Common Name(s): Centella asiatica root extract,centella asiatica root extract,cica triterpenoid active,wound healing anti-inflammatory
CAS Number: N/a
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Accelerates wound healing through asiaticoside-mediated collagen type i upregulation, provides anti-inflammatory activity from madecassoside nf-kb inhibition, and restores skin barrier function from triterpenoid-mediated ceramide synthesis support.
Why It's Used: Centella asiatica is the reference k-beauty sensitive skin active โ the cica brand positioning built on decades of clinical wound healing evidence for the four core triterpenoid saponins across hundreds of formulations.
How It Works: Asiaticoside โ hydrolysis โ asiatic acid + glucose; asiatic acid โ tgf-ฮฒ1 signalling โ smad2/3 โ col1a1 upregulation (wound healing). madecassoside โ iฮบb kinase inhibition โ nf-ฮบb blockade โ tnf-ฮฑ/il-1ฮฒ reduction (anti-inflammatory). combined: wound healing + anti-inflammatory = the definitive cica skin barrier restoration mechanism.
Typically Found In: K-beauty cica,sensitive skin,wound healing,barrier repair
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ antioxidant
Secondary Functions: Free radical scavenging,anti-aging
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ5%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Plant-derived extract or synthetic.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating; well-tolerated.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Vitamin c,vitamin e,ferulic acid,spf,other antioxidants
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Cica extract standardisation: extract quality requires minimum 2% combined asiaticoside + madecassoside + asiatic acid + madecassic acid content โ below this, the anti-inflammatory and wound healing evidence base may not translate. active marker quantification by hplc is the quality standard.
Last Verified: 2026-03-22
Primary Sources: Cosing database,centella asiatica cica triterpenoid wound healing review