Exploring the wilderness with the tiger herb
The legend begins in a small village where unsuspecting villagers observed injured tigers rolling in tiger grass to soothe their cuts and scrapes. The villagers quickly grabbed a handful of the plant to find out what they were missing.
Fast forward to today, when centella asiatica is well-researched and incorporated into skincare for its incredible healing properties - but what makes this legendary ingredient so desirable? Let’s talk about it!
Exploring its roots
Centella asiatica has many names. In addition to “tiger grass”, you may have heard it called Gotu Kola, Asiatic pennywort, or pegaga. It wouldn’t be strange to find it as a delicious addition to dishes and drinks across many Southeast Asian cuisines, nor would it be to see it used in traditional medicine to treat minor wounds.
The Healing Herb
In skincare, it is the healing and soothing properties of centella asiatica that first come to mind. This is why it is often used in products formulated for sensitive skin. For example, INNISFREE’s Bija Cica Balm EX takes advantage of the ingredient’s soothing properties to help care for troubled skin more effectively.
Centella asiatica’s healing powers are what allow it to deliver favourable results when closing up the odd pimple or helping to treat active acne. Thanks to the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory madecassoside (the active ingredient in centella asiatica), it can help calm the skin, while also hydrating and helping to maintain a healthy moisture barrier.
Cica can also help make products more friendly for acne-prone and sensitive skin! The Mild Cica-Sunscreen Tone-up means your sun care can, in addition to protecting you from harmful UV rays, also moisturize and soothe your skin.
Centella Synergy
You can also find cica in INNISFREE’s Retinol Cica Repair Ampoule - a product formulated to help you achieve smooth, peeled-egg skin. As you may be well aware, retinol is one of those ingredients with a bad-boy reputation. We’ve all heard about the dreaded retinol purge or even just breakouts and negative reactions to the ingredient.
But the Retinol Cica repair ampoule is built different. Not only is it formulated with a very small percentage of the vitamin A ingredient, it is also formulated with Jeju Cica-Liposomlogy™ - a patented formulation which contains, you guessed it, centella asiatica! Thanks to this combination, most folks can enjoy the skin retexturization of the product without a care in the world - no matter their skin condition!
Thanks to the tigers
And while the legend may be just that, the calming and anti-inflammatory properties of centella asiatica, or cica, are very much a real thing. So if you’re on the prowl for a product that can soothe your sores and heal your hurt - cica is a safe place to start.
Though of course I’d always encourage doing a patch test before committing to a product. We all have different skincare needs and skincare goals - so keep checking in with yourself to make sure you’re getting your desired results.
Happy hunting!