|
This herb has an interesting history, and has been used in herbal medicine for ages, yet Centella is a relative newcomer to skin care cosmetics. It is an excellent ingredient to include in skin care creams and lotions, as it has a pronounced effect on the health of the skin.
Summing up the benefits of Centella asiatica is difficult, as there are so many, but in short it is wonderful when used to boost circulation, improve the collagen foundation of the skin, and fight oxidation - thereby making it a superb ingredient for anti-ageing skin care products as well as improving skin firmness and elasticity.
On this page
Apart from the beauty use of Centella asiatica, it is also of great help when used on post-operation and trauma scars, as it promotes healing, yet helps to prevent the formation of excess scar tissue.
Its historic use was in the healing of leprosy wounds, as well as ulcerated skin, wounds, burns and ulcers. Research has shown that asiaticoside can also help provide treatment for leprosy and skin tuberculosis, as the bacteria are coated in a wax-like substance that the body's immune system can not penetrate, but this waxy coating is dissolved by centella, thereby allowing the body's immune system to destroy the bacteria.
Centella asiatica extract is an extract of the leaves and roots of the Hydrocotyle Centella asiatica. It is classed as a biological product and is used as a miscellaneous skin-conditioning agent.
It is also known as extract of hydrocotyle, Fo-ti-tieng extract, gotu kola extract, hydrocotyl extract, hydrocotyle asiatica extract, Asiatic pennywort, Indian pennywort, hydrocotyle, Mandukaparni (Hindi), luei gong gen (Chinese) and is an aromatic creeping perennial that is indigenous to both tropical and subtropical areas and is found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and South Africa.
The word "gotu kola" means "cup-shaped leaf" in Singhalese - the language of Sri Lanka. Gotu kola is NOT related to cola or kola nut and contains no caffeine.
It is such a magnificent herbal ingredient that it is used as one of our "signature" ingredients, and used in almost every product, as it has a positive effect on nearly any type of skin and skin condition.
This herbal compound has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for a long time, but has become very popular in the past couple of years for both internal use as well as topical application - although the cosmetic application is relatively new.
In Ayurvedic practice it also has a valuable and sought-after Vayasthapana effect - helping to retard the aging process.
The main active ingredients contained in Centella asiatica are triterpenes asiatic acid and madecassic acid, together with triterpenoid ester glycosides - known as asiaticoside and brahminoside.
A volatile oil with p-cymol, b-caryophyllene and farnesene is also found in the plant.
The asiaticosides and triterpenes extracted from the plant have modulating properties on the development and metabolism of connective tissue, improve the synthesis of collagen and other tissue proteins by modulating the action of fibroblasts in the vein wall, and stimulate collagen remodeling in and around the venous wall.
It is especially the triterpenoids that are thought to stimulate the production of collagen I and assist with wound healing. REF 191
They therefore improve wound repair, with a better re-epithialisation and a normalization of perivascular connective tissue, thus allowing an improvement of the venous wall tone and elasticity.
It is found that in poor connective tissue conditions, the triterpenes in Centella asiatica are able to renew the collagen, in quantity and quality, and restore tissue firmness and skin elasticity, improving skin appearance and comfort. Apart from this it also has anti-psoriatic properties. Reference 76
These saponins also help prevent excessive scar formation, by modulating and slowing down the excessive production of collagen (the material that makes up connective tissue), at the wound site and also increases the concentration of antioxidants in wounds.
Various studies have supported these actions of centella and furthermore have been shown it to be effective in treating surgical wounds, skin grafts, gangrene, traumatic injuries, burns, chronic skin lesions, ulcers and even leprosy wounds. It has great importance in preventing and correcting venous insufficiency.
Taken internally it appears to exert its anxiolytic and anti-stress activity by depressant action on the central nervous system (CNS) involving an increase in the concentration of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain.
Furthermore, it also is helpful to minimize varicose veins, as it appears to enhance blood flow, increasing the tone of the connective tissue sheath that surrounds the veins, and helps to maintain the suppleness of the veins. REF 191
In a clinical trial it was also shown that asiaticoside significantly improved wound healing. Reference 77 78 and 79
After reading about all the positive effects that centella asiatica have on your skin and various skin conditions, it is easy to understand why it is found in the majority of Dermaxime skin care products.
| 
