December 22, 2017
24 Ways to Fight Skin Aging With Centella Asiatica
READ TIME: 3 MIN.
The ancient Ayurvedic plant Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) is the new fashionable anti-aging ingredient in cosmetics, used by more and more large cosmetic companies. London-based natural skincare specialists LipoTherapeia have been using Centella Asiatica in their skincare products and treatments for 15 years and have now published a comprehensive research-based overview of the benefits of Gotu Kola on skin and blood vessels.
Centella Asiatica is one of the most important anti-aging, skin healing, blood vessel supporting, skin tightening and anti-cellulite actives known today. At the time of writing this article (November 2017), there are at least 47 research papers on the different skin properties of Centella Asiatica and a total of 648 peer-reviewed studies on Gotu Kola's effect on general health, from atherosclerosis to Alzheimer's. In fact, one of these studies describes Centella Asiatica as 'a medicinal plant panacea used for 3000 years'.
"We would not use the word 'panacea', as it denotes hype and miraculous results, in which we do not believe, but we would definitely call Centella Asiatica an amazing herb that offers a natural, balanced approach to skin firming, anti-aging and cellulite," LipoTherapeia's director, Georgios Tzenichristos explains. "We have been using Centella for a good 15 years at our clinic and have clearly seen the skin benefits this ancient herb has to offer," Georgios adds.
LipoTherapeia has published a 24-long list summary of Centella's benefits, based on those clinical, in-vivo, ex-vivo and in-vitro studies.
According to these studies, Centella boosts the production of collagen type I, collagen type III, elastin and hyaluronic acid, and protect those precious skin molecules from a breakdown, while at the same time protecting tissues from excessive collagen production/fibrosis.
Also, Centella can protect blood vessel walls and improve leaky capillaries; fight adipose tissue inflammation; protect from skin glycation; prevent hyperpigmentation; protect cells from sun damage; and boost skin hydration.
Researchers state that these combined actions may help:
Improve skin firmness, elasticity and reduce overall signs of aging:
The full summarised list of all 47 research papers can be found here.
Although Centella Asiatica has been used by doctors for anti-aging, wound healing and vein disorders in Germany, Italy, and France for decades, it is relatively unknown in the US or the UK. However, more and more people are now becoming aware of Centella, and herbal teas, nutritional supplements, anti-aging creams, cellulite creams, facials and cellulite treatments using Gotu Kola are now more common.
Centella, mainly used as a tea and in salads in South and Southeast Asia, is unlikely to become the new turmeric for Instagramers anytime soon. But in any case, Centella is poised to become more and more popular in skincare and overall health, due to its multifunctional properties.
