What does centella do for skin?

What is centella?

Centella asiatica is a medicinal plant used traditionally in Asian and Ayurvedic medicine for wound healing and skin disorders. Its active compounds include asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Laboratory and animal research links these compounds with antioxidant activity, reduced inflammation and increased collagen production. Collagen is part of the skin's supporting structure.2

You may see centella called cica, tiger grass or gotu kola. Centella appears in everything from toners to sheet masks and sunscreens, because skincare rarely stops at one format.1

What benefits can you expect?

Hydration and comfort are the clearest practical reasons to consider centella. Centella extract has moisturizing, antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. A better functioning skin barrier helps hold water in, rather than letting it escape through the skin. That water loss is called transepidermal water loss, or TEWL.3

In a four week evaluation, 88 Chinese women with sensitive skin used a facial cream containing centella leaf extract, ceramide NP and panthenol. Irritation, tightness, itching and redness improved. Average sensitivity scores fell by 66% at two weeks and 76% at four weeks. Skin hydration increased at every assessment, beginning on Day 2, while water loss decreased at weeks one and two.3

Those results concern the combined cream: ceramide NP supports water retention and barrier integrity, while panthenol improves hydration and reduces inflammation. Choose a complete moisturizing formula rather than treating the word centella as the whole decision. A botanical name on the front cannot do the rest of the formula's job.3

Does centella reduce wrinkles or scars?

Centella's active compounds stimulate collagen production, but visible improvements in sun related aging, scars and cellulite remain uncertain. Centella can make skin look more hydrated and plumper. It also has a potential supporting role in wound and burn healing alongside other care, rather than replacing treatment.1

Are centella supplements the same as skincare?

Oral centella and topical centella are different approaches. In a trial of 112 middle aged Korean women, participants received either 200 mg of centella extract daily or a placebo for 12 weeks. The centella group had improvements in several wrinkle measurements compared with their starting measurements, including an 11.1% decrease in average wrinkle depth. Water loss also decreased.2

Changes in hydration, elasticity and brightness were small: 2.7%, 0.7% and 0.7%, respectively. No serious adverse events were reported during the 12 weeks. Longer term benefits and safety, and results in other populations, remain unsettled. These supplement results are not an expected timeline or wrinkle reduction for a centella cream.2

How should you use centella?

1. 1Choose a cream, serum or lotion that stays on the skin.
2. 2Test the product on your inner arm and wait at least 24 hours before applying it to your face.
3. 3Follow that product's directions for application, frequency and morning or evening use. Centella does not have one universal strength or schedule.

Who should be careful?

Most people tolerate topical centella, but rare allergies can cause burning or contact dermatitis, an inflamed skin reaction. Stop using a product that causes these symptoms and seek medical advice. Ask a dermatology healthcare provider before using centella if you are under 18, pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a history of liver problems or skin cancer.1