Centella asiatica, commonly known as Gotu Kola, brahmi, Indian pennywort and Asiatic pennywort, is a herbaceous, perennial plant in the flowering plant family Apiaceae. It is native to the wetlands in Asia. It is used as a culinary vegetable and as a medicinal herb
Gotu kola is also known to repair veins on your skin. That’s because it can penetrate into the deep layers, and show its benefits. It is so effective that it is widely used as a treatment for varicose veins, and helps to break down cellulite by shrinking connective tissues that bind fat cells under the skin.
What is Centella Asiatica?
Centella asiatica is a perennial herb that grows primarily in Asia. For years, it’s had both culinary and medicinal uses, but like many traditional plant extracts, it’s gaining popularity as a skin care ingredient.
This swamp-dwelling herb first started appearing in race creams as cica creams
Cica creams became famous because of their soothing benefits, and, in a case of everything old being new again, Western beauty brands are claiming it’s the hot new beauty ingredient.
But, is Centella asiatica worth the hype?
What Can Centella Asiatica Do for Skin?
Studies show that Centella asiatica isn’t just a passing fad—it really does have benefits for skin, thanks to its active compounds, including madecassoside, which serves as an antioxidant. Centella asiatica itself also has been shown to have potent antioxidant properties and to be a rich source of amino acids, and there’s additional research showing that it’s a good hydrating ingredient to soothe upset or compromised skin.
There’s evidence that products with Centella asiatica can help revitalize skin’s protective barrier, plus it may mitigate some of the visible effects of sun damage.
That’s a great list of benefits for one plant ingredient, but just to be clear: Centella asiatica isn’t the best or only natural ingredient that can improve skin. There are literally hundreds of beneficial natural ingredients for skin, as well as outstanding synthetic ingredient.
In fact, it’s somewhat similar to green tea, in that it’s a plant-derived antioxidant with skin-soothing properties that got its start in traditional medicine but now has the hard science to back up its purported benefits.
While many natural ingredients are big on talk, but small on results, research supports many of the claims around Centella asiatica.
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