The Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass collection is the most popular line by this K-beauty brand, and for good reason. Centella asiatica, also known as “cica” and “tiger grass”, is an excellent ingredient that provides benefits like soothing irritated skin, reducing redness, increasing hydration, and even helping to promote firmer, more youthful skin.
While we know cica is good for your skin, what about the other ingredients in the Dr. Jart Cicapair collection? We’re going to discuss those ingredients, as well as the other formulation details, in this Dr. Jart Cicapair review.
We’ll also share some Dr. Jart Cicapair reviews from real customers so that you can get a better idea of how well these products perform.
What Are The Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Products?
The Dr. Jart Cicapair collection consists of 8 products, and below we’ll give you the details on each of these products.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30
If there’s one product you’ve heard of from the Cicapair collection, it’s the Color Correcting Treatment. This cream has a mint hue that “warms up” to a more natural-looking beige color once applied, blending seamlessly into the skin to neutralize redness and impart a healthy glow.
We like that this cream includes two mineral sunscreen ingredients (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) in order to provide broad spectrum SPF 30 protection. Plus, the tint of this cream should help to disguise the dreaded white cast that comes along with mineral sunscreens.
The formula includes a high concentration of tiger grass water, the key ingredient that reduces redness and soothes the skin. We’ll give you the full breakdown on tiger grass in the Key Ingredients section below.
In addition to reducing inflammation that contributes to redness, Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment helps to conceal redness with its green color. That’s because colors that are opposite of one another on the color wheel — like red and green — cancel each other out.
You’ll also notice that this silky cream helps to smooth your skin texture, reducing the appearance of minor imperfections and wrinkles. These effects are due to the high concentrations of several different silicones, such as cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone.
Of note, there are a few fragrant essential oils in this cream, which have the potential to cause skin sensitivity reactions.
Bottom Line: A silky cream that works like a tinted moisturizer, transforming from mint green to beige in order to disguise redness while also reducing inflammation thanks to tiger grass extract.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Cream is a typical moisturizer in many ways; the formula includes humectants to draw moisture into the upper layers of skin, as well as emollients like shea butter and macadamia seed oil to help soften skin and lock in moisture.
One way that it stands out from other moisturizers is with the brand’s proprietary ingredient “Jartbiome”, which is said to support the skin’s microbiome.
The microbiome is a population of many types of bacteria (over 10,000 different species) that are both good and bad. When there’s more bad bacteria than good, skin conditions like acne, sensitive skin, and bumpy, uneven skin texture can develop.
Thus, keeping the microbiome balanced is critical in maintaining healthy skin, and Jartbiome can help maintain this balance.
Interestingly, even though this product is included in the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass collection, the concentration of tiger grass extract (Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract) in this product is quite low — less than 1%.
Bottom Line: A lightweight moisturizer that includes humectants and emollients to soften and moisturize, while Jartbiome helps keep the microbiome balanced.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask
If you’re struggling with dry patches or dullness, or your skin could just use an extra dose of hydration, then a sleeping mask is the way to go.
Sleeping masks are designed to be applied as the final step of your skincare routine in order to lock in moisture while also creating a permeable seal on top of your skin to help the products underneath it penetrate better.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Sleepair Intensive Mask creates this seal with silicones like caprylyl methicone and vinyl dimethicone. These ingredients not only help to lock in moisture and allow other ingredients to penetrate the skin better, they also contribute to the mask’s silky texture that’s non-greasy and non-tacky.
The formula also includes beneficial ingredients like niacinamide, probiotics, algae extract, and soybean peptides. And once again, this is another product in the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass collection that contains a very low concentration of tiger grass extract.
Bottom Line: A sleeping mask that creates a permeable seal and locks in moisture with silicones, while also providing skin with beneficial ingredients like niacinamide, probiotics, algae extract, and soybean peptides.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Enzyme Foam Cleanser
This Dr. Jart cleanser has a creamy texture that lathers into a foam once combined with water. It’s formulated like most other cleansers on the market, combining the humectant glycerin with water and surfactants like sodium cocoyl isethionate, coco-betaine, and more.
A surfactant molecule contains one end that is hydrophilic (attracted to water) and one end that is lipophilic (attracted to oil). This allows surfactants to attract and suspend oils, dirt, and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin and wash them away.
There’s a few antioxidant-rich plant extracts in this cleanser, such as Chinaberry flower extract and cocoa seed extract, as well as probiotics to support the skin’s microbiome.
And there’s a low concentration of tiger grass extract in this cleanser, which is unfortunate since this extract is so soothing. We wish the brand would include more of this beneficial ingredient!
Bottom Line: A creamy cleanser that lathers into a light foam, clearing away makeup and excess oil with the help of surfactants.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Serum
We were disappointed (once again) to find a very low concentration of tiger grass extract in the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Serum. What’s worse is the fact that there’s more fragrant essential oils — like lavender and bergamot — in this serum than there is tiger grass extract!
The one thing this serum has going for it is that it includes a decent amount of niacinamide, which is one of the best skincare ingredients, in our opinion. And there’s research to back it up.
For example, a publication in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, states that niacinamide can repair the skin barrier and improve skin moisture, as well as reduce inflammation, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation, excess oil, and wrinkling.
Niacinamide is able to provide all these benefits because it’s a potent antioxidant.
Antioxidants protect skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that can attack important cellular components — such as DNA, cell membranes, and proteins like collagen — causing damage. This damage is known as “oxidative stress” and over time this stress can lead to signs of aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration.
Bottom Line: Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Serum includes a high concentration of niacinamide, a multi-tasking ingredient that offers many benefits, yet the formula includes a very low concentration of tiger grass extract.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Camo Drops SPF 35
This is a silicone-based serum with a silky, ultra-lightweight texture that helps to soothe irritated skin while also correcting redness and imperfections.
Unlike most of the products in the Cicapair Tiger Grass collection, this serum actually contains a decent amount of tiger grass extract — it’s the second highest concentration ingredient! Plus, tiger grass is combined with niacinamide, another ingredient that soothes skin while also promoting a more even skin tone.
Another way this serum helps to promote a brighter skin tone is with synthetic fluorphlogopite. This synthetic mineral adds a subtle shimmering effect and reflects light from the face to disguise imperfections and create radiance.
Of note, there are quite a few fragrant essential oils in this serum, which have the potential to cause skin sensitivity reactions.
Bottom Line: A silicone-based serum that combines tiger grass extract with niacinamide to create a serum that soothes, hydrates, and brightens the skin.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream
We’re beginning to think that Dr. Jart should rename this collection as their “Niacinamide” products, rather than calling them “Cicapair Tiger Grass”. Why? Well, the theme we’re noticing is that the product formulations include high concentrations of niacinamide — which is great, don’t get us wrong — yet very low concentrations of tiger grass extract.
In fact, Centella Asiatica extract (aka cica or tiger grass) is the very LAST ingredient on this product’s ingredient list — which means it’s the lowest concentration ingredient!
Despite the misleading name, this cream should help to moisturize skin and reduce blotchiness, hyperpigmentation, excess oil, and signs of aging, all because of the high concentration of niacinamide in the formula.
But one thing to keep in mind is that this “calming” cream is another Dr. Jart product that includes fragrant essential oils, such as bergamot and lavender, which have the potential to cause skin sensitivity reactions.
Bottom Line: Another cream from the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass collection that contains a high concentration of niacinamide and a very low concentration of tiger grass extract.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Mist
If you like the idea of using a facial mist to hydrate and refresh your skin, Dr. Jart’s Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Mist could be a good option for you.
The formula contains many of the same ingredients as the other products in this line, such as humectants, niacinamide, and botanical extracts. That means there’s also the same problematic essential oils, such as lavender and bergamot.
And similar to other products in the line, there’s a very low concentration of tiger grass extract.
Bottom Line: A facial mist that will hydrate the skin with moisture-binding humectants while also promoting a brighter, more even complexion thanks to niacinamide.
Is The Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment Right For You?
We mentioned that Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment is the most popular product in the Cicapair line, but is it right for you? Here’s a summary of the most important factors to consider before splurging on this product:
- Key ingredients? Centella Asiatica (aka tiger grass) leaf water, silicones, mineral sunscreens
- SPF? 30
- Skin type? Recommended for all; ideal for those with redness and uneven skin tone
- Texture? Silky, lightweight cream
- Fragrance? Yes
- Cruelty free? No
- Cost? $52 USD for 1.7 fl oz
- EWG Rating? 3
What Are The Key Ingredients in Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Skincare Products?
The Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass products are named after Centella asiatica, which is also known as “cica” and “tiger grass”, a perennial plant native to the wetlands in Asia. It’s been used for centuries in traditional Asian medicine to speed wound healing and reduce inflammation.
According to a publication in the journal Advances in Dermatology and Allergology ,the most important compounds in tiger grass are asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid, due to their pharmacological activity as pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins.
Due to these components, tiger grass extract possesses antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help calm and repair skin. That’s why tiger grass skin care products are often marketed for those with sensitive skin, dry skin, and conditions such as rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis.
Furthermore, several scientific reports have shown that these compounds can increase the amount of collagen in skin.
For example, a 2006 study published in Planta Medica discovered that asiaticoside induces human collagen I synthesis through TGFbeta receptor I kinase (TbetaRI kinase)-independent Smad signaling.
Collagen is the main structural protein found abundantly in the skin’s extracellular space, as well as many other parts of the body. It is what gives our skin strength and firmness.
Thus, by increasing collagen production, the products in the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass collection should help to promote a more firm, youthful appearance.
How Much Do Dr. Jart Cicapair Skincare Products Cost?
Dr. Jart Cicapair skincare products are mid-range in terms of cost; they aren’t cheap but they are ridiculously expensive. For example, the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment costs $52 USD for 1.7 fl oz.
Where to Buy Dr. Jart Cicapair Skincare Products?
Dr. Jart Cicapair skincare products are sold on the brand’s website, as well as several third party online retailers such as Sephora, Amazon, and more.
Is Dr. Jart Cruelty Free?
Dr. Jart is not cruelty free because Dr. Jart skin care products are sold in mainland China where animal testing is required by law.
Is Dr. Jart Vegan?
While Dr. Jart may offer some products that are suitable for vegans, this is not a 100% vegan brand because animal-derived ingredients (i.e. beeswax, lanolin) are used in some products.
Dr. Jart Cicapair Reviews
There aren’t many Dr. Jart Cicapair reviews on the brand’s website, so we went over to Sephora.com to evaluate customer reviews for these products.
One product that has received plenty of positive feedback is the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment, which has earned an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars after more than 4,000 customer reviews.
The positive reviews for the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment mention how well it reduces the appearance of redness while also moisturizing without feeling greasy.
However, there are a handful of negative reviews for the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment from customers who found the texture to be way too heavy. And others noticed that it left a green/white cast on their skin.
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that most of the Dr. Jart Cicapair products are formulated well, primarily because most of the formulations contain a high concentration of niacinamide.
Pros
- Most products contain a high concentration of niacinamide
- Some products contain a high concentration of tiger grass extract
- Many positive Dr. Jart Cicapair reviews
Cons
- Dr. Jart is not cruelty free
- Most Dr. Jart products contain fragrant essential oils, which could lead to skin sensitivity reactions
- Several of the products in the Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass collection contain very low concentrations of tiger grass extract
References:
J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2010 Feb; 3(2): 22–41
Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2013 Feb; 30(1): 46–49.
Planta Med 2006 Mar;72(4):324-8.
