Centella asiatica (cica) for acne: what it does

Centella asiatica, often shortened to cica, has become one of the most common calming ingredients in skincare, especially in products aimed at sensitive or acne-prone skin. It is a small plant, also called gotu kola, that grows in wet, warm parts of Asia and has a long history in traditional medicine. This guide looks at what the research on its compounds actually shows, the one clinical trial that tested it on acne scars directly, and where it fits next to Skinli's evidence-based plan. It is part of Skinli's guide to how to repair your skin barrier.

Skinli gives general skin care information and is not a doctor. Centella asiatica is not on the AAD, NICE or NHS lists of standard acne treatments, and nothing here should replace a dermatologist's advice for acne that is not improving.

What centella asiatica is

Centella asiatica is a plant in the parsley family. Its leaves and stems contain a group of compounds called triterpenes, and the four studied most in skin research are asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Skincare brands extract these compounds and add them to creams, serums, gels and sheet masks, usually labeled cica, centella asiatica extract, or by one of the compound names on the ingredient list.

No source read for this guide, including the AAD, NICE or the NHS, lists centella asiatica among the standard treatments for acne. It sits in a different category: a supporting ingredient studied mainly for calming skin and supporting wound healing, not for clearing the bacteria or blocked pores that cause pimples.

What the compounds are studied for

A 2022 review of the research on cica in skincare formulations, published in the journal SKINmed, describes asiaticoside and madecassoside as compounds studied for anti-inflammatory activity and for supporting the skin's own collagen production. Collagen is the protein that gives skin its structure and helps wounds close and heal.

The review frames centella asiatica's role as supporting the skin's barrier, the outer layer that keeps water in and irritants out, rather than as an active treatment for a specific skin disease. That framing matches how most centella products are marketed: as a calming addition to a routine, not as a stand-alone medicine.

The one trial on acne scars

The clearest piece of evidence on centella asiatica and acne scars comes from a 2020 trial published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Researchers in Thailand recruited 30 people with facial acne scars who were having laser resurfacing, a procedure that uses a laser to remove damaged surface skin so new skin can grow back smoother.

The trial had a strong design for scar research: split-face, meaning each person's own face served as its own comparison, double-blind, meaning neither the person nor the assessing doctor knew which side got which gel, and placebo-controlled. One half of each face received a 0.05 percent centella asiatica extract gel after the laser session, and the other half received a placebo gel with no active extract. People applied the gel four times a day for the first week, then twice a day for 3 months.

The results favored the centella side on several measures:

• Redness. The centella-treated side had a small but statistically significant drop in redness measured over the full 3-month follow-up.
• Doctor ratings in the first week. Doctors rated the centella side better for redness, crusting and overall wound appearance in the days right after the laser session.

This trial is useful evidence, and it also has a clear limit. It tested centella asiatica as a support for healing after a specific medical procedure, done by a dermatologist. It did not test whether a centella cream fades acne scars that were never treated with a laser, and no other trial read for this guide filled that gap.

What it does not do

Centella asiatica is not a treatment for active, breaking-out acne. It contains no ingredient shown to kill the bacteria involved in inflamed pimples or to unclog pores the way a retinoid does. The 2024 AAD acne guideline strongly recommends benzoyl peroxide and topical retinoids such as adapalene as first treatments for acne, and centella asiatica appears in none of the sources read for this guide as an alternative to either one.

For acne scars broader than the laser-recovery trial above, the AAD's own page on acne scar treatment lists procedures such as lasers, microneedling, chemical peels and fillers as the options with the most evidence, with a retinoid or salicylic acid as the cream options that help mild scarring specifically. Centella asiatica sits outside that list.

Where it can fit in a routine

Centella asiatica products are usually gentle, moisturizer-type formulas, which is why many people use them alongside a retinoid or benzoyl peroxide to offset dryness and irritation. No drug label read for this guide warns against combining a centella product with adapalene, benzoyl peroxide or a retinol. As with adding anything new, introduce one product at a time so you can tell what caused a reaction, and follow the order set out in Skinli's guide to what order to apply your acne products.

For skin that is already irritated, whether from weather, a new treatment or over-exfoliation, a calming product can make a routine easier to keep up with, which matters because consistency is what makes an acne treatment work over the 8 to 12 weeks it typically needs.

Checking a product label

No source read for this guide reports centella asiatica itself as a common cause of new breakouts. Still, a centella product is a finished formula, not a single ingredient, and other ingredients in it can still clog pores or irritate skin. Apply the same check the American Academy of Dermatology recommends for any product: look for wording such as non-comedogenic or oil-free on the label, patch test a new product on a small area first, and stop using anything that causes stinging, burning or new bumps.

Questions the research has not answered

Several common claims about centella asiatica go further than the trial evidence supports. No study read for this guide tested it as a stand-alone treatment for scars with no procedure involved, tested it for safety in pregnancy, or compared it directly against retinoids or vitamin C for fading marks. Treat marketing claims that go beyond calming and supporting healing with some caution until a specific study backs them.

Marketing copy on cica products often uses words like heal, repair or restore without naming a specific study behind those words. The 2022 review in SKINmed describes the compounds studied, not every finished product on a store shelf, and a product's own marketing is not the same thing as a clinical trial. A brand's claim that its cica cream reverses scarring or clears acne is worth checking against an actual source before believing it, since no trial read for this guide backs either claim.

How it compares with other calming ingredients

Centella asiatica is one of several ingredients marketed for calming irritated or acne-prone skin, alongside options such as niacinamide and ceramides. Unlike centella asiatica, niacinamide has its own body of research specific to acne and to fading dark marks, covered in Skinli's guide to niacinamide for acne. Ceramides are studied mainly for supporting the skin's outer barrier rather than for calming inflammation directly. None of these ingredients replace an actual acne treatment, and choosing between them often comes down to what else is in the specific product and how your own skin responds.

When to see a doctor

Centella asiatica, or any calming skincare ingredient, is not a reason to delay medical care for acne that is painful, deep under the skin, or leaving marks that do not fade. See a dermatologist if breakouts are not improving after a few months of a steady routine that includes a proven treatment such as adapalene and benzoyl peroxide, or if scars are affecting your confidence enough that you are considering a procedure like the laser treatment used in the 2020 trial above.