
Gotu kola is known as Indian pennywort and Asiatic pennywort. You may be familiar with it being called daun pegaga in Malaysia. Its scientific name is Centella asiatica. It is a small little plant that grows like a green carpet on the ground and produces small bunches of white or red flowers. It is used as a vegetable and also in traditional medicine.

Gotu Kola contains :
- pentacyclic triterpenoids and trisaccharide derivatives
- asiaticoside
- brahmoside
- asiatic acid
- brahmic acid (madecassic acid)
- centellose
- centelloside
- madecassoside
In skincare, the main active ingredient of gotu kola is the madecassoside. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antirheumatic activities. The anti-inflammatory properties help in reducing puffiness, redness and itchiness. It reduces incidences of these flare-ups and is used to treat eczema and psoriasis. The anti-oxidant properties help in wound healing and also fighting signs of aging and sun damage such as wrinkles and fine lines.
Another active ingredient is asiaticoside which has been studied to promote wound healing and also collagen synthesis. Collagen is important for maintaining skin elasticity and keep skin looking youthful.
Gotu kola itself is also rich in amino acids and phytochemicals (plant chemicals compounds). These have a strong nourishing and moisturising effect on our skin. Well hydrated skin is important in maintaining your skin-barrier to ensure your skin works well in preventing bacteria from infecting you as well as preventing further moisture loss.
The combination of madecassoside, asiaticoside, amino acids and phytochemicals make gotu kola a powerful skincare ingredient which we could not ignore in our research and had to include in ioula for its anti-oxidative effect, anti-inflammatory effect, ability to promote wound healing and as a collagen enhancer.
images courtesy of Azreey and Nandha Kumar