Quick answer
Centella Asiatica (cica) is the K-beauty hero for redness, sensitivity and acne irritation. Here is what it does and how to use it.
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Shop soothing & redness products →Centella Asiatica — known as cica, “tiger grass,” or by its actives madecassoside/asiaticoside — is the calming ingredient behind half of K-beauty’s soothing range. If your skin is red, reactive, or recovering, this is for you.
What it does
- Calms redness and irritation.
- Soothes a damaged or sensitive skin barrier.
- Supports healing of post-acne marks and minor irritation.
- Gentle antioxidant support.
Who needs it
Sensitive and reactive skin, acne-irritated skin, post-procedure redness, and anyone using strong actives (retinol/acids) who needs to calm things down. It’s gentle enough for almost everyone — including most pregnancy routines (always confirm with your doctor).
How to use it
- Use AM and/or PM — cica toners, serums, creams and “pair” balms.
- It layers well with everything, and is the perfect partner to buffer BHA or retinol irritation.
- Great as a barrier-recovery step alongside ceramides.
No real conflicts
Cica is one of the safest, most universally compatible ingredients — no conflicts to worry about. (See layering order.)
Buy authentic cica products
Popular K-beauty cica products (COSRX, SKIN1004, Anua) are heavily counterfeited. At TheSkinProof, every cica product is invoice-verified and batch-checked, with a 2× money-back guarantee. Browse authentic cica products.