Sourcing Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) from Sri Lanka: A Buyer’s Guide

czerwiec 20, 2026

By the SriLankaExport.com Trade Desk · researched & fact-checked against primary sources

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), the “cica” of K-beauty and a classic Ayurvedic brain tonic, is one of the fastest-growing botanical ingredients in cosmetics and supplements. And it is genuinely Sri Lankan: Centella asiatica is native to Sri Lanka, where it has been an everyday leafy food (gotu kola sambol) and traditional remedy for centuries. For buyers, that native heritage plus cultivated, traceable supply is exactly the alternative the market is short of.

This guide is for cosmetic, nutraceutical and supplement buyers sourcing Sri Lankan gotu kola, leaf, powder and extract. It is sourcing and regulatory information, not medical or nutritional advice.

The origin opportunity. India dominates global Centella extract manufacturing, so most supply routes through one country. Sri Lanka is a native origin able to offer single-origin, cultivated leaf and powder: valuable if you want supply diversification, provenance, or to de-risk a single-country dependency.

What buyers actually buy: the centellosides

The value in Centella is its triterpenes (“centellosides”): asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Cosmetic and nutraceutical buyers purchase standardized extracts assayed to a stated total-triterpene (or specific-marker) percentage; food/superfood buyers purchase leaf powder. Specify which, and to what assay.

Form	Typical buyer	Spec to set
Dried leaf / cut	Tea, extraction feedstock	Species, leaf %, cleanliness
Leaf powder	Supplements, superfood	Particle size, moisture, microbiology
Standardized extract	Cosmetic (“cica”), nutraceutical	Total triterpenes % / asiaticoside + madecassoside %

The two sourcing risks to manage

1. Wild-harvest vs cultivated. Decades of over-collection have depleted wild Centella stocks. Ask whether your supply is cultivated and traceable rather than wild-harvested. It matters for sustainability claims, consistency and continuity of supply.

2. Contamination. As with any leaf botanical, demand a clean COA: heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg), pesticide residues and microbiology (TVC, Salmonella, yeast/mould) on the delivered lot.

Specifications to request

Species + part: Centella asiatica leaf/aerial part (not a substitute species).
Standardization (extract): total triterpenes / asiaticoside + madecassoside %, with the test method.
Cultivated & traceable declaration; Organic (USDA/EU) where required.
COA: heavy metals, pesticides, microbiology; moisture/particle for powder.
INCI / documentation: for cosmetic use, “Centella Asiatica Extract” (or leaf extract) with the supporting dossier.

Regulation & HS

For cosmetics, Centella extract is a well-established INCI ingredient; for supplements, no health claim is authorized by EFSA, so keep messaging claim-neutral (describe the ingredient, not effects). HS: dried leaf/powder commonly 1211.90, plant extracts 1302.19. Confirm with the HS code finder. Sri Lanka holds EU GSP+ for qualifying lines.

Bottom line: Sri Lanka is a native-origin, cultivated alternative for gotu kola, buy on species + standardization, insist on cultivated/traceable supply and a clean COA. Part of our Sri Lankan ingredient sourcing hub.

Source Sri Lankan gotu kola (Centella)

Tell us the form (leaf, powder, standardized extract), the assay and your volume. We’ll match you with Sri Lankan exporters and return firm quotes, free, no obligation.

Request a Gotu Kola Quote →

Disclaimer: General sourcing and regulatory information for trade buyers, not medical, nutritional or legal advice. No health claim is made about gotu kola; statements here have not been evaluated by the FDA or EFSA. Confirm standardization, contamination limits, cosmetic/novel-food status and tariff classification for your product and market before purchase.
Sources: Published botanical literature on Centella asiatica native range (incl. Sri Lanka), its centelloside compounds and wild-stock depletion; cosmetic-market data on Centella/“cica” growth; EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (health claims); WCO Harmonized System headings 1211 / 1302.

SLE

SriLankaExport.com Trade Desk

Export specialists at Harker International (Pvt) Ltd, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Every guide is researched and verified against customs tariffs, EDB data and the relevant international standards. Our editorial standards & team →