The products mentioned in this blog were gifted by StyleKorean for the purposes of this review
Centella asiatica (aka cica or tiger grass) is a popular ingredient in Korean skincare. It is a calming and healing ingredient that is suitable for helping out all skin types.
I’ve previously written about the skincare benefits of cica!
Two of the most popular cica creams are the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Cream and the VT Cosmetics Cica Cream. Here I’ll compare these two products to decide which is best in my opinion!
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Cream
The Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Cream calms and recovers troubled skin. It soothes irritated and sensitive skin, while offering brightening and wrinkle care benefits. It’s calming properties help to reduce redness in skin.
Texture
This cream has a very rich looking texture that feels thick and creamy, especially in comparison to the VT Cosmetics cream. Despite its appearance, the cream is deceptively light and doesn’t sit heavy on the skin.
Scent
No discernible scent – a great choice for those who don’t like fragrance.
Key Ingredients
- Centella Asiatica – soothing, healing
- Niacinamide – lightening, brightening
- Madecassoside – increases collagen synthesis
Packaging
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair is packaged in a matte plastic tube, which makes it easy to distribute the right amount of cream. It has the traditional Dr. Jart+ design – it’s nothing fancy, but it’s functional!
Price
The more expensive option – $28 at time of writing – RRP $42.
Experience
I was sceptical about this cream, as the consistency looked too thick for my oily skin, but I was so pleasantly surprised by it!
Despite the thicker consistency, it absorbs quickly and well into the skin. It doesn’t leave any tackiness or excessive shininess. It leaves skin feeling matte, making it a great moisturiser to use underneath makeup.
The cream is soothing and nourishing, greatly helping to improve the moisture balance of my skin. It also helped balance my sebum production and made the redness in my cheeks a lot calmer.
VT Cosmetics Cica Cream
The VT Cosmetics Cica Cream is a soothing, non-oily, non-greasy gel-like cream that calms troubled skin and helps to hydrate and moisturise.
Texture
The gel consistency is cooling and lightweight while offering hydration and moisturisation.
Scent
The Cica Cream has a fairly strong fragrance that reminds me of aftershave.
Key Ingredients
- Centella Asiatica Extract – soothing and healing
- Madecassoside – increases collagen synthesis
- Panthenol – Vit B5 – soothing, moisturising
Packaging
The VT Cica Cream comes in a metal tube, which is nice to use when full, but these can get a bit fiddly and battered looking as you use more. It’s a simple design, but quite pleasing.
Price
The cheaper option – $20 at time of writing – RRP $28.60.
Experience
I expected to love this cream the most due to the gel consistency, which should theoretically suit my oily skin more. While this is still a great cream, there were a couple of things about it that I didn’t like as much.
For one, the fragrance is a little strong for me and I don’t particularly enjoy the scent. If it were fragrance-free, I would enjoy it a lot more.
It gives me a boost of hydration, but I find it takes a little while to absorb and can leave a bit of a tacky feeling behind. Using a bit too much makes my skin a bit shiny too.
Comparison: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair vs VT Cica Cream
Texture
Dr Jart+ – richer, nourishing cream but absorbs fast and doesn’t feel sticky or look shiny.
VT Cica – gel-like, soothing but slower to absorb and can feel tacky and look a bit shiny.
Scent
Dr Jart+ – no scent
VT Cica – noticeable fragrance, reminds me of aftershave
Ingredients
Dr Jart+ Cicapair has more added ingredients for additional benefits, such as niacinamide for brightening. VT Cica Cream is solely focussed on the healing and soothing power of cica.
Price
Dr Jart+ – more expensive option – $28 at time of writing – RRP $42.
VT Cica Cream – more affordable option – $20 at time of writing – RRP $28.60
Preference
I surprised myself and actually preferred the Dr Jart+ Cicapair – something I didn’t expect given the thickness of the cream vs my oily skin. The VT Cica Cream is still a fantastic product, but it isn’t quite right for my skin’s needs.
The Cicapair offers much faster absorption, a more matte finish and better sebum control than the VT Cica Cream. The VT Cream leaves my skin too dewy and tacky, and I believe it might suit dry and sensitive skin types better than my oily skin.
Which of these would you choose?