio ad assumere o acquistare.

Classe: Skincare / topical
Uso principale: Soothing & barrier support
Forza evidenza: low
Ultima revisione: 2026-07-01

In sintesi

A popular soothing botanical with real active compounds and some supporting studies for comfort and barrier recovery — but the cosmetic evidence is modest and formulation-dependent. Calming, not transformative.

Cosa dice l'evidenza

Centella asiatica and its isolated actives (madecassoside, asiaticoside) have a body of research — much of it in wound-healing and preclinical contexts — behind the 'cica' soothing trend, plus smaller cosmetic studies suggesting improved comfort, hydration and barrier recovery in sensitised or dry skin. We describe cosmetic soothing and comfort, not treatment of any skin condition; results depend on the specific extract and the whole formula, and independent cosmetic trials are limited. Grade C: a plausible, well-tolerated calming ingredient with a modest cosmetic evidence base.

Studi chiave

[1]
Centella asiatica actives and skin · review
Antioxidant/soothing and barrier-support signals.
Apri su PubMed ↗
[2]
Centella in cosmetic / sensitive-skin use · review
Comfort and hydration in small studies.
Apri su PubMed ↗
[3]
Triterpenoids and barrier repair (review) · review
Mechanistic background, largely preclinical.
Apri su PubMed ↗

Vedi tutti gli studi su PubMed ↗

Meccanismo

Its triterpenoid actives are associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and with supporting collagen and barrier-repair processes, mostly shown in laboratory and wound-healing models.

Sicurezza

Generally well tolerated and widely used in products aimed at sensitive and reactive skin; allergic reactions are uncommon but possible with botanicals.

Contesto dosaggio

Products use varying extracts and standardisations of the active triterpenes, so 'centella' on a label can mean very different things; the specific standardised actives matter more than the plant name.

Esempi di applicazione

Used in 'cica' soothing creams and serums for comfort.
Layered to calm temporarily sensitised or dry skin.
Judged on the standardised actives, not the buzzword.

Nota dal campo

Cica is a genuinely soothing botanical that the trend has inflated into a cure-all. We grade it C: nice for comfort and calming, judged on the standardised actives, not the buzzword.

Molecole correlate

Panthenol (provitamin B5)C CeramidesB NiacinamideB

Come assegniamo i gradi → Metodo