Centella Asiatica: a traditional Millenium plant with a myriad of benefits

You may have heard of it as Tiger Grass. But do you know where this name came from?

Gotu kola, Hydrocotyle, Brahmi or Pegaga: all these names bear witness of its popularity in Asia, where it has been recognized for its many qualities for thousands of years, in particular for its action on the nervous system and tissue regeneration.

Pillar of Ayurvedic Medicine, the Centella Asiatica is about to become the new rising star of cosmetics ingredients in the Western hemisphere.

It is the signature ingredient in the formulas of our C27 products : natural holistic skincare that rely on cutting-edge technology to offer increasingly efficient customized cosmetics solutions.

Let’s discover further this legendary plant which is at the root of the performance of our natural cosmeceutical skincare line…

Centella Asiatica : a pillar of the Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic tradition

Native to Asia (China and India) this climbing semi-aquatic herbaceous plant has a natural affinity with humid climates and grows profusely in the marshy areas of Oceania and Madagascar. In tropical surroundings it develops rapidly and renews itself within 3 months, making the exceptional plant an abundant and sustainable resource.

It owes its name of Tiger Grass to tales that describe the big cats rolling in the Centella Asiatica leaves to heal their wounds. From there, were born many legends, but also very real healing treatments, whose effects have since been widely confirmed by numerous scientific researches.

Beyond the myth, Centella Asiatica is indeed a secular traditional medicinal herb that has been part of the Asian pharmacopeia for thousands of years and that holds a very special place in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is found in the writings of Shen Nong, considered the first pharmacist of China who lived in the Jiang tribe more than 5,000 years ago, and it is said to be the secret of longevity of the Chinese Li Ching-Yun who used to consume it in infusions and salads. When he died in 1933, he was supposed to be almost 200 years old! Everything is good in Gotu kola: its roots, stems, flowers and foliage. A cornerstone of the Ayurvedic tradition, Centella Asiatica is still widely consumed, up to these days, in Malaysia and Indonesia and it is served as side orders to rice and curry in vegetarian dishes in Sri Lanka. In Vietnam, it is preferred in the form of refreshing drinks.

In Sri Lanka, there is a popular old saying that recommends “two leaves of Gotu kola a day and old age goes away”; most likely because it is the main food of the elephants in India that manage to break life expectancy records. This is why Centella Asiatica is also known as the “longevity plant”.

In Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, Centella Asiatica is considered an excellent anxiolytic and also a nerve cell regenerator. This medicinal plant beneficial, to the nervous system and the brain, stimulates memory and helps fight stress and depression. It can help relieve hypertension thanks to its diuretic effect and it helps the body to get rid of its toxins. In Thailand, teenagers are recommended to drink Centella Asiatica in decoction to help fight acne outbreaks.

The adventure did not stop in the Eastern world… Centella Asiatica crossed the borders of Asia and since the 17th century it participates in the composition of the “Elixir of long life” created by the Carthusian monks, marketed under the name “Grande Chartreuse”!

Centella Asiatica in cosmetics

The numerous stories and tales surrounding Centella Asiatica have not failed to attract the attention and curiosity of researchers around the world. The studies that have followed confirm the reality of the exceptional properties of Tiger Grass.

In the early 1940’s, Doctors Grimes and Boiteau highlighted the regenerative and repairing properties of Centella Asiatica in their fight against leprosy in Madagascar. They isolated its main active ingredient, the asiaticoside, which led to the development of a powerful healing balm for scars, Madécassol, known as a vascular protector and collagen production booster.

In recent years, many scientific studies, among which those of Professor Maquart, have confirmed the significant action of Centella Asiatica on collagen synthesis and skin tissue repair. 

Centella Asiatica in the C27 formulas

Our Founder, Michèle Evrard is a pharmacist and a cosmetic R&D expert. Following two knee surgeries, and a firm believer of natural care and remedies, she was looking for solutions to heal her scars. This is how she found out about the incredible repairing and regenerating properties of Centella Asiatica and the special place of this herbaceous plant in Ayurvedic medicine.

She then decided to elaborate her own preparations following a very strict formulation guideline based upon:

  • Visible and lasting results
  • An integrative approach to beauty
  • Natural holistic care
  • Possibility of bespoke treatments
  • Clean cosmetics
  • Ethical resources with respect to the people
  • Sustainable development

After 4 years of intensive researches and 2 years of perfecting the formulas, in 2009, she launched Baume 27: an iconic product of the C27 cosmetic range.

It was then a logical and essential choice for us to use Centella Asiatica sourced from Madagascar. Indeed, it allows supporting Malagasy women through well-paid work during the harvesting with fairtrade ethic.

Another significant benefit is that Centella Asiatica from Madagascar contains much higher concentration in madecassoside and asiaticoside: the two key active ingredients of Centella Asiatica that give it its very unique qualities in terms of aging prevention and skin repair.

Our groundbreaking formulations are unique in many ways. The purified extracts of Centella Asiatica are precisely and expertly blended with a combination of actives that complement them and reinforce their action. The super-concentration in asiaticoside and madecassoside in our MA2 complex acts as a regenerating booster and was originally patented for its repairing and regenerating proven efficacy.

The outstanding performance of our products is the result of the innovative alchemy of our formulas and the quality of our Centella Asiatica sources and the other active ingredients that compose them. Michèle Evrard’s philosophy for skincare is based upon the fundamental principle that each individual is one and only, each skin is unique. This is why she has created skincare solutions that can be customized based on her formulas. The combination of our products allows adapting your regimen to better fit your needs.

The skin is our largest organ and has extraordinary resilience.C27, offers skincare solutions that help support and enhance your skin’s natural ability to protect itself and to regenerate, in order to bring visible and long-lasting results in the safest manner.

Discover our products and the DNA of C27

Bibliography

1- Ch. Grimes & P. Boiteau (1945). Rapport sur la thérapeutique de la lèpre. Huitième rapport annuel de la Société du Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, 1944.(Report on the therapy of leprosy. Eighth annual report of the Botanical and Zoologocal park Society of Tsimbazaza)

2- Stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblast cultures by a tripterpene extracted from Centella asiatica. Maquart FX et al. Connect Tissue Res. 24:107-20. 1990

3-Comparative activity of asiaticoside and madecassoside on type I and III collagen synthesis by cultured human – 1995 – F Bonté, M Dumas, C Chaudagne, A Meybeck

4- Comparative analysis of active constituents in Centella asiatica samples from Madagascar: application for ex situ conservation and clonal propagation. 2008 Denis Randriamampionona , Billo Diallo, Francisco Rakotoniriana, Christian Rabemanantsoa, Kiban Cheuk, Anne-Marie Corbisier, Jacques Mahillon, Suzanne Ratsimamanga, Mondher El Jaziri