TECA, the concentrated centella behind Madeca cream: what it is, and how to read a number in ppm

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Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

CENTELLIAN 24 Madeca Cream Time Reverse

Centella asiatica — "cica" — turns up in a great many Korean skincare products, usually as a soothing extract somewhere in the ingredient list. TECA is something more specific, and it is what this cream is built around.

What TECA is

TECA stands for Titrated Extract of Centella Asiatica. Rather than a general plant extract, it is a concentrate of the four compounds in centella that are thought to do most of its work: madecassoside, asiaticoside, madecassic acid and asiatic acid. "Titrated" means the amount of those compounds is measured and standardised, so one batch matches the next.

The listing says it takes 100 kilograms of centella to make 2 kilograms of TECA, and that it was developed by Dongkook Pharmaceutical, a Korean company founded in 1968. TECA began life as a pharmaceutical ingredient before it became a cosmetic one, which is part of its reputation.

How to read 11,900 ppm

The listing gives the TECA content as 11,900 ppm — parts per million. Divide by 10,000 to get a percentage: 11,900 ppm is about 1.2%. For a concentrated plant extract, that is a meaningful amount, and it is to the brand's credit that the number is on the label at all. Most brands give no figure.

It is also a good general habit: whenever a label gives an ingredient in ppm, divide by 10,000 to see what it really is.

What else is in it

According to the listing: a peptide boost, collagen and hyaluronic acid for hydration, and a delivery system of layered liposomes — tiny fat-based bubbles — meant to release the TECA gradually. It is described as lightweight, fast-absorbing and non-greasy, for all skin types including sensitive.

What it is for

Centella's best-supported use in skincare is calming: skin that is red, irritated or stressed, or recovering from too many active ingredients. This is a moisturizer for that kind of skin, with a firming, revitalising story on top. We would weigh the calming and hydrating far more heavily than the "time reverse" in the name.

The other Madeca cream

Centellian also makes an Active Renew version with PDRN, aimed more at firmness. This one is the simpler, calmer of the two.

What it will not do

It will not turn back time, whatever the name says — it is a soothing, hydrating moisturizer. It will not fix a damaged barrier on its own if whatever damaged it continues; see our look at a ceramide barrier cream for that side of things. And it will not replace sunscreen.

The product

A lightweight Korean moisturizer built on a stated, concentrated dose of TECA. It suits sensitive, reactive or over-treated skin that wants calming and hydration without heaviness.

The one people are searching for is the CENTELLIAN 24 Madeca Cream Time Reverse.

CENTELLIAN 24 Madeca Cream Time Reverse

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by JamieG in Garner Town, Tennessee.