This product was sent to me by StyleKorean for review purposes. I was not paid for this post but please note that affiliate links are used on my blog. These go towards supporting Oh My Stellar and future content.
Centella Asiatica, also known as Cica or Tiger Grass, is one of my all time favourite skincare ingredients – it’s pretty much a god send for sensitized or acne prone skin as it helps to calm and heal at the same time. I’ve used a lot of products formulated with Cica but, to be honest, I can never have enough! For this review, I will be doing something a little bit different and actually comparing two very popular Cica creams – the VT Cosmetics Cica Cream (which I have previously reviewed here but will discuss again) and the Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Cream.
Both of these products are currently available on StyleKorean, with the VT Cosmetics Cica Cream at USD$14.30 (on sale from USD$28.60) and the Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Cream at USD$25 (on sale from USD$42). Aside from the different price points, I also think that both of these have very different formulas that would be better for contrasting skin types – I have my personal preferences, of course, but you need to decide what’s best for you too!
So, before you make any decision on what to get – let’s get right into this review!
Cica Cream (VT Cosmetics) | USD$14.30 (on sale from USD$28.30)
The Cica Cream is a gel-type product which claims to have gentle, soothing formula. This contains Cicaliao, which is a VT Cosmetics trademarked ingredient containing a trio of Centella Asiatica Extract, Centella 4x Complex and Green Propolis Extract.
This product contains three types of ‘care’ (Calming, Moisturising and Hydrating) through three ingredients: Beta-Glucan for hydration, Ceramide NP to improve water retention and Panthenol (B5) for calming benefits. It also uses a Layering Moisture System to provide maximum moisture to the skin, deeply hydrating in a lightweight formula
Packaging wise, the Cica Cream comes in a metal tube (which is similar to Dr.Jart+ but with a different material and glossy finish). The print is decent – simple though not very exciting – and I like that it also stands upright on my vanity easily. This sort of lightweight packaging is also suitable good for travel, although it does have a tendency to get a bit battered once you’re nearing the end.
Personal Experiences
From a hypothetical perspective, this Cica Cream should have been really good for me – however, it’s just not the most suitable for me. It gives an immediate soothing effect as well as a long lasting, boost of hydration to the skin.
However, I find that this has a slight tackiness on first application and takes quite a while to fully absorb. In addition, this does absolutely nothing to control my sebum production (which is one of the product claims) and I sometimes feel a bit shinier in the afternoon too.
Here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A gel-type cream with soothing, hydration and moisturising benefits
THE GOOD
- Light, fresh scent
- Convenient and easy to use packaging
- Immediate soothing benefits
- Smoothes on easily over skin
- Deeply hydrates with longer lasting effects
THE BAD
- Slight tacky finish
- Slow to absorb
- No noticeable skin re-balancing benefit
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 3/5
- PACKAGING | 4/5
- FINISH/TEXTURE | 3/5
- SOOTHING | 4/5
- HYDRATION/MOISTURE | 4/5
- OIL REBALANCING | 1/5
OVERALL RATING? 6.7/10
THOUGHTS? Since my first review for this, I actually continued to use this product. However, it’s now being neglected on my vanity because I found a product that I like more (read on hehe). I think that people with dry or dry-leaning combination skin will like this more than I did.
Cicapair Cream (Dr.Jart+) | USD$25 (on sale from USD$42)
In comparison, the Cicapair Cream also claims to calm sensitive skin, reduce redness, and soothe irritation. It has a denser, cream formula and contains Jartbiome (a balancing agent to replenish your natural microbiome to calm environmental irritants), Centella Rx (containing a number of reparative extracts to provide instant relief and boost antioxidant protection) and Cicabond (proteins and minerals to support skin renewal and rebuild a stronger skin barrier).
The product claims for this are pretty simple: moisturised skin, soothed sensitivity and improved vitality. This is also primarily targeted to people concerned with dryness, irritation and sensitive skin.
Packaging wise, this comes in a matte plastic tube instead of the metal, meaning that this is less likely to get overly messy at the end. There’s some firmness to the material, so it will still bend and shape like a metal tube, but to a lesser extent – it’s a bit hard to explain, to be honest! In comparison to the Cica Cream, this has a more luxe, cosmeceutical vibe which I prefer.
Personal Experiences
When I first saw the dense, creamy texture of this, I was admittedly concerned. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of light, gel formulas and that rich creams have a tendency to break me out. However, with the high reputation of Dr.Jart+, I gave this a solid shot anyway and… everyone, I am in love. I can’t believe that this product, which is primarily targeted for dry skin, actually works so perfectly on me!
The creamy and dense formula provides a very soothing and nourishing experience on first application. However, the product absorbs perfectly into skin and with zero tackiness. There is also no excessive dewiness left over, which means that this is really easy to use underneath make up.
I also found that my sebum and moisture levels were better balanced by the end of the day – although it still isn’t perfect, there is significant improvement. The irritation that I had left over from my recent break outs also calmed down significantly. This cream was able to minimise that redness even without the gel-type cooling sensation.
Here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A rich cream with calming and soothing benefits
THE GOOD
- Minimal to no scent
- Convenient and easy to use packaging
- Immediately moisturising and nourishing on application
- Absorbs well with no tackiness or excessive shine
- Re-balances sebum production through moisturising
- Calms irritation and redness
- Great product to use under make up
THE BAD
- Formula is a bit dense and harder to smooth over skin
- Can be hard to layer over other products
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 2/5
- PACKAGING | 5/5
- FINISH/TEXTURE | 5/5
- SOOTHING | 5/5
- HYDRATION/MOISTURE | 4/5
- OIL REBALANCING | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 8.3/10
THOUGHTS? I am so impressed with this product – the Cicapair Cream definitely proved all of my initial concerns wrong and delivered on all of the claims. I’ll be continuing to use this as a day cream (I believe it is intended for night but I find it hard to layer a dense cream like this over the rest of my evening routine), as it’s been working super well underneath my make up, or even on no make up days.
Comparison
Although both of these are Cica based cream products, the formula and finish of these couldn’t possibly be more different! If you view the photos above, you can see how the VT Cosmetics Cica Cream gives a more dewy, wet skin finish whilst the Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Cream looks supple but without any evident shine. The latter definitely worked better for my skin, but I think that they both have pros and cons – it is really up to you as an individual, as well as what your skin type is.
Here’s a few points for your consideration:
- Do you want something with a gel or cream consistency? Both are great for soothing skin, but the VT’s gel consistency gives an immediate cooling effecting whilst the Dr.Jart+ feels more nourishing on application.
- Do you want to layer your skincare? The VT is more spreadable and easier to layer, whilst the Dr.Jart+ is more dense – you will need to wait for previous skincare to absorb before applying this.
- Do you want something fast absorbing or something that will treat your skin throughout the day? The Dr.Jart+ absorbs much faster and keeps skin hydrated from the inside, whilst the VT works by forming a moisture layer over your skin.
- What’s your skin type? If your skin gets dehydrated or dry throughout the day, the VT’s moisture layer will help to protect it. If you get oily though, the Dr.Jart+ has much better oil balancing properties.
- What about price point? The VT is more affordable but Dr.Jart+ is a more established brand.
My personal winner is the Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Cream – although it is more expensive, the brand is a well established skincare brand that I have trust in. In addition, the actual formula works a lot better for my skin type and manages to tick most of the boxes for me!
And that’s my comparison of the VT Cosmetics Cica Cream and the Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Cream! Have you thought about which one you want to try out, or are you already using one of these? Definitely let me know because I’m always keen to hear different experiences.
For those wanting to purchase these, head on over to StyleKorean for all of your kbeauty needs!
