CICA and Ceramides in K- Beauty skincare

In this post I will share some knowledge about two popular K- beauty ingredients,Cica and Ceramides. I will also answer a few often asked questions about K- beauty.

Ceramides and cica in my skincare products protected my skin barrier from the sun damage during our recent Goa trip together with heavy duty sunscreen usage!

Why is K- Beauty so popular?

This is a question that is often asked in the skincare circles these days. The focus of korean skincare on clean, green and natural ingredients, continuously evolving high end skincare research. The use of very high quality/ standards for their ingredients and the focus on nature puts them on a level above the rest.

Where to buy K- Beauty products in India?

I buy most of my K- beauty skincare goodies from trusted online stores like Nykaa,Maccaron, Beauty Barn, Limese and Sublime- life. Other than that I have a friend, who’s brother in law is studying in Seoul and is kind enough to bring back much awaited skincare hauls direct from Korea!

Does K- Beauty work for Indian skin?

Yes, yes and a yes! Korean skincare and K- beauty has been a total gamechanger in the skincare game for me. I have suffered from terrible acne, textured skin, hyperpigmentation, sun damage through the years. But Korean skincare products have transformed my skin. They are honest and clean products and most of the time deliver what they promise. In a later post I will explain how I repaired my skin barrier just by using K- beauty products and no doctors or medication.

Ceramides

Ceramides: What are ceramides? What do ceramides do for your skin?
Ceramides are naturally occurring fatty acids/ lipids in the skin which creates the natural barrier against external environmental stressors. Our skin barrier plays a supremely important role in maintaining glowy and healthy skin. Skin barrier prevents dehydration by locking in the moisture and protects from the external toxins and microbes as the first line of defense. They basically delay the effects of natural skin aging. Ceramides occur in the intercellular spaces of our skin. They prevent escape of moisture and entry of the bad guys that cause all kinds if skin trouble.

(https://www.webmd.com/beauty/what-to-know-about-ceramides-for-skin)
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16060709/

Some of the ceramide skincare products that really worked for me are:

• COSRX Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream( Cica is also a major ingredient)
• Formula RX Barrier Relief peptide ceramide cream
• Formula RX Barrier Plus cream

Cica in K- Beauty

What exactly is Cica? What does Cica do for your skin?

CICA is short for the magical korean skincare medicinal plant called Centella asiatica. Almost all the K- beauty ( korean skincare) brands have a cica range targeted at acne prone and sensitive skin. Cica has healing and soothing properties. Cica is also called Gotu Kola,Asiatic Pennyworth and Tiger grass. Apparently tigers rub their wounds on this leafy herb to heal and soothe. Research shows high “therapeutic potential of Centella asiatica in the treatment of acne, burns, atopic dermatitis, and wounds”. I have extensively used cica bearing Korean skincare products and they have helped my skin a lot. I have observed that many of the brands use cica in a variety of their products even if the product is not a acne / pimple prone skincare products.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8627341/

Some of the targeted Cica range skincares that have worked for me are:

• The One Thing Centella asiatica extract
• Cosrx Centella aqua soothing ampule
• Natures Republic Green Derma Cica cream.
• Cosrx Cica cream

Other than these you can find cica as an ingredient in many korean skincare products.

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Come back for more skincare related knowledge sharing in my future posts.

This post is part of  #BlogchatterA2Z challenge and this is the C post.

Disclaimer

I have personally bought and used the products mentioned here, liked them and wanted to share my finds.

I am not a skincare professional and the information in this post is mainly from my personal experience. These products have worked well for me and so I thought of sharing with my friends.

Never forget to do a patch test before using any new skincare product.