Ingredient

Centella Asiatica (Cica)

A plant extract that calms red, irritated skin. Interesting laboratory evidence, thin human evidence, and one of the few gentle ingredients that can cause an allergy.
Dr. Schwarz, MD · Board-certified dermatologistLast reviewed September 8, 2026
Five centella creams on white, a green-tinted jar plus tubes labeled Madagascar Centella, Madeca Cream and Cica Cream Plus

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Cica products are pleasant, and that is most of what I say about them. Centella calms irritated skin and the textures are light, which makes a cica cream a reasonable thing to put on a face overdone with actives. But the laboratory evidence does not transfer cleanly to a cosmetic cream with an unlisted amount and ten other soothing ingredients in the jar, so the barrier ingredients deserve a share of the credit. One thing sets it apart from allantoin or glycerin — centella is a documented contact allergen, uncommon but real, so if a cica product is making redness worse, that is not it settling in.

— Dr. Schwarz, Board Certified Dermatologist

Key Facts

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Also calledCica, tiger grass, gotu kola, Centella asiatica extract, madecassoside, asiaticoside, TECA
TypePlant extract. Used to soothe irritation and, in standardized forms, to support wound and scar healing
Strengths soldUsually unlabeled. Products that name a figure are commonly around 2% to 10% extract
UseMorning, night, or both
Time to workComfort within days. Anything structural takes months
Prescription neededNo in the United States. Standardized centella extracts are sold as medicines in some other countries

What It Is

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Centella asiatica is a low-growing marsh plant from Asia, also called gotu kola and tiger grass, long used in traditional Indian, Chinese and Indonesian medicine. In skincare it is shortened to cica. The interesting parts are four related compounds: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. A standardized preparation of these is TECA, a titrated extract of Centella asiatica, sold in parts of Europe and Asia as a medicine for wounds and scars. Most cica products in the United States are cosmetics. They list Centella asiatica extract with no percentage and no statement of how much active compound it contains — two different numbers. A cream can be built around a generous extract or a token amount, and the label rarely says which.

How It Works

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Centella's compounds interfere with inflammation. In laboratory studies they reduce the signals that drive redness and swelling, which matches what people report — stinging, flushed skin feels calmer.

They also appear to encourage collagen production. In cell and animal studies, asiaticoside and madecassoside increase collagen made by fibroblasts, the cells that build the skin's support structure. That is why centella turns up in scar creams, stretch mark creams and anti-aging serums.

The evidence thins as you move from a dish to a person. Standardized extracts have some human support in wound healing and scars, mostly small studies. Cosmetic cica creams have far less, and the trials that exist tested whole products containing panthenol, ceramides and glycerin, so the centella cannot be separated out.

Centella has more laboratory backing than most plant extracts and less human proof than the marketing implies. The products are usually well made and comfortable, and that explains a good part of why they help.

Here is where Centella Asiatica (Cica) acts in the skin, and what the others do instead.

About Centella Asiatica (Cica)
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Skin basics
FILLS THE GAPSSTAYS ON THE SURFACELOOSENS DEAD SKINPULLS WATER INPULLS WATER INSEALS WATER INSEALS WATER IN

Emollients are oils and lipids that sit in the spaces between the cells of the outer layer, the mortar between the bricks. They fill those gaps rather than covering them over, so skin feels smoother straight away, water stays in and irritants stay out.

The active compounds in centella are moderately large. Some gets in, but most of the effect is on and just under the surface.

These acids work at the surface. They break the bonds holding dead cells to each other, so the top layer sheds more evenly. Skin looks smoother and brighter, and anything applied afterwards gets in more easily.

A humectant draws water into the outer layer and holds it there. Skin holding more water is plumper and more flexible, and fine lines caused by dryness soften within minutes. Seal it with something on top or in dry air the water can simply evaporate away.

A humectant draws water into the outer layer and holds it there. Skin holding more water is plumper and more flexible, and fine lines caused by dryness soften within minutes. Seal it with something on top or in dry air the water can simply evaporate away.

An occlusive sits on the surface and slows water escaping. It adds nothing to the skin; it stops what is already there from leaving, which is why it works best over damp skin.

An occlusive sits on the surface and slows water escaping. It adds nothing to the skin; it stops what is already there from leaving, which is why it works best over damp skin.

The outermost layer, and the one every moisturizer is aiming at. It is dead — flattened cells stacked like bricks, with a mix of fats as the glue between them. That glue is what holds water in and keeps irritants out.

The outer layer, and the only one anything in a jar reaches. It renews itself constantly: a cell made at the bottom takes about a month to reach the surface and flake off. Most of what a skincare product does, it does here.

The living layer underneath, holding the blood vessels, the nerves and the collagen. It is where lasting change happens and it is hard to reach: most of what is sold for the skin never gets this far.

What It Treats

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No strong evidence for any condition.

Not the Best For

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Close-up of the lower cheek, mouth and jaw of a young person with light skin, turned three-quarters away from the camera against a pale blue background. Scattered flat pink-red marks cover the cheek and run down towards the jaw. The skin surface is smooth and even, with no raised spots and no change in texture.

Post-Inflammatory Redness

Limited evidence

A soothing ingredient used to calm skin that is red and reactive after acne or a procedure. It makes a routine more comfortable and is unlikely to cause trouble. It does nothing to the widened vessels themselves, so treat it as comfort rather than treatment.

Stretch Marks

Stretch Marks

Limited evidence

Of the massaged preparations sold for prevention in pregnancy, the ones containing centella asiatica or hyaluronic acid have the only supportive evidence, and it is limited and low quality. That is a long way from the claims on the packaging. Low risk, uncertain benefit, reasonable to try and not to rely on.

Forms

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Centella, sold as cica, appears in creams, gels, serums, ampoules, sheet masks, cleansers and balms, mostly from Korean brands, and in products made for after lasers and peels. It is rarely alone — it usually sits next to panthenol, ceramides, glycerin and madecassoside, which is often why the product works. The word cica tells you less than the rest of the formula does.

A row of Centella Asiatica (Cica) products sold as cream, photographed on white.
Everyday
Cream
The most common form. Cica in an ordinary moisturizing base, for skin that runs reactive.
A row of Centella Asiatica (Cica) products sold as ampoule or serum, photographed on white.
Concentrated
Ampoule or serum
A small bottle of a lighter, higher-strength formula. Layered under moisturizer.
A row of Centella Asiatica (Cica) products sold as gel, photographed on white.
Oily or hot skin
Gel
Weightless and cooling, with no oils. Sits well over a flare.
A row of Centella Asiatica (Cica) products sold as balm, photographed on white.
Cracked or wind-burned skin
Balm
Thick and sealing. Made for skin that has been through something.
A row of Centella Asiatica (Cica) products sold as sheet mask, photographed on white.
After a procedure
Sheet mask
A soaked layer for twenty minutes. Comfortable when skin is sore, and short-lived.

Strengths

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Percentages on cica products are close to meaningless. A cream labeled 5% centella extract does not say how concentrated that extract is, or how much asiaticoside and madecassoside it contains — the numbers that matter. The ladder below is shelf reality, not proven strength.

WeakestStrongest
Most products
Unlabeled extract, low on the ingredient list
No percentage at all. It may be doing very little, so judge the product on the rest of the formula.
Marketed cica products
Around 2% to 10% extract, stated on the label
The common range for products built around the ingredient. A stated figure means someone made a decision.
Research-grade
A named compound, madecassoside or asiaticoside
The compounds the laboratory work is about. Naming one is a better signal than naming the plant.
A medicine in some countries
TECA, a standardized triterpene extract
The form behind the strongest human evidence, for wounds and scars. Not sold as a medicine in the United States.

Basics

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When to Apply
After cleansing, morning, night or both. Serums before moisturizer, creams last. It is stable in sunlight, does not conflict with sunscreen or makeup, and needs no waiting time.
How to Start
There is no tolerance to build, so it can go in at full frequency. Because centella is one of the few gentle-sounding ingredients that can cause an allergy, test it on the inner forearm for a few days if your skin reacts easily.
If It Irritates
Mild stinging in the first minute on a raw face usually comes from the formula, not the centella. Redness, itching or small bumps building over days is a different pattern, and that is when to stop.
If It’s Not Working
Give a soothing product two to four weeks. If skin is still red, itchy or flaring, a cica cream is not the level of help the problem needs. Persistent redness has causes — eczema, rosacea, contact allergy — each with its own treatment.

Sample Routine

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Here is where Centella Asiatica (Cica) sits in a day, and what goes around it. Pick what you are treating and what your skin is like, and the rest of the routine changes to suit.

What to Expect

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Days 1 to 3Weeks 1 to 2Weeks 4 to 8
Immediate
Days 1 to 3
Skin feels more comfortable and looks less flushed within minutes. Much of that is the moisturizing base.
Working
Weeks 1 to 2
Redness and reactivity settle, and skin tolerates other treatments better.
Judge it here
Weeks 4 to 8
If redness has not improved after two months, the problem needs a diagnosis, not a soothing cream.

What to Avoid

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  • Centella conflicts with very little The cautions are about what it cannot do and the one real risk it carries.
  • Broken, weeping or ulcerated skin Contact allergy is reported most often on damaged skin, where more is absorbed. Have it looked at before anything cosmetic goes on.
  • Pushing through a reaction Redness, itch or bumps building over several days is allergy, not adjusting. Continuing makes it worse.
  • Using it in place of treatment Eczema, rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis respond to specific treatments. A cica cream sits alongside those, not instead of them.
  • Stacking several cica products at once Cleanser, toner, ampoule, cream and mask from one range adds cost and exposure without benefit, and makes a reaction harder to trace.
  • The folklore Cica is described as needing to be the last step, or as clashing with acids and retinoids. It has no layering rules. Its job is to sit alongside a stronger treatment and make it tolerable.

If You Stop

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Nothing rebounds. Centella suppresses nothing that comes back harder when it leaves. Skin drifts back to its own level of redness over a week or two. If a cica cream was making a retinoid tolerable, the retinoid will feel harsher again — which says as much about the moisturizer as the centella. If you stopped over a suspected allergy, the redness and itch should settle over one to three weeks. If not, something else is going on.

Ask Your Doctor

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If you have redness that has been getting worse for weeks: Persistent facial redness has several causes, treated differently.
If you develop itching, small bumps or swelling after using a cica product: That suggests contact allergy, which patch testing can confirm.
If you are using it on a wound, an ulcer or a burn: Broken skin absorbs far more of everything, and centella allergy is reported most often here.
If you have a history of allergy to plant extracts or fragrance in skincare: Reacting to botanicals raises the odds of reacting to this one.
If you are using it after a laser, peel or minor procedure: Ask whoever did it what they want on the skin and when.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and unsure about a product: Ask the doctor managing your pregnancy. Oral gotu kola is a separate question.

How It Compares

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Six niacinamide products on white, including The Ordinary 10% + Zinc 1%, Paula's Choice Booster and EltaMD UV ClearLabeled cutaway diagram of a single skin pore, headed Niacinamide. The epidermis is a brick-textured band across the top and the dermis is pink below it, with a yellow oil gland at the base of the pore and a small cluster of bacteria inside it. Two callout lines point in: decreases inflammation is drawn in dark navy as the main effect, and decreases oil production is drawn in gray as a lesser one. Nothing points at the dead cells blocking the pore.

Niacinamide

Better

Better studied for redness and barrier support, cheap, and available in well-characterized concentrations. Less pleasant to use on skin that is actively stinging.

Five colloidal oatmeal eczema products lined up on white: tubes, a jar and a pump lotion16:9 hero for Colloidal Oatmeal. Never cropped: the tone strip and the corner logo depend on the full frame.

Colloidal oatmeal

Different job

Better human evidence for itch and for eczema-prone skin, and an approved skin protectant. Textures are less elegant and it does nothing for collagen, real or claimed.

Five allantoin products on white: a tube, a lotion, two cream jars and a bag of white allantoin powder16:9 hero for Allantoin. Never cropped: the tone strip and the corner logo depend on the full frame.

Allantoin

Worse

Milder still and with a far lower allergy rate, but no wound or collagen story behind it. The safer choice, and the less interesting one.

Five serum bottles on white, two labeled D-Panthenol and 5% Panthenol, plus pantothenic B5 and hyaluronic acid with B5 formulas16:9 hero for Panthenol. Never cropped: the tone strip and the corner logo depend on the full frame.

Panthenol

The same

A very similar role and similar tolerability, usually in the same products. Neither has strong stand-alone human evidence.

Five azelaic acid tubes and bottles on white, most marked 10 percent, from Peach Slices, Paula's Choice, Facetheory, The Ordinary and NaturiumLabeled cutaway diagram of a single skin pore, headed Azelaic Acid. The epidermis is a brick-textured band across the top and the dermis is pink below it, with a yellow oil gland at the base of the pore and a small cluster of bacteria inside it. Three callout lines point in: decreases dead cells in pore and kills bacteria are drawn in dark navy as main effects, and decreases inflammation is drawn in gray as a lesser one.

Azelaic acid

Different job

A genuine treatment for the redness and bumps of rosacea rather than a soother. It can sting at first, which centella does not.

Topical steroids

Different job

Far stronger and faster on inflamed skin, and prescription-controlled for good reason. They thin skin with long use, which is why soothing ingredients still have a place.

Myths

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  • "Cica repairs the skin barrier." The barrier ingredients here — ceramides, glycerin, panthenol, occlusives — do that. Centella calms inflammation. Both arrive in the same jar, which makes them easy to confuse.
  • "Centella builds collagen, so cica creams treat wrinkles." Its compounds increase collagen production in cell and animal studies. That is genuine, and not the same as a cream changing the lines on a face. No good human evidence for that.
  • "It is completely safe because it is natural and gentle." Centella is one of the few soothing ingredients with a documented rate of contact allergy, most often to asiaticoside. Uncommon but real, and worth knowing before putting it on inflamed skin.
  • "Tiger grass is a different, stronger ingredient than centella." Same plant. The name comes from a story about tigers rolling in it to heal their wounds.
  • "Higher percentage cica means a stronger product." The percentage refers to an extract of unstated concentration. A product naming madecassoside or asiaticoside tells you more.

Questions Patients Ask

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What is cica actually for?

Calming skin that is red, stinging or over-treated. A comfort ingredient with some anti-inflammatory backing, not a treatment for acne, rosacea or eczema, though it is often used alongside those.

Is cica the same thing as centella asiatica?

Yes. Cica is the short marketing name, tiger grass another, gotu kola the herbal one. Madecassoside and asiaticoside are individual compounds from the same plant, and seeing one named is a better sign than seeing the plant named.

Does cica repair the skin barrier?

Not directly. Most cica products contain ceramides, glycerin, panthenol and occlusives, and those repair the barrier. Centella reduces inflammation. Both help, but the barrier ingredients do the heavier job.

Can centella cause an allergy?

Yes, and this is what separates it from other gentle ingredients. Contact allergy is uncommon but well documented, most often to asiaticoside, and shows up more on broken or inflamed skin. Redness and itch building over days is the pattern.

Will it fade my acne scars or stretch marks?

The evidence is weak, and what exists is for standardized medical extracts, not the cosmetic creams sold in the United States. Flat brown marks fade with time and sun protection. Indented scars and established stretch marks need in-office treatment.

Is it safe in pregnancy?

Applied to the skin, very little is expected to be absorbed, but ask the doctor managing your pregnancy. Mention it separately if you also take gotu kola by mouth.

References

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