Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract is an INCI name — the standardised identity used to declare a cosmetic ingredient on a label. It tells a regulator, a formulator, and a consumer which plant and which plant part the material came from. It tells you almost nothing about what you are buying.
That gap is the single most common source of mismatched expectations in this category, and it is worth understanding before you write a purchase order against an INCI name.
What an INCI name is
INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It is a standardised naming system used on cosmetic ingredient declarations in the EU, the United States, and many other markets, so that the same material carries the same name regardless of who supplies it or which language the packaging is in. In the EU the corresponding entries are maintained in the CosIng database.
For an ingredient to be declared on a cosmetic label, it must be declared under its INCI name. That makes the INCI name a labelling identity, and labelling identity is a narrower thing than a specification.
The plant part is part of the name
Centella asiatica materials appear under several INCI names, and the difference between them is which part of the plant was extracted:
| INCI name | What it denotes |
|---|---|
| Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract | Extract of the leaf specifically |
| Centella Asiatica Extract | Extract of the plant, without the plant part narrowed to the leaf |
| Centella Asiatica Root Extract | Extract of the root |
These are not interchangeable on a label. If your artwork declares Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract and the material you receive is documented as Centella Asiatica Extract, your declaration and your documentation no longer agree — which is a compliance problem before it is a technical one.
Decide which INCI name you intend to declare before you request quotations, and state it in the RFQ. Suppliers can usually confirm which applies to a given grade, but only if asked.
What the INCI name does not tell you
This is the part that catches buyers out. An INCI name carries no information about:
- Marker compound content. Two materials both correctly declared as Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract can be a 10% total-triterpene grade and an 80% grade. Same INCI, very different material, very different price.
- Which marker. Asiaticoside, madecassoside, or the isolated genins — the INCI name does not distinguish between them.
- Extraction ratio or solvent. A 10:1 ratio extract and a standardised extract can share an INCI name.
- Assay method. Nothing in the name commits the supplier to HPLC or to any reference standard.
- Physical form, particle size, or solubility.
- Grade or intended application. Cosmetic-grade and food-grade material can share nomenclature while carrying entirely different documentation.
Put simply: the INCI name identifies the ingredient for the label; the specification defines what you are actually buying. You need both, and they do different jobs.
How the two fit together in practice
A complete request pairs the labelling identity with the technical requirement. For example:
“Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract (INCI), standardised to asiaticoside 20% by HPLC, powder, for a leave-on cosmetic formulation, destination market EU.”
That single line tells a supplier which INCI they must be able to support on documentation, which marker and level to quote against, the physical form, the application, and the regulatory context. It is the difference between a comparable quotation and a guess.
Check the documentation matches the declaration
Before committing to volume, confirm that the INCI name on the supplier’s specification sheet and certificate of analysis is the one you intend to declare on the finished product. Mismatches are usually administrative rather than deliberate — a supplier documenting the broader name while you declare the narrower one, or vice versa — but they are easier to resolve before a shipment than after.
Where the material is going into a market with its own registration or notification requirements, confirm the nomenclature is acceptable there as well. Permitted status, permitted use levels, and labelling requirements vary by destination and are the buyer’s responsibility to confirm for the market being supplied.
What to include in your RFQ
- The INCI name you intend to declare — state it explicitly rather than leaving it to the supplier to assume.
- The marker compound and percentage — for example asiaticoside 20%, or total triterpenes 40%.
- Assay method — HPLC, plus any reference standard or monograph.
- Physical form — powder or water-soluble powder; particle size if relevant.
- Application and destination market — which drives both documentation and permitted use.
- Annual volume.
- Documentation required — certificate of analysis showing the method, specification sheet, and safety data sheet, each carrying the INCI name you will declare.
Regulatory note
Centella asiatica derivatives are traded for cosmetic and for food or supplement applications, and the two routes carry different documentation and different permitted-use rules by market. INCI nomenclature applies to the cosmetic route; food and supplement applications use different identification conventions. Confirm which applies to your product and market before ordering. A supplier specification does not substitute for that check.
Sourcing to an INCI name through SpecNexa
SpecNexa lists Gotu Kola / Centella asiatica extract across the full supplier-declared grade range, from 10% total triterpenes through to high-purity glycosides and isolated acids. Include the INCI name you intend to declare alongside your technical specification in your request, and both can be confirmed before you commit.
All specification information is supplier-declared and provided for sourcing discovery. Buyers should confirm the final agreed specification, including INCI nomenclature, assay method, grade, and batch documentation, directly with the contracting supplier.