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Taking a scientific approach to botanical beauty, up-and-coming brand Centellian24 anchors its product
range in K-Beauty fave ingredient centella asiatica, which is renowned for its skin-soothing properties. Not only do its products feature high concentrations of this star ingredient, the formulas all come with additional infusions of TECA (Titrated Extract of Centella Asiatica), which harnesses the skin-benefiting properties of madecassic acid, asiaticoside and asiatic acid. These are all extracted from wild cica through a seven-step, six-months-long process. The crown jewel of the brand is undoubtedly the Madeca Relief line, which aims to revitalize and strengthen hypersensitive skin while protecting it against external stressors.
As I’m a cica convert who’s always in need of gentle hydrators for my delicate skin, the brand’s singular focus on this ingredient seems like a godsend. Despite years of being largely untroubled by acne, my skin has been experiencing mild but frequent breakouts these days due to the constant mask-wearing. On top of that, the dry winter season has caused my thinning skin to flake. There is no better time than now to trial three of Centellian24’s star products: Madeca Relief Cleansing Foam, Madeca Relief Toner and Madeca Relief Essence, all of which are proven to be hypoallergenic.
Read on to see whether they restored my complexion back to health!
The Mini Routine
Step 1: Madeca Relief Cleansing Foam
The product: A fuss-free foam cleanser in a creamy, pearlized texture and a mildly acidic formulation. Key ingredients are, of course, cica and TECA. Equally important is that it contains naturally derived surfactants rather than artificial ones, including cocoamidopropyl betaine, coconut acid and soapwort leaf extract.
The low-down: I used this day and night for two weeks, and the results were pleasantly surprising. I didn’t expect a switch in cleanser could make much difference to my skin, but at the end of the trial, it looks brighter and less irritated, while my pores look less clogged. When I toned my skin after using this cleanser, there was visibly less dirt on the cotton pad. There are probably other factors behind this turnaround, including better sleep quality and less external stress, but overall, I can safely say this is a solid product that cleanses thoroughly without drying out my skin or causing irritation. My only reservation is that it didn’t lather up as dramatically as suggested − I guess I’m used to seeing my face covered in foam!
Step 2: Madeca Relief Toner
The product: Designed to soothe and soften irritated skin, this jumbo-sized toner contains 82% cica and 100ppm TECA as well as a quartet of skin-soothers: bergamot leaf extract, feverfew extract, allantoin and the brand’s very own centella oil.
The low-down: I don’t expect toners to do the heavy lifting in my skin care routine, and this one didn’t prove me wrong. Nonetheless, it was an above-average product with a refreshing touch that played a small but crucial part in the subtle turnaround of my skin condition by the end of the trial. The toner agreed well enough with my temperamental skin, tamping down irritations a notch. As for its skin-strengthening and anti-wrinkle benefits, it would take more prolonged use to test these effects properly.
Step 3: Madeca Relief Essence
The product: Touted as a major hydrator with a calming touch, this is designed to smooth and plump up skin that’s going through a rough patch. It’s infused not only with 82% cica and 100ppm TECA, but also an array of botanical oils, centella oil and three kinds of hyaluronic acids for extra moisturization.
The low-down: My skin loves this, unreservedly. I’m a lazy girl who usually just applies serum (or cream) after toning, but including this essence between steps was a definite boost to my usual routine. The lightweight, moisture gel formula left no sticky residue and absorbed swiftly into skin. By the end of the two weeks, I’m pleased at the subtle but visible improvements. My skin’s roughness has abated, the constant swings between oiliness and flakiness have mostly stopped, and most encouragingly of all, the red patches are less prominent. In addition, the more plumped-up finish to my skin indicates that it’s happily hydrated.
Final Verdict
After trying out Centellian24’s Madeca Relief line, I’m convinced that cica is the way to go if you’ve got sensitive skin that constantly experiences low-grade flare-ups. I love this brand’s take on the cica trend, with its fuss-free formulas chock-full of this superstar ingredient, and its simple yet bold aesthetics. On the whole, every product I sampled delivered on the promise to calm and hydrate skin.
Because I didn’t change my serum and moisturizing cream throughout the trial, I can confidently attribute the changes in my skin quality to the introduction of Centellian24 products to my routine. While I could take or leave the toner, I’m definitely putting the cleanser and essence into my usual rotation. The cleanser was lightweight but powerful, and the essence lived up to my expectations by clearing my skin considerably in record time.
I also want to give a shout-out to whoever came up with the sweet, refreshing scent for the Madeca Relief line. This minor touch speaks volumes about the brand’s attention to detail. Now, all I need to do is get my hands on the rest of the range – especially the Madeca Relief Lotion!
