Ingredient Spotlight: Centella Asiatica Extract Part of the NaturaLip™ ingredient series — exploring the botanicals and biomolecules that define our formulation standard

At First Dose Cosmetics, every ingredient in NaturaLip™ is selected against the strictest standard cosmetic science can offer: clinical evidence. Centella Asiatica is one of the few botanical extracts that meets it. Among natural ingredients in modern skincare, Centella has one of the deepest profiles of peer-reviewed research — and one of the most chemically defined active fractions in the entire botanical category.

Here's why Centella Asiatica earns its place.

The Ingredient

Centella Asiatica is a small, low-growing perennial plant in the Apiaceae family, native to the wetlands of Asia, India, and parts of Africa. It has been used in topical and traditional preparations for over two thousand years across Ayurvedic, traditional Chinese, and Southeast Asian medicinal traditions — and in modern cosmetic dermatology, it has emerged as one of the most clinically examined botanical extracts in the literature.¹ ²

In skincare formulation, Centella appears under the INCI designation Centella Asiatica Extract and has been the subject of formal cosmetic ingredient safety review by the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety.² The ingredient is sometimes referred to in cosmetic marketing as "cica" — a shorthand derived from the active compound madecassoside.

Where It Comes From

Centella grows wild across the tropical wetlands and rice paddies of South and Southeast Asia. The aerial parts of the plant — the leaves and stems — are harvested for cosmetic extraction, and the active compounds are isolated through controlled processes that preserve the plant's distinctive triterpene chemistry.

Centella's documented use in skincare is exceptionally long. The plant appears in Ayurvedic texts under the name gotu kola, in traditional Chinese medicine, and in Indonesian herbal preparations — all of which valued the leaf for topical application across centuries of continuous use.¹ Modern cosmetic dermatology has built on that history with formal chemical characterization and clinical study of the plant's active fraction.

The Active Compounds

What distinguishes Centella from most botanical extracts is the degree to which its active chemistry has been isolated and studied. The literature centers on four pentacyclic triterpenes:

  • Madecassoside — the most extensively studied of the four; the active most commonly featured in modern "cica" cosmetic formulations³ ⁴
  • Asiaticoside — a closely related triterpene glycoside studied alongside madecassoside in topical formulation research³
  • Asiatic acid — a triterpene aglycone naturally present in the extract
  • Madecassic acid — the fourth member of the active fraction

These four compounds, often referred to collectively as TECA (Titrated Extract of Centella Asiatica), are the basis for Centella's reputation as one of the most chemically defined botanical extracts in the cosmetic literature.² Madecassoside in particular has been examined in topical formulation studies for its role in skin barrier-related research.⁴ ⁵Centella Asiatica, visualized. The triterpenoid compounds — madecassoside and asiaticoside — among the most chemically defined botanical actives in modern cosmetic science.

Why It's in NaturaLip™

Modern cosmetic dermatology recognizes a small number of botanicals as carrying genuine clinical credibility — ingredients where the chemistry has been isolated, the actives have been characterized, and the topical formulation literature is substantive rather than speculative. Centella Asiatica is one of them.

For NaturaLip™, Centella contributes two things at once. It introduces a chemically defined triterpene fraction that has been the focus of peer-reviewed research in cosmetic dermatology for decades.² ³ And it grounds the formulation in an ingredient with one of the longest continuous histories of topical skincare use across cultures — from ancient Ayurvedic preparations to contemporary cosmetic chemistry.¹

When injectors and dermatologists evaluate a post-enhancement formulation, Centella on the INCI list signals seriousness. It is not a trend ingredient. It is one of the most clinically credentialed botanicals in cosmetic science, and any formulation engineered for the post-enhancement category earns credibility by including it.

NaturaLip™ includes Centella Asiatica Extract because the standard demands it.

What This Means for Post-Enhancement Care

The 72-hour window following a lip filler procedure is when ingredient credibility matters most. Patients are paying attention to what is being applied to their lips, and injectors are paying attention to what is on the INCI list. The formulation has to hold up to both.

Centella Asiatica's inclusion in NaturaLip™ anchors the formulation in one of the most clinically studied botanicals in modern cosmetic dermatology. It is the ingredient that confirms — to anyone reading the label closely — that this product was engineered against a clinical standard, not a marketing one.

The treatment isn't complete until the protocol is.

References

  1. Topical Application of Centella asiatica in Wound Healing: Recent Insights into Mechanisms and Clinical Efficacy. Pharmaceutics. 2024.
  2. Johnson W, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, et al. Safety Assessment of Centella asiatica-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology. 2023.
  3. Bandopadhyay S, Mandal S, Ghorai M, et al. Therapeutic properties and pharmacological activities of asiaticoside and madecassoside: a review. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. 2023;27(5):593–608.
  4. Controlled Release of Madecassoside and Asiaticoside of Centella asiatica L. Origin from Sustainable Cold-Processed Topical Formulations. Molecules. 2024;29(23):5583.
  5. The Effectiveness and Safety of a Skin Care Product With Centella asiatica Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, and Panthenol in Subjects With Sensitive Skin. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2025.
  6. Ratz-Łyko A, Arct J, Pytkowska K. Moisturizing and antiinflammatory properties of cosmetic formulations containing Centella asiatica extract. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2016;78(1):27.

Part of the NaturaLip™ ingredient series. Full formulation details and ingredient documentation available upon request for medspa partners.

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