Gotu Kola Extract

Gotu kola extract is made by soaking Centella asiatica, a herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family also called Indian pennywort or hydrocotyle, in a liquid such as propylene glycol and water or ethanol. In cosmetics it is used mainly to keep the skin in good condition. In traditional Asian medicine the plant has long been used for skin problems such as small wounds, scratches and burns.

Type

Plant extract

Botanical name

Centella asiatica

INCI name

Centella Asiatica Extract

CAS number

84696-21-9

Other names

Indian pennywort, hydrocotyle (for the plant)

Plant

The species is divided into three varieties, which grow in different regions and differ in leaf shape and chemical make-up. The root, stem, leaves and leaf stalks have a similar composition, but the leaf has the highest concentration of constituents.

How it is made

In one method, the stalks and leaves are soaked in propylene glycol and water for several days, then drained, pressed and passed through a sterilising filter. In another, the dried plant is extracted with 80% propylene glycol or with ethanol and then settled and filtered. The cosmetic ingredient named Centella Asiatica Extract is made from the whole plant.

Composition

The plant's medicinal activity is attributed mainly to four triterpene compounds: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Saponins may make up 1–8% of the plant, depending mainly on where it grew, and the plant also contains about 0.1% volatile oil. Extracts also contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino acids and sugars.

Uses in cosmetics

The European Union's cosmetic ingredient database lists cleansing, skin-conditioning, smoothing, soothing and tonic functions for the extract. In 2015 US data, it was reported in 454 cosmetic formulations, mostly products left on the skin. The highest reported concentration was 0.5%, in face and neck products.

In one four-week study, 25 healthy volunteers applied a cream and a gel with 2.5% or 5% extract to their forearms twice a day. The products with 5% gave the best results: the skin surface held more water and less water was lost through the skin.

Herbal medicine

Centella herb is used in herbal medicines for skin disorders and minor wounds. In the United States, gotu kola, its extract and an ointment containing the extract are not among the drug products approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

For the herb, a 1999 monograph of the World Health Organization (WHO) counts the treatment of wounds, burns and ulcerous skin conditions, and the prevention of raised (keloid and hypertrophic) scars, among uses supported by clinical data. It also notes use for leprous ulcers and vein disorders in pharmacopoeias and traditional medicine, and lists many folk remedies, such as for asthma or epilepsy, that no experimental or clinical data support.

Safety

Gotu kola extract can cause skin allergy. Several cases of allergic contact dermatitis after ointments or creams with the extract have been reported. In some of these products, other ingredients such as lavender and geranium oil were also known allergens. As a medicine, the herb should not be used by people allergic to plants of the Apiaceae family.

In 2015 the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), a US expert panel, found gotu kola ingredients safe as used in cosmetics. The condition is that products are made not to sensitise the skin.

Products containing it

• Aftershave Gel, Eucalyptus Nun's Valley Madeira (I 139)
• Energizing Face Cream, Eucalyptus Nun's Valley Madeira (I 140)
• Eye Contour Cream, Secret Of Serenity (I 406)