Centella (Cica): The K-Beauty Hero for Sensitive Skin
If your skin is easily irritated, red or reactive, there’s one ingredient you’ll see again and again in Korean skincare: centella asiatica, often called cica.
What is centella?
Centella asiatica is a herb traditionally used to soothe and support healing. In skincare, its active compounds (madecassoside, asiaticoside and others, collectively known as madecassic actives) are prized for calming irritation and reinforcing the skin barrier.
What it does for your skin
- Calms redness and visible irritation
- Supports a stronger, more resilient skin barrier
- Soothes skin stressed by actives, weather or breakouts
- Lightweight and suitable for most skin types, including sensitive
How to use it
Centella works at almost any step — in a toner, an ampoule or a cream. Use it morning and night as your calming base, especially on days when your skin feels tight or reactive. It pairs beautifully with stronger actives: apply your retinol or exfoliant on alternate days, and lean on cica products to keep skin comfortable in between.
Build a soothing routine
For an easy start, our Soothing Cica set brings together a gentle cleanser, calming toner, centella ampoule and a barrier cream — a complete routine for sensitive skin.