Centella: the herb behind every cica label

Centella asiatica is a creeping herb with a longer medical career than most serums. Korean brands shortened it to cica, which is easier to print on a pastel tube. The plant contains triterpenes that labs can standardise. A whole-leaf tea and a measured madecassoside serum are not the same product. The label often pretends they are.

What it is actually for

Barrier support and the look of redness. Not a retinoid. Not a spot treatment, though Mixsoon Centella Cleansing Foam is a perfectly decent morning wash. Geek and Gorgeous Stress Less uses the plant as a supporting actor next to beta-glucan, which is the more honest formulation.

If the front of the bottle says cica and the INCI buries the extract under fragrance, you have bought a color story.

How to shop it

Look for the INCI near the top, or a named fraction such as madecassoside. Haruharu and Mixsoon keep lists short enough that you can see the plant. Anua is a heartleaf brand, not a centella brand. If your barrier is truly loud, Curel ceramides will do more than another watery cica toner.

Cautions are boring and real. Apiaceae sensitivity exists. Patch-test if carrots and celery already pick fights with you. Centella will not replace a prescribed steroid, and it will not undo a week of daily high-strength niacinamide plus a new retinal.