CICA, The Skin Nutrient You Never Knew You Needed

When it comes to skincare, what we place on our skin at night is as essential as what we use first thing in the morning.

This is because, at night, our skin starts its restorative process. Therefore, it’s important that we use the right ingredients to work in tandem with this. We want those which will soothe, revive and refresh, and that is where CICA comes in.

First, a CICA explainer:

CICA is actually a nickname for its scientific name: Centella Asiatica. It’s a legendary herb, frequently used in China and known for its calming properties. It’s been said that tigers would rub CICA on their wounds to help them regenerate. It basically facilitates the healing process, so naturally, it’s going to work wonders when used correctly on the skin.

It’s also full of amino acids, beta-carotene, fatty acids, and phytochemicals, including vitamins C, A, B1, and B2, which, when used together can help stimulate collagen production because they are packed with antioxidants.

So, if you're looking to firm, repair, or soothe skin, this ingredient should be on your must-use list. And luckily, there’s a CICA-based product which does all this in one.

The product:

As part of the Boots YourGoodSkin range, their new clinically proven Cica Repair Sleep Paste is designed to be applied at night (to cleansed skin) and left to soak in overnight, explains skin expert Dr Ellie Bradley.

“In a unique paste (a hybrid between a face mask and skin treatment), it combines the hero restorer Centella Asiatica along with green tea - a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals and vitamin C – a natural brightener, helping to boost skin’s natural radiance,” she explains.

“Your skin will love it and you should see results straight away; it will deliver visible benefits to the healthy appearance of your skin from the very first use.”

Used twice a week, it will also increase skin barrier strength and resilience. And the results speak for themselves.

Based on a recent study, 90% of those surveyed said skin felt nourished, 89% said skin felt calmer and 83% said skin looks brighter almost straight away.*

*Based on a consumer study of 140 women

Radiant skin, just as we’re about to enter summer holiday mode? We’ll take that.