A huge trend "CICA"
A huge trend in Korea, Centella Asiatica-based “cica” products are absolutely everywhere at the moment. Today, let’s focus on this ingredient adored by sensitive skins.
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In France in 2017, two out of three women reported having sensitive skin. You can find similar reports in the rest of the world: the number of people experiencing symptoms of sensitive skin (redness, burning sensations, tingling, etc.) has been constantly increasing in recent years.
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In 2016, a study in the UK showed that nearly a third of consumers aged 16 to 25 considered themselves to have a sensitive skin. In 2017, another study revealed that up to half of American women also claimed to have sensitive skin and were looking for safer and softer cosmetic products. Finally, one-third of the skincare products launched in South Korea in 2017 were for sensitive skin, demonstrating a significant increase in demand in this market.
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This is mostly due to the pollution (particularly the one caused by fine dust, which is particularly devastating for the skin), an increasingly stressful lifestyle and the use of cosmetic ingredients that are certainly very effective but can be too harsh for some skin types (acids, retinol, etc.).
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Consequence: the cosmetic ingredients able to soothe sensitive skins are booming! And especially ancient herbal formulas used in traditional Asian medicines to soothe and heal wounds, which are also very effective on sensitive skins.
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And among these rediscovered natural extracts, Centella Asiatica is undoubtedly the most popular ingredient at the moment for sensitive skin!
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Centella Asiatica (or Gotu Kola) is a plant found mainly in tropical and subtropical countries such as Madagascar, South Africa, Indonesia, but also in India, China, and the Korean peninsula. It’s also called Tiger grass because these big cats roll spontaneously in it to heal when they have wounds or itches.
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Centella Asiatica is part of the botanical family of Apiaceae. In cosmetics’ formulas, it’s mainly its leaves and stems that are used.
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Used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 2,000 years for its regenerative and healing properties, Centella Asiatica is known to heal wounds and soothe skin lesions. In Asia, there are many legends about the healing properties of Centella Asiatica.
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The “cica” products could take their name from their high concentration in Centella Asiatica. It could be a word created with Centella’s “c” and Asiatica’s “-ica”.
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In cosmetics, it is mainly the leaves and the stems of Centella Asiatica that are used. These contain two families of ingredients with known benefits for the skin:
– saponins: madecassoside and asiaticoside,
-- triterpenes: asiatic acid and madecassic acide.
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All these components have healing, antibacterial, regenerative and antioxidant properties. In addition, they also have the ability to increase collagen production and they strengthen the skin barrier. Centella Asiatica is therefore an effective repairing and anti-aging ingredient to prevent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
