TL;DR
Centella asiatica is one of the most-studied calming actives in dermatology, but the supply chain is opaque for most brands. The most therapeutically active form comes from highland Madagascar, where the asiaticoside and madecassoside concentrations measure roughly 30 percent higher than commodity-grade material from lowland Asia. Provenance, harvest timing, and extraction method matter more than the percentage on the label.
The first time I asked a centella supplier where their plant came from, the answer was three countries and four words. Roughly: a blend from Asia. That answer is normal in the industry and it bothered me enough to start over with a different supplier. Here is what we landed on, and why it matters.
What centella actually is
Centella asiatica is a small ground-cover plant, sometimes called gotu kola, tiger grass, or cica. The active compounds are four pentacyclic triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, madecassic acid. Together they support fibroblast activity, reduce inflammation, and accelerate wound repair. Centella asiatica (cica) as the ingredient that calms almost anything covers the mechanism.
The clinical evidence is solid. PubMed-indexed dermatology reviews have validated centella for scar healing, post-procedure recovery, and barrier repair. The AAD lists it among ingredients with supporting evidence for sensitive and reactive skin.
Why Madagascar
Madagascar centella grows at elevation between 1,000 and 1,500 meters in volcanic-soil highlands. The combination of altitude, soil mineral profile, and rainfall pattern produces plants with higher concentrations of all four active triterpenes than commodity material harvested from lowland plantations in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, or coastal China.
This is not marketing language. INCI-tested batches from Madagascar versus lowland Asian sources show consistent measured differences in asiaticoside content, often 25 to 35 percent higher per dry gram. The same plant species, different terroir, different active load. The principle is closer to wine than to commodity agriculture.
The contrarian section: percentage on the label is not the whole story
Here is the part that the marketing rarely says out loud. A centella product claiming 10 percent extract can have a lower active dose than a 4 percent extract from a better source, if the better source is more concentrated to begin with. The percentage on the front of the bottle measures the extract by weight; the therapeutic effect depends on the actives inside the extract.
What to ask a brand instead. What is the source country, the harvest altitude, and the asiaticoside or madecassoside concentration of the raw material. If the brand cannot answer, the percentage on the front is uninformative.
The harvest timing question
Centella concentration peaks in the second and third year of plant growth, then declines. Commodity material is often harvested at year one to maximize volume per hectare. Higher-grade material is harvested at year two to maximize active concentration. The cost difference at the farm is real but small; the cost difference at the bottle is multiplied by the cosmetics markup.
Harvest timing also affects which triterpene dominates. Spring harvest tends to be madecassoside-leading, which is the anti-inflammatory standout. Late-season harvest tends to be asiaticoside-leading, which is the wound-healing standout. A serious centella formulation specifies the harvest window.
Extraction matters too
The plant itself is only one variable. The extraction method changes which compounds end up in the bottle.
Water extraction captures the more polar compounds and tends to favor madecassoside. Ethanol extraction captures a broader profile including the less polar asiatic acid. Supercritical CO2 extraction is the most precise and produces the highest-purity extract, but costs more.
Most under-$25 centella products use water or low-ethanol extraction. Most $40+ products use CO2 or a hybrid. The price difference reflects the equipment, not just the brand.
What we ask our supplier
Five questions on every batch. Country and region of origin. Altitude of the harvest field. Harvest month and plant age. Extraction method. HPLC-validated active concentrations on the batch.
The last one is what catches most suppliers. A batch certificate of analysis (COA) showing measured asiaticoside and madecassoside percentages, signed and dated, is standard practice in pharmaceutical sourcing and rare in cosmetic sourcing. We treat it as non-negotiable.
What sustainability looks like
Madagascar centella is wild-harvested from established communities of growers in the central highlands. Sustainable practice means rotating harvest plots, leaving at least 30 percent of biomass uncut per cycle, and paying farm-gate prices above the commodity floor. The brands that buy this material directly tend to publish their sourcing partnerships. The brands that buy through brokers usually cannot trace the chain past the second handler.
How this shows up in the bottle
Madagascar-sourced centella in a well-extracted formulation produces three observable effects that lower-grade material struggles to replicate. Visible redness reduction within seven to fourteen days. Faster post-procedure recovery (microneedling, peel) by two to four days. Long-term barrier improvement measured by reduced TEWL after twelve weeks of consistent use.
The Microbiome Glow Serum I work on uses Madagascar centella alongside ferment postbiotics. The combination calms while supporting the microbiome. I am biased about this, obviously. The principle is what matters: source first, percentage second.
FAQ
Is Madagascar centella always better than Asian centella? Usually but not always. Vietnamese centella from highland regions can match it. Sri Lankan lowland is generally weaker.
How can I tell where a brand sources from? Ask. If the brand cannot tell you the source country, harvest altitude, and extraction method, the sourcing is probably commodity.
Are there ethical concerns with Madagascar harvesting? Yes, if the brand uses brokers. Direct sourcing from named cooperatives is the better answer. Ask about that specifically.
Does cica work differently than centella? Cica is just shorthand for centella in K-beauty marketing. Same plant, same actives.
How long until I see results from centella? Redness reduction in one to two weeks. Barrier improvement in eight to twelve weeks. Scar fading is much longer, often six months or more.
Sources
PubMed-indexed clinical review of centella asiatica in dermatology, Bylka et al, 2014. JAAD topical review on plant-derived actives for sensitive skin, 2020. AAD.org/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>American Academy of Dermatology resource on centella for barrier repair, 2023. Elelaf supplier audit notes, 2025-2026.
More provenance pieces in The Elelaf Edit.