What does Centella Derivatives (Cica) do?#
A targeted serum featuring madecassoside, a purified compound from Centella Asiatica, that helps visibly calm redness and supports a smoother, more comfortable-looking complexion.
Benefits
- Helps reduce the appearance of redness for a visibly calmer complexion
- Supports a comfortable, well-conditioned skin surface
- Promotes a smoother, more even-looking skin tone
How it works
Madecassoside is a purified active compound from Centella Asiatica (CICA). Unlike whole plant extracts, it delivers a concentrated, standardized dose. It helps skin look calmer and more comfortable, promoting a more even, well-hydrated-looking appearance.
How to use Centella Derivatives (Cica)#
Before you start
If you have reacted to fragranced or plant-based skincare before, patch test before first use.
Best time
Either time suits it, or both.
How often
Gentle enough that it needs no building up.
Where it goes
A serum goes on after cleansing and toning, a cream goes on last.
Where to apply
Keep it out of your eyes.
Alongside others
Nothing here needs to be spaced away from a retinoid or an exfoliating acid.
If it doesn't suit
Most people have no settling-in period to work through. If it stings or reddens, stop rather than push through.
Discontinue use if unexpected discomfort occurs.
Forms you will see it in
Madecassoside soothing serum
- Where it goes
- Before moisturizer, morning or evening
- How often
- Daily
- Strength
- Gentle
- Sun sensitivity
- None
Madecassoside soothing cream
- Where it goes
- As your moisturizer, morning or evening
- How often
- Daily
- Strength
- Gentle
- Sun sensitivity
- None
Using Centella Derivatives (Cica) with other ingredients
Pairs well with Centella Derivatives (Cica)
Niacinamide
Works well togetherComplementary calming approaches for a visibly soothed complexion.
Panthenol (B5)
Works well togetherBoth promote a comfortable, healthier-looking complexion.
What not to use with Centella Derivatives (Cica)
Nothing flagged. None of the ingredients this wiki covers needs to be kept apart from Centella Derivatives (Cica) — check the label of anything not covered here.
Who should avoid Centella Derivatives (Cica)?#
Six situations change whether Centella Derivatives (Cica) suits your skin right now. Each one is either a reason to skip it, a reason to go slowly, or nothing to watch for.
- Maternity & Nursing
- Go slowly
- Dry or Itchy Patches
- Go slowly
- Fragile or Sensitive
- No caution
- Recent Facial or Laser
- No caution
- Prone to Redness
- No caution
- Recent Shave or Wax
- No caution
Maternity & Nursing — If you are pregnant or nursing, you may prefer to check with your healthcare provider before use.
Dry or Itchy Patches — Keep the rest of your routine well moisturized, and use it less often — or stop — if you notice tightness or itching.
Cosmetic strength limits for Centella Derivatives (Cica) where you live#
| Region | Most a cosmetic may contain | |
|---|---|---|
 United States | No explicit cap | |
The FDA restricts a short list of ingredients and sets no general strength ceiling on the rest. A figure marked "guidance, not law" is the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel's recommendation. 21 CFR part 700, subpart B — Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products (FDA) | ||
 Canada | No explicit cap | |
One list does the work — Health Canada's Hotlist of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients. | ||
 European Union | No explicit cap | |
The Cosmetics Regulation's annexes, consolidated to 1 May 2026. A figure marked "guidance, not law" comes from the EU's cosmetic safety committee rather than from the annexes. | ||
 Great Britain | No explicit cap | |
Great Britain kept the annexes as its own law and updates them only when it chooses; Northern Ireland follows the live EU Regulation, which is why some rows read differently for each. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as it applies in Great Britain · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 India | No explicit cap | |
India writes its own standard, aligned to the European rules as they stood in 2012. Mandatory since 9 February 2026. IS 4707 (Part 2):2025 — restricted and prohibited cosmetic ingredients · IS 4707 (Part 3):2025 — preservatives · Cosmetics Rules, 2020, Ninth Schedule | ||
 Brazil | No explicit cap | |
ANVISA rewrote its restricted list in June 2026, and a companion act amended the prohibited list at the same time. RDC 1.029/2026 — restricted ingredients · RDC 529/2021 — prohibited ingredients, as amended by RDC 1.030/2026 · RDC 528/2021 — preservatives | ||
 Japan | No explicit cap | |
Japan's cosmetics standard keeps drug ingredients out of cosmetics, so most of its figures sit in the ministry's list of the ones a cosmetic may still contain. Cosmetics Standards (化粧品基準), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Cosmetics Standards — the ministry's own English translation · Drug ingredients permitted in cosmetics — 2007 notification | ||
 South Korea | No explicit cap | |
One MFDS regulation carries both the prohibited list and the restricted list, in force 18 March 2026. Sunscreens and a few other categories are cleared product by product instead. Regulation on Safety Standards for Cosmetics (MFDS Notification 2026-19) · Regulation on the Review of Functional Cosmetics (MFDS Notification 2025-88) | ||
 Kenya | No explicit cap | |
Kenya's standard applies the EU annexes as they stand rather than copying them, so its ingredient limits are the EU's — including the 2024 additions. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. KS EAS 377-1, -2 and -3:2022 — cosmetics safety requirements, published by KEBS · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 Namibia | No explicit cap | |
Namibia sets no ingredient limits at all. Its cosmetic rule is a single line requiring a product to be free of any harmful ingredient. Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Ordinance 18 of 1979, and the regulations under it | ||
 Ukraine | No explicit cap | |
Ukraine's own transposition of the EU annexes, as they stood before the 2024 additions, fully in force since 3 August 2026. A further revision is due on 1 February 2027. Technical Regulation on cosmetic products — Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 20 January 2021 | ||
 Georgia | No explicit cap | |
Georgia has no cosmetics rulebook — its register of technical regulations carries no cosmetics entry — so only the general product-safety duty applies. | ||
 Australia | No explicit cap | |
Australia writes no cosmetic ingredient list. A figure here is the point at which a substance becomes a medicine or a scheduled substance carrying Caution labeling, so its numbers sit well above other markets'. Poisons Standard — June 2026 · Therapeutic Goods (Excluded Goods) Determination 2018 | ||
 United Arab Emirates | No explicit cap | |
The Gulf standard points at the EU annexes as amended, so its ingredient limits are the EU's. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. GSO 1943:2024 — Cosmetic products: safety requirements (Gulf technical regulation) · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 Kuwait | No explicit cap | |
The Gulf standard points at the EU annexes as amended, so its ingredient limits are the EU's. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. GSO 1943:2024 — Cosmetic products: safety requirements (Gulf technical regulation) · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI | ||
 Hong Kong | No explicit cap | |
Hong Kong writes no cosmetics rulebook. Its Poisons List (Cap. 138A, Schedule 10) decides which substances may be sold only as medicines, and general safety is judged case by case against whichever overseas standard the enforcer considers reasonable. Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A), Schedule 10 — the poisons list · Pharmacy and Poisons Board — Guidance Notes on classifying pharmaceutical products, April 2026 | ||
 Singapore | No explicit cap | |
Singapore writes the ASEAN annexes into its own schedule, and its regulator tells companies to check the current ASEAN release as well — which is why a figure here can read "guidance, not law". Health Products (Cosmetic Products — ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations 2007, Third Schedule · ASEAN Cosmetic Directive annexes — release 2026-1, 22 June 2026 | ||
 Brunei | No explicit cap | |
Brunei carries the 2007 ASEAN annexes in its own schedule and has not updated them since, so it reads differently from Singapore on several ingredients. Medicines (Cosmetic Products) Regulations (Cap. 285 Rg 1), Schedule 1 — revised edition 2024 | ||
 Jordan | No explicit cap | |
Jordan's cosmetic rules defer to "the approved references" and name none of them, so there is no Jordanian figure to read. The only number in the instrument governs the ingredient list on the pack. JFDA instructions on cosmetics and pharmaceutical cosmetics, 2026 | ||
 Trinidad & Tobago | No explicit cap | |
Trinidad and Tobago has had the power to set cosmetic standards since 1960 and has never used it. The regulations made under the Act cover food and drugs, with no cosmetics part; what binds is the Act's general rule against selling a cosmetic that may injure the user. Food and Drugs Act, Chap. 30:01 · Food and Drugs Regulations | ||
No cosmetic regulator in the 20 markets above sets a maximum strength for centella derivatives (cica). That is the state of the rules, not a signal to use more: how much goes into a product is the formulator's decision.
Open a market to see the rulebook its figure comes from. Those notes describe each market's own rules as we read them, current to August 24, 2026; the linked documents are the authority, and nothing here is legal advice.
Sample products with Centella Derivatives (Cica)#
A few well-known products, not a full list — product names are each brand's own. We don't sell them — the shop prices them in US dollars and ships from Hong Kong, so delivery and duties come on top. It may not ship everywhere.
We may earn a small commission when you buy through these links.
Serums · 3
Moisturizers · 5
SKIN1004Madagascar Centella Teca Cream - 75ml$12.00Also on YesStyle
SKIN1004Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Teca Firming Cream - 50ml$13.28Also on Stylevana
A'PIEUMadecassoside Tetrasome Cica Cream - 120ml$18.40
A'PIEUMadecassoside Cica Gel 2X - 50ml$19.80
make p:remInteca Soothing Cream - 80ml$28.00Also on YesStyleAlready have one? Check how it fits your skin with Pick.
Common questions about Centella Derivatives (Cica)#
What is Centella Derivatives (Cica)?
- Soothing molecules purified out of the centella plant — madecassoside and its relatives — used to calm the look of redness in skin that has had a rough time.
What else is Centella Derivatives (Cica) called?
- On a label you may see Cica, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic acid, Madecassic acid and Centella.
When should you apply Centella Derivatives (Cica)?
- Morning or evening. Either time suits it, or both.
Which form of Centella Derivatives (Cica) should you use?
- Madecassoside soothing serum — before moisturizer, morning or evening, daily. Madecassoside soothing cream — as your moisturizer, morning or evening, daily.
How often can you use Centella Derivatives (Cica)?
- Daily.
Where do you apply Centella Derivatives (Cica)?
- All over the face. Keep it away from your eyes and lips.
Can you use Centella Derivatives (Cica) around the eyes?
- Yes. Centella Derivatives (Cica) goes all over the face, the skin around the eyes included — keep it out of your eyes and off your lips.
Does Centella Derivatives (Cica) make skin more sensitive to the sun?
- No. Centella Derivatives (Cica) is not flagged as increasing sun sensitivity.
What should you not use with Centella Derivatives (Cica)?
- Nothing flagged. None of the ingredients this wiki covers needs to be kept apart from Centella Derivatives (Cica) — check the label of anything not covered here.
Who should avoid Centella Derivatives (Cica)?
- Go slowly with Maternity & Nursing and Dry or Itchy Patches.
Is there a cosmetic limit for Centella Derivatives (Cica)?
- No. No cosmetic regulator in the United States, Canada, the European Union or Great Britain sets a maximum strength for it. That is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more.
Related ingredients#
How we check this#
Everything on this page traces to the sources listed below — regulators' own publications and published studies. Where the evidence does not answer a question, it is left unanswered.
Our review is AI-assisted and is not a named expert's opinion. Last reviewed August 7, 2026.
Think something here is out of date or wrong? Email us at wiki@skinintelligence.ai with your reasoning and where you read it. We read what people send, and we update the page when the sources support it.
Regulators and official bodies · 8
- S1EMA Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. European Union herbal monograph on Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., herba, Revision 1. EMA/HMPC/489142/2020, 30 March 2022.
- S2EMA Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Assessment report on Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., herba, Revision 1. EMA/HMPC/489140/2020, 30 March 2022.
- S3AEMPS. Ficha técnica — Blastoestimulina 20 mg/g polvo cutáneo (nº registro 35908), Almirall S.A. CIMA. The titrated preparation: 7.2–8 mg asiaticoside/g + 8.6–12 mg triterpene genins/g, DER 21.3:1..
- S4AEMPS. Ficha técnica — Blastoestimulina 10 mg/g pomada (nº registro 86442), Almirall S.A. CIMA.
- S5Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Safety Assessment of Centella asiatica-derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics, Final Report, 10 July 2015. Report prepared by Wilbur Johnson Jr. Covers nine extract/cell-culture ingredients only — not the isolated triterpenes..
- S18Health Canada. Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist: Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients. Retrieved 2026-08-03 — zero matches for centella / asiaticoside / madecassoside.
- S19Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II, III, IV, V and VI, as retained in Great Britain (legislation.gov.uk). Retrieved 2026-08-03 — zero matches for centella / asiaticoside / madecassoside / Hydrocotyle across all five annexes.
- S2021 CFR Part 700 (General), Subparts A–B, full text retrieved from eCFR 2026-08-03 — zero matches for centella / asiaticoside / madecassoside.
Studies and references · 21
- S6Johnson W Jr, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD, Liebler DC, Marks JG Jr, Shank RC, Slaga TJ, Snyder PW, Gill LJ, Heldreth B. Safety Assessment of Centella asiatica-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. Int J Toxicol 2023 Jun;42(1_suppl):5S-22S. PMID 36812692. DOI 10.1177/10915818231158272.
- S7Hausen BM. Centella asiatica (Indian pennywort), an effective therapeutic but a weak sensitizer. Contact Dermatitis 1993 Oct;29(4):175-9. PMID 8281778.
- S8Eun HC, Lee AY. Contact dermatitis due to madecassol. Contact Dermatitis 1985 Nov;13(5):310-3. PMID 2936544.
- S9Gomes J, Pereira T, Vilarinho C, Duarte Mda L, Brito C. Contact dermatitis due to Centella asiatica. Contact Dermatitis 2010 Jan;62(1):54-5. PMID 20136880.
- S10Corazza M, Borghi A, Gallo R, Schena D, Pigatto P, Lauriola MM, Guarneri F, Stingeni L, Vincenzi C, Foti C, Virgili A. Topical botanically derived products: use, skin reactions, and usefulness of patch tests. A multicentre Italian study. Contact Dermatitis 2014 Feb;70(2):90-7. PMID 23909860.
- S11Lee J, Jung E, Lee H, Seo Y, Koh J, Park D. Evaluation of the effects of a preparation containing asiaticoside on periocular wrinkles of human volunteers. Int J Cosmet Sci 2008 Jun;30(3):167-73. PMID 18452433. Asiaticoside concentration is not stated in the retrievable record..
- S12Haftek M, Mac-Mary S, Le Bitoux MA, Creidi P, Seité S, Rougier A, Humbert P. Clinical, biometric and structural evaluation of the long-term effects of a topical treatment with ascorbic acid and madecassoside in photoaged human skin. Exp Dermatol 2008 Nov;17(11):946-52. PMID 18503551. Combination arm (5% vitamin C + 0.1% madecassoside); no madecassoside-alone arm reported..
- S13Damkerngsuntorn W, Rerknimitr P, Panchaprateep R, Tangkijngamvong N, Kumtornrut C, Kerr SJ, Asawanonda P, Tantisira MH, Khemawoot P. The Effects of a Standardized Extract of Centella asiatica on Postlaser Resurfacing Wound Healing on the Face: A Split-Face, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med 2020 Jun;26(6):529-536. PMID 32310680.
- S14Lueangarun S, Srituravanit A, Tempark T. Efficacy and safety of moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese versus 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream… J Cosmet Dermatol 2019 Dec;18(6):1751-1757. PMID 30945430.
- S15Kongkaew C, Meesomperm P, Scholfield CN, Chaiwiang N, Waranuch N. Efficacy and Safety of Centella Asiatica (L.) Urb. on Wrinkles: A Systematic Review of Published Data and Network Meta-Analysis. J Cosmet Sci 2020 Nov-Dec;71(6):439-454. PMID 33413787.
- S16Amici JM, Le Dantec G, Demessant AL, Queille-Roussel C, Babled MP, Cathelineau AC, Danoy A, Trevisan S, Haedersdal M. A Dermocosmetic Balm Containing Vitamin B5, Madecassoside, and a Prebiotic Complex Significantly Improves Post Fractionated CO2 Laser Downtime Versus a Repairing Skin Care… J Cosmet Dermatol 2025 Jan;24(1):e16610. PMID 39361947.
- S17Özkaya E, Toprak İD. Allergic contact dermatitis from Centella asiatica extract and fragrance allergens: Report of two patients from Turkey. Contact Dermatitis 2024 Jul;91(1):85-87. PMID 38567908.
- S21Bandopadhyay S, Mandal S, Ghorai M, Jha NK, Kumar M, Radha, Ghosh A, Proćków J, Pérez de la Lastra JM, Dey A. Therapeutic properties and pharmacological activities of asiaticoside and madecassoside: A review. J Cell Mol Med 2023 Mar;27(5):593-608. PMID 36756687.
- S22Paolino D, Cosco D, Cilurzo F, Trapasso E, Morittu VM, Celia C, Fresta M. Improved in vitro and in vivo collagen biosynthesis by asiaticoside-loaded ultradeformable vesicles. J Control Release 2012 Aug 20;162(1):143-51. PMID 22698941.
- S23da Rocha PBR, Souza BDS, Andrade LM, Marreto RN, Lima EM, Taveira SF. Development of a High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method for Asiaticoside Quantification in Different Skin Layers after Topical Application of a Centella asiatica Extract. Planta Med 2017 Dec;83(18):1431-1437. PMID 28651288.
- S24Oh CS, Lee JY. Contact allergy to various ingredients of topical medicaments. Contact Dermatitis 2003 Jul;49(1):49-50. PMID 14641130.
- S25Santucci B, Picardo M, Cristaudo A. Contact dermatitis due to Centelase. Contact Dermatitis 1985 Jul;13(1):39. PMID 2931243. — and Vena GA, Angelini G. Contact allergy to Centelase. Contact Dermatitis 1986 Aug;15(2):108-9. PMID 2946520.
- S26Wang L, Zhang Y, Chen L, Yuan D, Feng X, Zheng J, Li X, Yuan C. A two-center randomized controlled trial of a repairing mask as an adjunctive treatment for mild to moderate rosacea. J Cosmet Dermatol 2024 Oct;23(10):3281-3286. PMID 38831627. Whole-extract branded mask — evidence for code 2.3, cited here only to mark the boundary..
- S27Sun J, Zhang D, Wang D, Li S, Lu Y, Ren L, Wang S, Liu Y, Zhang Z, Han S, Wan H, Wu Y, Lu Q, Huang Y, Li N, Oto T, Ye L, Li D, Jiang N. Madecassoside-functionalized platinum-based liposomes for sensitive skin… Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2026 Mar;259:115299. PMID 41273894. In vitro and molecular-docking only — not tolerability evidence..
- S28Su Z, Zheng Y, Yi J, Lai W, Ye C. The Effectiveness and Safety of a Skin Care Product With Centella asiatica Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, and Panthenol in Subjects With Sensitive Skin: A Prospective, Observational Study. J Cosmet Dermatol 2025 Jul;24(7):e70324. PMID 40682399. Leaf extract — code 2.3..
- S29Guo Y, Yang X, Tang L, Liang T, Xiao R, Liu Q. Validation of Madecassoside Synergy Significantly Enhanced Cryptotanshinone's Therapeutic Efficacy Against Acne Vulgaris. Bioengineering (Basel) 2025 Aug 29;12(9). PMID 41007180. In vitro, zebrafish and rat models only..
