What does 'cica' mean on a Korean beauty label? Reading the NBPSIS Cinnamoroll range

Cica usually means Centella asiatica, a plant widely used in Korean skincare. Find it on an ingredient list and compare four NBPSIS cica listings.

THE CAST editorial desk · Original guide

2026-10-29

Compare products in this guide

On Korean packaging, cica is a marketing word for ingredients from Centella asiatica, a plant used widely in skincare. NielsenIQ named centella asiatica in July 2026 among the Korean ingredients that have moved from niche routines into everyday use. The word on the front of a pack tells you the theme; the ingredient list tells you what is actually in the formula.

How cica appears on an ingredient list

• Centella Asiatica Extract or Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
• Madecassoside and Asiaticoside, compounds derived from the plant
• Asiatic Acid and Madecassic Acid, also centella-derived

Look for these standard ingredient names rather than the word cica itself. Their position in the list gives a rough idea of quantity, although a percentage is rarely stated.

Four NBPSIS listings with cica in the name

THE CAST currently lists the Cinnamoroll Botanical Cica Foam Cleanser at 150ml, the Cica Moisture Multi Balm at 9ml, and two Cica Natural Tone-Up Sunscreens, Pink and Original, at 40g each. The name tells you the product theme; it does not tell you the concentration or the intended effect.

Questions worth asking

Our listings show product details in images, so ask THE CAST if you cannot read the ingredient panel clearly. Useful questions are where the centella ingredients appear in the list, what the directions say, and, for the sunscreens, which protection values are printed on the package.

Choosing by step, not by keyword

A cleanser is rinsed away within a minute, a balm stays on the skin, and a sunscreen is applied as the last morning step. Decide which step you want to change, then compare the listing for that step. Several cica products in one routine are not automatically better than one well-chosen item.