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Asiatic Acid

What Asiatic Acid is & what it does

A centella-derived active that soothes and supports the look of firmer, calmer skin. It complements the other cica compounds.

What is Asiatic Acid and what does it do in sunscreen?

Asiatic Acid is a soothing active derived from centella asiatica, the plant behind the popular cica ingredients. In a sunscreen it works as a calming, conditioning agent that supports the look of firmer, calmer skin and complements other cica compounds like madecassoside. It is a supporting active rather than a UV filter, so it works alongside the actual sunscreen ingredients in the formula.

Is Asiatic Acid safe?

Yes, at the small amounts used in cosmetics. It is a plant-derived soothing active that is generally well tolerated and commonly found in calming and cica-style formulas. As with any botanical active, a very small number of people may be individually sensitive, so patch testing a new product is sensible if your skin reacts easily.

Does Asiatic Acid clog pores?

Generally no. It is a soothing active used at low levels, not a heavy oil or wax, so it is not considered a typical pore-clogging ingredient. If a cica sunscreen is breaking you out, the richer emollients or oils elsewhere in the formula are far more likely the cause.

What is Asiatic Acid on an ingredient list (INCI)?

On the label it appears as its INCI name, Asiatic Acid. It is one of the named compounds extracted from centella asiatica, so you may see it listed near other cica ingredients such as Madecassic Acid or Asiaticoside. It usually sits in the lower half of the list, where the active extracts tend to appear.

Is Asiatic Acid a UV filter?

No. Asiatic Acid is a soothing, conditioning active, not a sunscreen filter, so it does not block or absorb UV on its own. The sun protection in a product comes from dedicated UV filters listed separately. Asiatic Acid is there to calm and support the skin, not to provide SPF.

Is Asiatic Acid natural?

It is plant-derived, obtained from centella asiatica (often called gotu kola or tiger grass). The ingredient is purified from the plant for use in cosmetics, so it counts as a naturally sourced active. That botanical origin is part of why it appears so often in cica and soothing formulas.

Sunscreens with Asiatic Acid

We rate 105 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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