There’s this whole rave about how beneficial Centella asiatica is in skincare, but there are several things that people overlook and fall for in the marketing hype from beauty brands. Cica cleansers are promoted as if they provide serious relief and help your skin barrier when, in reality, most cleansers, if not all, don’t have meaningful amounts of Centella asiatica extract.
Now, by meaningful amounts, this means at least 0.1% of Centella asiatica extract. The amount may seem small, but most cica face washes don’t even contain this much. Sure, there are still some amazing cleansers out there, but don’t buy a cica cleanser because you think it’s automatically better than the cleanser that doesn’t have it.
So then why would anyone want to use a cica cleanser, and is it even worth the value?
What Is The Use of a Cica Face Wash?
The first thing to understand is that someone might want to use a cica cleanser primarily to benefit from its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It works well as a gentle yet effective first step in a routine, especially for sensitive, acne-prone, or easily irritated skin.
Specific reasons to use a cica cleanser include:
- Gentle Cleansing: Cica cleansers are often formulated to be gentle and have a low pH, which helps cleanse the skin thoroughly (removing impurities, excess sebum, and makeup) without stripping the natural moisture barrier or causing further irritation.
- Initial Calming Effect: The cica in the cleanser can help calm redness and irritation upon contact, providing relief to reactive skin from the very beginning of the skincare routine.
- Synergy in a Routine: The cleanser sets the stage for other leave-on cica products by preparing the skin to better absorb subsequent treatments. It ensures that the skin is soothed and balanced before the application of more concentrated cica serums, essences, or creams.
- Support for Acne-Prone Skin: The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of cica actives can help reduce the appearance of breakouts and even prevent future ones, though this largely depends on their concentration and the other actives in the formula.
Essentially, a cica cleanser acts as a supportive measure to make the entire skincare routine more comfortable and effective for sensitive skin types, complementing the more intensive benefits delivered by leave-on cica skincare products.
Why Most Cica Cleansers Aren’t Worth It for “Treatment”
You’re better off investing in a quality, simple gentle cleanser to prep your skin, and then applying a dedicated, high-concentration cica serum or cream afterward to reap the genuine therapeutic benefits. Here’s why.
- Concentration Matters Most for Efficacy: Dermatologists and cosmetic chemists often recommend looking for products with transparent concentrations, aiming for at least 0.1% of key cica actives like madecassoside for meaningful impact. Most cleansers just don’t deliver this.
- Contact Time is Minimal: The time a cleanser is on your face (30-60 seconds) is fundamentally insufficient for the ingredients to perform complex tasks like significant collagen stimulation or deep healing.
- Cleansers are Primarily for Cleansing: The primary role of a cleanser is preparation and removal, so the “active” portion of a cleanser is usually the surfactant system. Relying on a cica cleanser expecting the most substantial benefits is an inefficient use of time and money.
How to Spot a Good Cica Cleanser
To be blunt and probably state the most obvious thing, sorry in advance: a good cleanser, regardless of whether it has cica, prioritizes maintaining the skin’s natural function above all else. This includes gentle surfactants, adequate balance of humectants, emollients, and soothing agents.
In terms of pH, you’ll want to choose a cleanser based on your skin type. For example, most skincare brands these days focus on mildly acidic cleansers, but these work terribly for extreme oily skin types. Oily skin types would benefit more from alkaline cleansers to get rid of the grease before ending the day.
For a good cica cleanser specifically, you’ll want to look for higher concentrates or ideally choose one that blends Centella asiatica extract with the isolated cica active ingredients: madecassoside, asiatic acid, madecassic acid, and asiaticoside.
Top 6 Cica Cleansers To Consider If You Plan On Getting One
1. Medicube Super Cica Deep Cleansing Balm
This cica cleanser functions as the first step in double cleansing, applied to dry skin to remove makeup, sunscreen, blackheads, and dead skin cells. The formula contains micro centella powder and low-irritation exfoliant LHA in an oil balm texture that melts at skin temperature, reducing irritation while deep cleaning between skin crevices.
The concentration breakdown shows centella leaf powder at 3,008.8 ppm, with added cica isolates and other extracts in small amounts. The formula also includes 10,000 ppm of sebum-mimicking plant oils (olive and jojoba seed oil), which melt smoothly and emulsify quickly to lift impurities cleanly.
This cica cleansing balm holds non-comedogenic and vegan certifications with dermatologist testing, incorporating multiple proprietary ingredients. The generous size offers excellent value, and the cica particles provide satisfying cleansing when massaged around textured areas like the nose.
The flip-top design with attached spatula proves more convenient than twist-off caps common in other cleansing balms. Note that as with any balm cleanser, a second cleanse with foam cleanser remains essential to remove residual oils and debris.
2. Torriden Balanceful Cleansing Gel
For a slightly acidic cleanser that maintains healthy skin pH while delivering cica’s calming benefits in a refreshing wash, the Torriden cleanser deserves consideration. While Torriden’s Dive-In hyaluronic acid line dominates in popularity, those seeking cica skincare products should explore their Balanceful product line instead.
Torriden’s proprietary T-Percent™️ Calming Complex uses Lactobacillus fermentation of centella, hollyhock, blue lotus, and mugwort for skin calming, inflammation reduction, wound healing, and regeneration effects. The formulation also contains 100 ppm centella extract plus all four key actives in pure form, creating a gentle blend suitable for sensitive skin.
The slightly acidic pH doesn’t compromise cleansing power. Low-irritation exfoliant LHA gently dissolves excess sebum and absorbs impurities from within pores. The formula generates richer, softer foam than typical cleansing foams, reducing friction during washing while leaving skin moisturized post-cleanse.
The primary drawback involves pump mechanism failures requiring container replacement, which occurs with frustrating frequency.
3. Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil
The SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil demonstrates the brand’s expertise in creating lightweight, refreshing formulations that genuinely perform. The product combines high-purity oil-type centella asiatica extract to calm sensitized skin and reduce irritation while using powerful emulsification to dissolve heavy makeup and pore debris.
While the brand doesn’t disclose the exact centella extract concentration, its mid-list placement on the ingredient panel suggests meaningful inclusion rather than token amounts. The extract provides significant soothing, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating benefits while effectively removing makeup and impurities.
The formulation particularly benefits sensitive or acne-prone skin by calming irritation and strengthening the barrier function during the cleansing process. Additionally, the blend of four plant-based oils creates a refreshing cleansing experience without the heavy residue common to many oil cleansers.
The entire SKIN1004 line maintains non-comedogenic and dermatologist-tested standards while excluding potentially harmful ingredients. The accessible price point makes the brand an excellent choice for budget-conscious consumers seeking cica skincare products.
4. Round Lab Pine Cica Deep Pore Clay Mask Cleanser
This hybrid product functions as both cleanser and wash-off mask. The product holds MFDS functional certification for helping relieve acne-prone skin, plus German Dermatest Excellent rating and low-irritation testing. Apply a thick layer to dry skin, wait 1-2 minutes, then gently massage and rinse for deep pore cleansing. Designed for use every 2-3 days, it targets excess sebum and blackhead management rather than daily cleansing needs.
The formula contains 0.16% centella leaf/stem powder. Five types of clay comprise over 15% of total ingredients for effective sebum absorption and pore purification. Additional charcoal powder, salicylic acid, and gentle surfactants make this suitable for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin.
However, cica plays a supporting role here rather than starring. Anyone expecting cica’s powerful regenerative and calming effects will be disappointed. The reason for including this product comes down to pine needle extract compensating for limited cica content with its own soothing properties.
The drawback involves charcoal capsules that become noticeable during massage. While the capsules serve mild exfoliation purposes rather than causing actual irritation, the textural sensation can feel uncomfortable for those sensitive to particle presence in cleansers.
5. Neul20s Spicule Cica Foam Cleanser
This product likely diverges significantly from what most people expect when seeking a cica cleanser. It’s alkaline rather than pH-balanced, and incorporates spicule and BHA for micro-peeling effects. However, it represents perhaps the best example of how cica in cleansers can complement other active ingredients rather than serving as the primary focus.
The formulation contains 2,000 ppm centella extract, 1,000 ppm spicules, various fermented filtrates and lysates, plant extracts, BHA, and an 8-layer hyaluronic acid complex.
The strong cleansing base and SLES suit oily and combination skin better than dry skin, helping address excessive sebum and sluggish skin turnover rather than gentle daily maintenance.
The product excludes artificial fragrances and harmful ingredients with non-irritating certification, but the spicule characteristic creates occasional tingling sensations during cleansing that some find uncomfortable. The sensation isn’t damaging irritation, just noticeable physical presence. Sensitive skin types shouldn’t use this daily. Starting with low frequency makes more sense until you determine how your skin tolerates the spicules.
6. Bioheal Boh Panthecell Repair Cica Non-Touch Bubble Cleanser
The primary reason for using a cica face wash comes down to gentle cleansing that minimizes irritation. Reducing physical friction during washing matters as much as ingredient selection. Foaming washes help achieve both through mild formulation and pump mechanism that dispenses pre-foamed lather, eliminating the need for manual lathering that creates friction. The result is a gentle, moisturizing bubble cleanser designed specifically to reduce physical stress on skin.
Centella extract sits second on the ingredient list, indicating high concentration for maximized calming effects. The formula includes all four key cica actives plus centella leaf and root extracts, comprehensively capturing the ingredient’s benefits.
Add 0.5% panthenol, peptide complex, hyaluronic acid, fragrance-free formulation, and mild surfactants, and you get what amounts to an ingredient-rich cleanser with genuinely impressive composition.
The pH sits at 5.5-6.5 slightly acidic range, making it suitable for morning cleansing or as second cleanser in double-cleansing routines.
Is Cica Cleanser Good For Acne?
Well, yes, but there are some caveats here. Cica is good for acne, however, cica cleansers don’t have sufficient concentrate and contact time to provide meaningful benefits. In practice, this means that relying solely on a cica cleanser for acne treatment is an inefficient approach.
There are a few cica cleansers that help with acne. To identify these, you’ll need to search for non-comedogenic formulas, and going beyond that, opt for a cica face wash that has been MFDS-approved for acne management.
