If you have sensitive skin like me, you know the struggle. Use a high concentration of an active ingredient, reach for the wrong product, or even just rub your skin a little too hard, and you'll see redness and irritation pop up in large, unsightly patches. From there, it often takes the skin a few days (if not longer) to return to baseline. In the meantime, I either have to deal with it or cover it with foundation and concealer. Either way, it's unfortunate.
That's why I consider myself an expert on soothing skincare ingredients. I want to prevent redness and irritation from ever appearing and soothe it if it does come up. My MVPs include heartleaf, hypochlorous acid, ectoin, and exosomes. Lately, I've been seeing another soothing ingredient listed on the back of my products (namely Korean ones), and I wanted to know more. I reached out to two top dermatologists, and they said it can soothe, hydrate, and prevent irritation. Ahead, learn everything there is to know about this trendy ingredient called madecassoside. (I know—it's a mouthful.)
What is Madecassoside?
ccording to Geeta Yadav, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Facet Dermatology, "madecassoside is a compound known as a terpene found in the centella asiatica plant." The centella asiatica plant is also known as cica, gotu kola, and tiger grass. It's a skincare ingredient renowned for its soothing and reparative benefits, which explains why it's found in so many products formulated specifically for sensitive skin. Centella asiatica gets all the credit, but Yadav says, "Madecassoside is responsible for many of the benefits associated with centella asiatica."
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How Does It Benefit The Skin?
Madecassoside offers some serious skin benefits, specifically for sensitive and acne-prone skin. "Madecassoside is beneficial to all skin types, but especially skin that is sensitive or has a compromised skin barrier," Yadav says. "Its greatest benefit is its anti-inflammatory properties—madecassoside helps quell inflammation as well as redness, which makes it great for irritated, sensitive skin as well as skin prone to developing painful, swollen blemishes." It also functions as an antioxidant, meaning it helps "to defend the skin from free radical damage that can accelerate skin aging," Yadav adds.
- Anti-Inflammatory: "Madecassoside reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can help reduce redness and irritation of the skin."
- Antioxidant: "It works like a shield to protect your cells. Madecassoside neutralizes free radicals (which damage and age the skin)."
- Hydration + Wound Healing + Collagen Production: "It helps boost collagen production, neutralizes free radicals, and reduces inflammation, all of which contribute to hydration and anti-aging."
Mediheal Madecassoside Repair Serum
This serum uses a combo of madecassoside and niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier.
