“In the last two decades, as part of of my specialisation in cellulite and skin tightening, I have extensively researched all relevant natural active ingredients and I have to say that the centella asiatica triterpenes definitely come out as the best anti-cellulite actives and one of the best anti-ageing and skin tightening actives.”
Centella asiatica for the treatment of acne, acne scars, burns, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, fibrosis, hair loss and cellulite
Gotu kola and skincare | In summary
Gotu kola (centella asiatica) and cellulite
Fibrosis, TGF-beta/Smad and centella asiatica / gotu kola
Centella asiatica / gotu kola and acne
Gotu kola / centella asiatica and burns
Centella asiatica / gotu kola and atopic dermatitis
Gotu kola / centella asiatica and wound healing
Centella asiatica / gotu kola and vitiligo
Gotu kola / centella asiatica and hair growth
Gotu kola: the ultimate herb for skincare
How to use gotu kola for skin tightening, cellulite reduction and anti-ageing
Pharmacological effects of centella asiatica on skin Diseases: evidence and possible mechanisms
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Gotu kola and skincare | In summary
Gotu kola (centella asiatica) is recognised as a powerful herbal extract for treating cellulite and other skin conditions. Cellulite involves fibrosis, inflammation, fat accumulation, skin laxity, microcirculation issues, glycation, and oxidative damage, all of which gotu kola addresses. Its four main active molecules—asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassic acid, and madecassoside—are considered essential for anti-ageing and anti-cellulite creams, provided they are used in highly purified and concentrated form.
Gotu kola also plays an important role in fibrosis. The TGF-β/Smad pathway, central to fibrotic disease, regulates collagen production. Centella asiatica enhances collagen synthesis in cases of low production while inhibiting excess, promoting balanced collagen remodelling.
Research shows further applications. In acne, purified madecassoside reduces inflammatory cytokines in contrast to plain extract, demonstrating the importance of purity. For burns, topical applications of asiaticoside and madecassoside stimulate collagen synthesis, cell growth, and wound healing, with clinical improvements noted in second-degree burns. In atopic dermatitis, topical and oral extracts reduce inflammatory molecules and mast cell infiltration, alleviating symptoms.
Regarding wound healing, extracts promote keratinocyte migration, collagen deposition, capillary formation, and fibroblast activity, accelerating recovery. Madecassoside also protects melanocytes from oxidative stress, suggesting benefits for vitiligo. Additionally, titrated extract of centella asiatica encourages dermal papilla activity, supporting hair growth. Overall, centella asiatica is regarded as one of the most effective herbal extracts for skin care, with research supporting its diverse therapeutic properties across multiple conditions.
Gotu kola (centella asiatica) and cellulite
Fibrosis is one of the hallmarks of cellulite and gotu kola is widely researched for its anti-fibrotic activity. In fact, centella is one of the best herbal extracts to treat cellulite, as it also helps with:
inflammation
fat accumulation
skin laxity
microcirculation
glycation
oxidative damage
…i.e. it works on all seven aspects of cellulite.
For all these reasons the four gotu kola main active molecules, the triterpenes:
asiatic acid
asiaticoside
madecassic acid
madecassoside
…are essential actives for any anti-ageing and anti-cellulite cream, as long as they are used in high purity form (95% purity or higher) and in high concentration (not the usual and inadequate 0.001% dilution found in many so-called cellulite creams).
Read more about centella asiatica/gotu kola and cellulite here
Check the full research catalogue (120+ research papers) regarding the skin benefits of gotu kola / centella asiatica here.
Fibrosis, TGF-beta/Smad and centella asiatica / gotu kola
Gotu kola is one of the most important herbs for fibrosis, together with EGCG (green tea extract) and curcumin (turmeric extract).
The review paper states:
“Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is considered a crucial mediator in tissue fibrosis and causes tissue scarring largely by activating its downstream Smad signaling. TGF-β plays a pivotal role in producing the myofibroblast phenotype, which is responsible for massive collagen deposition and contraction of wounds. Since the TGF-β-induced Smad-dependent pathway is critical for the pathogenesis of all fibrotic diseases, various therapeutic strategies have been investigated to target the signaling pathway to attenuate aberrant skin scar formation… Oral administration of both asiaticoside and madecassoside enhanced collagen type III synthesis by activating skin fibroblasts via the TGF-β/Smad pathway and facilitated burn wound healing.”
On the other hand, centella asiatica has been shown to inhibit excessive TGF-β1 synthesis, therefore playing a modulatory role: it raises low collagen production but inhibits excessive collagen production, thereby offering the best of both worlds, i.e. collagen remodelling.
Centella asiatica / gotu kola and acne
Purified madecassoside, one of the active molecules in gotu kola leaves, “significantly inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β, TLR2 expression, and nuclear translocation of NF-κB in P. acnes-stimulated THP-1 human monocytic cells”.
That was “in contrast to the low antimicrobial activity of [plain] centella asiatica extract against P. acnes”.
This shows the importance of using highly purified/concentrated molecules, as opposed to diluted extracts.
Gotu kola / centella asiatica and burns
The reviewers have found that “Topical treatment with asiaticoside and madecassoside not only induced collagen synthesis, proliferation, and cell growth but also stimulated burn wound healing in male ICR mice…
Topical application with [a centella] ointment made from C. asiatica ethanol extract significantly improved the objective (pliability, vascularity, pigmentation, height, and visual acuity scores) and subjective (dryness, itching, and irritation) signs in patients with second-degree burn wounds on their limbs.”
Centella asiatica / gotu kola and atopic dermatitis
Gotu kola works via modulating multiple proinflammatory molecules in the skin to relieve atopic dermatitis:
“Topical treatment with C. asiatica phytosome inhibited the expression of iNOS and COX-2, the activity of NF-κB, and the release of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IgE, leading to the suppression of inflammatory cell infiltration… Interestingly, both topical and oral administration of C. asiatica ethanol extract decreased mast cell infiltration in the ear tissue and reduced the expression of various proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17”.
Gotu kola / centella asiatica and wound healing
Regarding wound healing the researchers note:
“Asiaticoside was found to promote normal human skin cell migration, attachment, and growth in an in vitro wound healing model. ECa 233, a standardized extract of C. asiatica, induced keratinocyte migration and promoted wound healing through the activation of FAK, Akt, and MAPK signaling pathways…
The accelerated wound healing with C. asiatica hydrogel treatment may be owing to the formation of a thick epithelial layer, keratin, granulation tissues, fibroblasts, and collagen. The wound areas treated with gelatin membranes containing C. asiatica methanol extract exhibited collagen deposition and a high number of capillaries, leading to enhanced skin wound healing.”
Centella asiatica / gotu kola and vitiligo
Madecassoside, a constituent of gotu kola has been found to help treat vitiligo:
“Madecassoside has attenuated mitochondrial damage caused by H2O2-induced oxidative stress in human epidermal melanocytes, suggesting that it could be a promising treatment for vitiligo mainly caused by oxidative stress.”
Gotu kola / centella asiatica and hair growth
Hair growth is another area where centella asiatica can be used for, according to the study:
“Titrated extract of centella asiatica (TECA) promoted three-dimensional dermal papilla sphere formation by inhibiting the STAT activation in human dermal papilla cells, indicating TECA treatment may provide a useful strategy for promoting hair growth.”
Gotu kola: the ultimate herb for skincare
All in all centella asiatica / gotu kola is one of the best herbal extracts when it comes to skin care.
Check here 120+ research papers on the benefits of centella asiatica on the skin.
How to use gotu kola for skin tightening, cellulite reduction and anti-ageing
As mentioned above, you can use a gotu kola-rich cellulite, anti-ageing or skin firming cream. Be aware that most are highly diluted, so make sure that the skincare product contains 1-3% pure centella asiatica triterpenes (less for the face, more for the body).
You may also take a centella asiatica / gotu kola supplement. Typical doses are 40-160mg of pure triterpenes per day (always consult with a healthcare practitioner first, especially for exact dosing).
Gotu kola tea is another possibility (you can find it on Amazon), although it’s an acquired taste. If you can find fresh leaves, gotu kola salad is another option (again, an acquired taste).
Pharmacological effects of centella asiatica on skin Diseases: evidence and possible mechanisms
Research paper link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34845411/
Abstract: The medicinal herb Centella asiatica (L.) Urban known as gotu kola has been reported to exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. In particular, a significant body of scientific research exists on the therapeutic properties of preparations of C. asiatica or its triterpenes in the treatment of skin diseases. The present study is aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the beneficial effects of C. asiatica on skin diseases. Peer-reviewed articles on the potent dermatological effects of C. asiatica were acquired from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and SciFinder. This review provides an understanding of pharmacological studies which confirm the potent dermatological effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of C. asiatica. This medicinal plant and its triterpenes include asiaticoside, madecassoside, and their aglycones, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. These compounds exert therapeutic effects on dermatological diseases such as acne, burns, atopic dermatitis, and wounds via NF-κB, TGF-β/Smad, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, and STAT signaling in in vitro and in vivo studies. However, additional rigorously controlled long-term clinical trials will be necessary to confirm the full potential of C. asiatica as a therapeutic agent.
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