The Benefits of Centella Asiatica for Skin.

Native to Asia and Oceania, Centella asiatica is a creeping, semiaquatic herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family. It grows mainly in swampy areas of tropical or subtropical countries. It can be found today in several Asian countries like India and China as well as in Africa, mainly in Madagascar and South Africa.

Also called tiger grass, the medicinal properties of this plant have been recognized for more than 2,000 years. The Asian populations used  Centella asiatica for skin wound healing and more particularly to treat the cutaneous manifestations of leprosy. 

In cosmetics, the use of this plant in the form of powder or vegetable oil is quite recent, at the beginning of the 70s. Centella asiatica extract is a rich source of natural bioactive substances: saponins, triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenic steroids, amino acids, sugars… Today, it is possible to find this plant active ingredient in certain care products intended for dull skin or to prevent skin aging, such as serums and creams.

It is also used in healing and repairing treatments to reduce the appearance of skin marks and stretch marks. Finally, it is found in eye contour creams to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.

The phenolic compounds present in the leaves, roots, and petioles give Centella asiatica powerful antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radicals. These are generated by several factors such as UVA, pollution, cigarette smoke, excessive alcohol consumption, stress… They are molecules that are missing an electron. Highly reactive because they are highly unstable, free radicals tend to react with the body's healthy molecules, damaging cells and tissues.

This process, known as “oxidative stress”, accelerates skin aging and therefore the appearance of wrinkles and pigmentation spots. The phenolic compounds present in Centella asiatica neutralize the action of free radicals by giving up an electron to make these molecules stable and less reactive. Thus, this plant active ingredient delays skin aging and protects the skin from external aggressions.