Ingredients Lab: Cica
Skincare ingredients often move from quiet specialist favourites to beauty talking points, and cica is a good example. Known for its comforting properties, this plant-derived ingredient is widely used in formulas designed for dry, sensitive or easily unsettled skin.
So, where does cica come from, what makes it useful, and why has it become such a trusted ingredient in modern skincare?
What Is Cica?
Cica is short for Centella Asiatica, a leafy herb native to parts of Asia and Africa. It has a long history of traditional use and is often associated with skin comfort and recovery.
You may also see it referred to as gotu kola or tiger grass. Today, cica is valued in skincare for helping skin feel calmer, more comfortable and better supported when it is dry, stressed or sensitive.
Why Is Cica Used in Skincare?
Cica naturally contains skin-supporting components including amino acids, fatty acids, beta-carotene and antioxidant compounds. In skincare, it is used for its soothing, moisturising and protective qualities.
It can help:
- Comfort skin that feels dry, tight or unsettled
- Help maintain the skin’s moisture barrier
- Leave the complexion looking calmer and more balanced
- Help protect against the visible effects of environmental stressors
- Support a smoother, more supple-looking finish
This makes it a useful ingredient for skin that needs effective hydration without feeling overloaded.
Is Cica Good for Dry and Sensitive Skin?
Yes. Cica is particularly well suited to dry and sensitive skin because it brings a calming element to moisturising formulas.
Dry skin can often feel rough, tight or less resilient, especially after cleansing, changes in weather or exposure to daily environmental stress. Cica helps support a more comfortable feel, while pairing well with ingredients that replenish moisture and support the skin barrier. For more advice on caring for dry skin, read our blog: How to Reduce: Dry Skin.
For sensitive skin, its appeal lies in its gentle, reassuring profile. It helps create skincare that feels supportive rather than intensive.
Why AMELIORATE Uses Cica in Transforming Facial Cream
AMELIORATE Transforming Facial Cream is designed to hydrate, nourish and smooth the appearance of fine lines while helping skin feel calm, comfortable and protected.
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Alongside cica, the formula contains our unique LaH6 Skin Hydration Complex, Omega Therapy, ceramides and hyaluronic acid to deliver instant and long-lasting hydration. Together, these ingredients help support dry and sensitive skin, leaving it feeling moisturised, supple and more resilient.
Transforming Facial Cream is clinically proven* to significantly increase moisture levels in the skin for up to 12 hours, helping reveal a brighter, more radiant-looking complexion.
*Tested on a panel of 104 people in a 6-week independent consumer trial
The Takeaway
Cica is a plant-derived skincare ingredient known for its soothing and comforting properties. For skin that feels dry, sensitive or easily unsettled, it can help bring a calmer, more supported feel to a daily routine.
Heleayner is an Online Content Editor with over three years' experience in the beauty industry. She has a Batchelor of Arts degree in Beauty Promotion and has interned at a number of media publications including British Vogue, Elle and Stylist. She is obsessed with all things skincare, fragrance and loves being in nature.
