Does Gotu Kola Really Tighten Your Skin?

Gotu Kola, also known as Centella asiatica, is an herb that has been traditionally used in Asia for its heal-all abilities. This powerful herb is now gaining popularity in the west for its numerous benefits, especially in the green beauty industry. Gotu Kola offers a cornucopia of benefits, including its protective antioxidative power and its ability to tighten the skin by increasing collagen production and firmness.

How Does Gotu Kola Herb Offer Skin Tightening Benefits?

While Gotu Kola has been used in eastern medicine to connect with higher consciousness, studies have shown that its compounds are effective in maintaining youthful qualities for the skin. Stimulating collagen synthesis is crucial for restoring skin firmness and elasticity, as well as providing antioxidant power to mitigate the damage caused by UV exposure and free radicals.

One study highlights a blend of triterpenes, including asiatic acid, madecassic acid, and asiaticoside, which stimulate collagen synthesis for tissue regeneration and provide additional antioxidant benefits. When compared to popular skincare ingredient Vitamin C, Gotu Kola showed significant enhancement in collagen stimulation. In fact, at a concentration of 50 mg/mL, the Centella extract enhanced 3-fold collagen production compared to the control (untreated). 

Another consideration for youthful skin is its antioxidant value. Oxidative damage from UV exposure is one of the biggest contributors to the degradation of collagen and elastin structures in the skin. A study on the flavonoids found in Centella suggests that topically applied Centella extract can be an excellent protective agent against photooxidative stress caused by sunlight irradiation. By protecting the collagen structures in your skin, Gotu Kola helps preserve its firmness and keeps it looking resilient and youthful.

Gotu Kola Uses in the Nutricosmetics Trend to Enhance Skin From Within

In addition to its topical benefits, Gotu Kola is also gaining popularity in the nutricosmetics trend. Nutricosmetics are foods or supplements that are ingested to enhance the beauty of the skin. Many people are now acknowledging the inner beauty connection and adding nutritional strategies and products to support their overall wellness and radiance.

Nutricosmetics contain vitamins, phytonutrients, and other natural ingredients that promote youthfulness and reverse processes associated with aging. Some common antioxidants used in nutricosmetics include vitamins A, C, and E, fatty acids like alpha-lipoic acid, and botanicals such as green tea. Superior nutricosmetics also include ingredients that promote skin health, have anti-inflammatory action, and include an anti-stress component.

Eating Gotu Kola Herb for Whole Body Beauty Benefits

Ingesting Gotu Kola offers numerous benefits for the whole body, including memory enhancement with neuro-protective qualities and antioxidant benefits. It contains vitamins B and C, proteins, essential minerals, and a host of phytonutrients. When tested for its anti-inflammatory impact, the extract showed mild anti-inflammatory properties at a concentration of 2 mg/kg. However, at higher concentrations of 4 and 10 mg/kg, the anti-inflammatory activity was significantly different from the control.

As inflammation is found to be present in all diseases, including skin conditions, incorporating Gotu Kola into your diet presents a holistic approach to well-being. The herb can be consumed in various ways, such as eating the leaves as a salad accoutrement, juicing it, or using it in powdered supplementation.

Gotu Kola Herb and Ayurveda - a Traditional Approach to Skin Health

In Ayurveda, the ancient holistic health balancing system, Gotu Kola is highly regarded as a tri-doshic herb. Ayurveda outlines three energy principles, called doshas, which are Vata (air and space), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water). Gotu Kola helps regulate all three doshas, making it beneficial for balancing the body.

According to classic Ayurvedic texts, Gotu Kola is believed to give a favorable turn to one's fortune, impart a lotus-like bloom to the cheeks, and provide perpetual youth, unparalleled intellectual faculties, and a long life. In Chinese Medicine, Gotu Kola is also referred to as 'Brahmi,' the goddess of supreme wisdom. This leafy green beauty offers a true bounty of benefits for the body, mind, soul, and skin.

Takeaways

Gotu Kola, with its skin tightening benefits and numerous other properties, is a powerful herb that can enhance your natural beauty. Whether used topically or ingested as part of a nutricosmetics regimen, this herb offers a holistic approach to skin health. Incorporating Gotu Kola into your skincare routine and diet can help maintain youthful qualities, restore skin firmness and elasticity, and protect against oxidative damage. Embrace the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and give your skin the gift of Gotu Kola.