Cica is IN right now and though it has been a favourite ingredient in Asian skincare, I am starting to see it become more mainstream in the Western hemisphere. "Cica" is short for the official herbaceous plant Centella asiatica, but also has a number of different names including tiger grass and gotu kola and has long been used in the culinary world as well as traditional medicine. And why the name tiger grass? Tigers in Asia have been known to roll around in the grass as a way of calming wounds and helping to heal any abrasions. I wonder how happy that first tiger felt when they discovered this!
Last year, a friend and I decided to meet up at Sephora for a VIB event and do some shopping. On that day, Dr. Jart was having a full on Cicapair event so we were getting all sorts of product knowledge and GWPs for buying certain things so while my friend bought a serum, I am still relatively new to Dr. Jart as a brand other than the occasional sheet mask so I started slow with the Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Mist.
This is an easy product to incorporate as it can be used as a toner, refreshing mist or soothing spray for redness. It is also formulated with a microbiome complex, the "Jartbiome" that is intended to strengthen the skin barrier. The mist is incredibly fine and smells mainly like lavender with a hint of herbaceousness. While there are some really nice sounding things at the beginning of the ingredients list, the Cica related ingredients are actually all at the end of the list. I don't suffer from redness too often and really just like this mist for its scent and somewhat hydrating properties. When paired with the Cicapair sheet mask, I DID find that my skintone looked brighter and more even.
Ingredients: Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Eryngium Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate (anti-aging complex), Niacinamide (brightening), Pentylene Glycol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Ilex Aquifolium (Holly) Leaf Extract, Achillea Millefolium Oil (promote blood clotting), 1,2-Hexanediol, Erythritol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, C12-14 Pareth-12, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Adenosine, Glycerin, DNA, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Carbomer, Triethylhexanoin, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Madecassoside (bioactive compound in cica), Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid (bioactive compound in cica), Calcium Chloride, Centella Asiatica Extract, Magnesium Sulfate
The sheet mask has a similar ingredient layout and like the few Dr. Jart masks I have tried, felt soft, thin and adhered very well to my skin. What did surprise me was the lightly green essence!
Mask Summary:
Price: $20/5 masks at T&T (may have been on sale because this seems like a VERY good price!)
Scent: Herbal
Essence Type: Watery and tinted green!
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Thickness: Thin
Mask Fit: Good
Tackiness: Very light
Hydration: Good
Other notes: My skin did look very even in tone
Final verdict: I enjoyed the mask quite a bit and I am glad I have a whole pack! I am definitely intrigued by the Cicapair line and though I do not have irritated skin, I am a big fan of the scents and the interesting ingredients that are used. I did experience a more even and brighter skin tone at least temporarily so I hope the rest of the collection is just as effective or even moreso when used all together!
You can find Dr. Jart at Sephora and some of the sheet masks at T&T Supermarkets.
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