Ingredient / Inhaltsstoff

Gotu Kola Leaf Tincture

Centella asiatica

This tincture is a concentrated extract of gotu kola, a powerful plant with interesting properties for skin care.

What is a tincture?

Tincture is a popular method for obtaining a concentrated plant extract. Raw plant parts, rich in active ingredients such as gotu kola leaves, are steeped in pure alcohol. After several days or weeks of soaking, the plants are removed, and the resulting mixture can be used for several months, unlike infusions and decoctions which tend to spoil quickly.

Where does Lush purchase gotu kola tincture?

Lush UK* purchases a tincture made in England with gotu kola plants grown in Zimbabwe. The alcohol used for the tincture is organic grain ethanol.

*With several manufacturing sites across the globe, information may vary depending on where your Lush products were made.

What is gotu kola, and what are its benefits for the skin?

Gotu kola is a highly nutritious green plant native to Asia, growing in wetlands. It is commonly used in Eastern cuisine, but it’s also been used for centuries to treat wounds and skin conditions, particularly in Ayurvedic medicine. 

Modern medicine has attempted to prove the plant’s alleged properties, and it appears that gotu kola contains several interesting active compounds. Asiaticoside, for example, promotes collagen synthesis and supports tissue repair, which is great for mature skin. The plant also showed the ability to break down fats and activate microcirculation, which could help reduce cellulite when applied topically*.

*Source: Crina, E et al 2022. Review: vegetable oil and butters, their anticellulitic effect, composition, mechanism of action and clinical trials. Academy of Romanian Scientists, Volume 11, No. 2.