STYLE | Beauty | Skin

Cica skincare products to soothe your stressed skin

Its short form is Cica. Tigers roll all over it. Elephants eat it. TCM and Ayurveda use it. Now, it's a popular ingredient in skincare too

By Dione Chen, Hidayah Idris - 18 Sep 2020

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Tigers roll all over it. Elephants eat it. TCM and Ayurveda use it. Now, it's a popular ingredient in skincare too.

We're talking about centella asiatica, or better known as cica. In case you haven't noticed, more brands are launching products with this ingredient and honestly, in this stressful climate, we don't see why not.

Need to soothe your stressed or inflamed skin? Here are a few products to try. Plus, this ingredient works well for sensitive or sensitised skin too!

Cica Recover Balm (75ml), $70

1/10

Formulated with chamomile, the Cica Recover Balm can be used on the face and body. Apply on dry areas to soothe and refresh skin. Afraid it's too rich for the face if it can be used on the body? The great news is that the texture transforms into a fine film that doesn't clog your pores.

Available from November 1, 2020.

belif Stress Shooter – Cica Bomb Cream 50ml, $60

2/10

Have sensitive skin? This gentle cream soothes and heals stressed and damaged skin, while hydrating and moisturising it. Apart from cica (centella asiatica), it also contains the brand's Hydrating Formula that balances the skin's moisture levels and the Key Formula that has anti-blemish properties.

AHC Premium Cica 3 Complex Skin Fit Mask, $34.50 (27ml x 5 sheets)

3/10

Need an emergency treatment to calm irritated skin down? Pamper your skin with this mask, which is infused with the soothing Cica 3 Complex. Apart from calming your skin and improving skin's barrier functions, it also contains Carob Seed extract to protect skin from environmental stressors.

Dr. Jart Cicapair Facial Calming Mist, $31

4/10

You can't mention cica without mentioning the Dr Jart Cicapair range, one of the earliest players to the game. This mist is great to have in your bag to soothe skin during a hot day.

Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask, $45

5/10

Loved Laneige's sleeping mask but looking for something that's also soothing? You'll love this latest addition to the sleeping mask range. Use it overnight and wake up to moisturised skin that has been soothed in your sleep.

Glow Recipe Banana Souffle Moisture Cream, $60

6/10

You might be more familiar with Glow Recipe's watermelon range, but don't dismiss this just yet. And yes, it may not come in green, the colour often associated with cica, but it does contain cica. This lightweight moisturiser also contains chia and turmeric, and is great for sensitive skin. Of course, like its name suggests, it also contains banana, which helps to hydrate skin.

L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Centella Micro-essence Water, $35.90

7/10

A serum-like fluid that boasts 92 per cent cica. The brand markets it as an anti-ageing/skin clarifying product. We prefer it as a skin soother: It’s extremely effective in calming skin that itches and reddens in Singapore’s yo-yo temperatures (hot outside, cold inside).

Innisfree Bija Cica Balm

8/10

We know cica can soothe irritated skin, but this balm goes one step further by improving acne-prone skin or post-laser sensitised skin.

Etude House Soon Jung 5-panthensoside Cica Balm, $33.90

9/10

This gives immediate comfort to dry, stinging, red or eczema-prone skin.

Dr Belmeur

10/10

A gentle derma range from The Face Shop, Dr Belmeur's Advanced line has four cica-based products – Recovery Serum ($48); Recovery Cream ($48); Hyaluronic Sheet Mask ($53 for bundle of 10), and Recovery Hand Cream ($18). They are formulated to soothe sensitive skin prone to eczema and itching.