Madeca Cream review: Power Boosting for most, Time Reverse if you want retinol
Updated October 22, 2026
For most shoppers, the best first Madeca Cream is the Power Boosting Formula: at $13.99 it is the everyday version, with centella, ceramide and peptides and no retinol on the label. Choose Time Reverse if you want a little retinol built into your moisturizer, Time Reverse Zero if you're oily and want that idea in a lighter cream, and Hydra Calming if you want the jar Centellian24 positions as its lightweight, cooling option.
Madeca Cream isn't one product. Centellian24, the skincare brand built on Dongkook Pharmaceutical's centella technology, sells it in several formulas that share a centella base and then add different extras. That is why reviews online can seem to disagree: they are often describing different jars.
This is a researched comparison of current US brand and retailer information, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested these creams; texture descriptions are Centellian24's, and the buying advice comes from comparing the ingredient lists, directions, sizes and prices on our product pages and the brand's site.
What is Madeca Cream?
Madeca Cream is Centellian24's family of leave-on face moisturizers built around TECA, short for titrated extract of Centella asiatica. TECA is a standardized trio of compounds from the centella plant: madecassic acid, asiaticoside and asiatic acid. Every jar version below lists all three, alongside niacinamide, panthenol, ceramide NP and at least one form of hyaluronic acid.
Those supporting names each have a plain job. Centella asiatica (often called cica) is the calming, comfort-focused botanical Korean skincare leans on. Niacinamide is vitamin B3, used for the look of uneven tone. Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), glycerin and hyaluronic acid draw water into the skin, and ceramide NP is one of the lipids skin uses to hold onto it. So every Madeca Cream is a barrier-supporting moisturizer first; the version name tells you what was added on top.
The brand releases the formula in "seasons". Our listing labels the Power Boosting Formula as Season 4, and the brand store's product URL labels Time Reverse as Season 7. Newer doesn't automatically mean better for you. It means a different ingredient set and, in this case, a higher price.
The Madeca Cream versions, compared
Here is what each version adds, with the size and Sleepy Hello price checked October 2026.
Madeca Cream Power Boosting Formula (Season 4), 50 ml, $13.99, about $0.28 per ml. The list opens with water, dipropylene glycol, hydrogenated polydecene, glycerin and caprylic/capric triglyceride, then niacinamide and soluble collagen. It adds four peptides, three of which the brand highlights (acetyl hexapeptide-8, palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7), plus elastin, cholesterol and ceramide NP. Centellian24 says it absorbs lightly without a burdensome feel and suits all skin types.
Madeca Cream Time Reverse, 50 ml, $26.99, about $0.54 per ml. A similar base, with madecassoside (a fourth centella compound), retinol, sodium DNA (the label name used for PDRN-type ingredients), ectoin, caffeine, resveratrol, hydrolyzed elastin and several forms of hyaluronic acid. The brand describes a white cream that is creamy yet light, absorbs within seconds and leaves a velvety, slightly dewy finish.
Madeca Cream Time Reverse Zero, 80 ml, $28.99, about $0.36 per ml. It shares many of Time Reverse's extras (retinol, sodium DNA, caffeine, ceramide NP) and centers on what the brand calls Blue Active-TECA. Centellian24 recommends it for sensitive, oily or acne-prone skin and describes a soft, lightweight cream that absorbs quickly without stickiness and sits easily under makeup.
Madeca Cream Hydra Calming, 50 ml, $26.99, about $0.54 per ml. The only version whose list starts with centella leaf water instead of water. It adds moisture capsules the brand calls Hydra-TECA, ectoin, caffeine, shea butter, six ceramides (NP, NG, NS, AS, AP and EOP) and many hyaluronic acid forms. The brand pitches it for skin that feels hot or heat-stressed, with a cooling, non-sticky finish.
Expert Madeca Cream Active Renew PDRN, 50 ml, $31.99, about $0.64 per ml. The brand's intensive, elasticity-focused cream: a TECA-PDRN complex stated at 20,000 ppm, with sodium DNA stated at 2,000 ppm, plus rose water, glutathione, caffeine and ceramide NP. Centellian24 describes a peach-colored cream that spreads, then sets into a firm, elastic, wrapping finish.
There is also a Madeca Cream Stick, 10 g, at $18.00. It's a different kind of product: a balm built on bamboo sap and oils for gliding over dry patches, before or after makeup. The brand states 25% centella extract and 500 ppm TECA, but centella extract sits well down the printed list and the madecassic acid, asiaticoside and asiatic acid trio isn't named. The list also includes glycolic acid, tea tree leaf oil and a UV-filter ingredient (diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate), yet the stick makes no SPF claim, so it doesn't replace sunscreen.
What is the difference between Madeca Cream Time Reverse and Power Boosting?
Time Reverse is the newer, pricier, multi-extra version with retinol; Power Boosting is the cheaper peptide version without it. Both are final-step face creams on the same kind of centella, niacinamide and ceramide base, and both include an essential-oil blend.
The added ingredients point them at slightly different jobs. Power Boosting leans on peptides, soluble collagen and elastin, and Centellian24 frames it around deep hydration, barrier support and the look of fine lines and firmness. Time Reverse adds retinol, sodium DNA, ectoin, caffeine and resveratrol, and the brand widens the target to fine lines, firmness, uneven tone and dullness in one step.
Texture, by the brand's descriptions, is close. Power Boosting "absorbs lightly without a burdensome feel"; Time Reverse is "creamy yet light" with a velvety, slightly dewy finish. The directions differ a little: Time Reverse is written for morning and night on the face and neck, with an optional thicker layer overnight, while Power Boosting simply says to spread it over the face as the final step.
Price is the clearest gap. Power Boosting is $13.99 for 50 ml and Time Reverse is $26.99 for the same size, so Time Reverse costs almost twice as much per ml.
Pick Power Boosting if you want an affordable daily centella cream, you'd rather keep retinol out of your moisturizer, or you already use a separate retinoid serum.
Pick Time Reverse if you want one cream that covers hydration plus some retinol (likely a small amount, though Centellian24 doesn't publish the percentage), and you aren't using another retinoid.
Does Madeca Cream have retinol?
Some versions do. Retinol is on the ingredient lists of Time Reverse and Time Reverse Zero, and Expert Madeca Cream Signature lists retinal (retinaldehyde, a closely related vitamin A ingredient). Power Boosting, Hydra Calming, Expert Active Renew PDRN, Expert Radiance and the Madeca Cream Stick show no retinol or retinal on the lists printed on our product pages, checked October 2026.
Centellian24 doesn't publish a retinol percentage for any of them. In Time Reverse and Time Reverse Zero, retinol sits in roughly the last third of a long ingredient list, which likely means a small amount; that is our reading of the list, not a figure the brand states. So think of these creams as moisturizers that include some retinol, not as a substitute for a dedicated retinol serum.
Two practical rules follow. If you already use a retinol or retinal serum, choose a no-retinol Madeca Cream so you aren't doubling up without meaning to. If you've been advised to avoid vitamin A ingredients, for example during pregnancy, pick Power Boosting or Hydra Calming and check with your doctor.
Which Madeca Cream is best for dry skin?
For dry skin, we'd start with Time Reverse if you're comfortable with retinol, or Expert Active Renew PDRN if you'd rather skip it. Centellian24 says Time Reverse suits dry and dehydrated skin, suggests about two knuckle-lengths for dry skin (versus one for oily) and allows a thicker overnight layer. Active Renew PDRN is pitched for skin that feels dry, sensitive or stressed, with a firm, wrapping finish and an optional double-quantity evening layer used like a sleeping mask.
Expert Madeca Cream Signature is the brand's richest-sounding option and is pitched for skin that feels dry, though the brand says it suits all skin types; it was out of stock when we checked. Power Boosting can still work for mildly dry skin as a budget pick; the brand describes it as light, so you may want more than one layer on drier areas.
Hydra Calming is better thought of as the dehydrated-skin pick for warm weather. Its capsules, humectants and six ceramides target that tight, thirsty feeling, but the brand's own focus is a cooling, non-sticky finish rather than richness. If your skin is very dry and reacts easily, our Korean moisturizer for sensitive skin roundup has more options to compare, including how to check for fragrance-free labels.
How do you use Madeca Cream?
Use it as the last step of your skincare routine, after toner and serum, and leave it on. The directions on our product pages for each version agree on the basics:
Cleanse, then apply toner and any serum or ampoule.
Take an appropriate amount. For Time Reverse, the brand suggests about one knuckle-length of cream for oily skin and two for dry skin.
Spread it evenly over your face (Time Reverse and Radiance also include the neck), then pat gently until absorbed.
At night, you can apply a thicker layer of Time Reverse, or about twice your usual amount of Active Renew PDRN, as an overnight final step.
In the morning, follow with sunscreen. Time Reverse's directions say so explicitly, and it matters more for the retinol versions.
If retinol is new to you, a cautious approach with Time Reverse or Time Reverse Zero is to start with evening use only for the first couple of weeks, then add mornings if your skin stays comfortable. Time Reverse's directions say morning and night; this is simply our suggestion for easing in. Try any new cream on a small area for a few days before using it all over.
Madeca Cream layers easily because it's the final step. A centella serum underneath, such as the one in our SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule review, keeps the routine on the same theme. Avoid stacking it with a separate retinoid if you've chosen a retinol version.
Quick answers
Is Madeca Cream a moisturizer?
Yes. Every jar version is a face moisturizer for the final step of your routine, and each product page describes it as a leave-on face cream or moisturizer. The Madeca Cream Stick is a moisturizing balm in stick form.
Is Madeca Cream good?
It's a well-built, barrier-focused cream line at fair prices, and Power Boosting at $13.99 is good value for a 50 ml jar with ceramide, peptides and TECA. The main drawback is fragrance: every version lists essential oils, which not everyone wants on easily irritated skin.
Is Madeca Cream fragrance-free?
No. Every version we stock lists essential oils. Most jars include oils such as lavender, orange or bergamot; Hydra Calming lists lemon peel, rosemary, Siberian fir, peppermint and Cymbopogon schoenanthus oils; and the Stick lists tea tree leaf oil. Several also list fragrance components such as limonene, linalool or citral. Our Korean skincare for sensitive skin guide explains how to read these labels.
Is Madeca Cream good for oily or acne-prone skin?
Time Reverse Zero is the version Centellian24 recommends for oily, sensitive or acne-prone skin, and Hydra Calming and Expert Radiance are described as lightweight too. Use a smaller amount than you would on dry skin; the brand's one-knuckle guide for oily skin is a sensible starting point.
Where can you buy Madeca Cream in the US?
These are on Sleepy Hello, priced as of October 2026:
Aestura Atobarrier 365 is the face pick for very dry skin; Illiyoon Ceramide Ato is $0.10/ml for face and body. Formulas, texture and price compared.
Expert Madeca Cream Signature, 50 ml, $40.00, out of stock when we checked. Rich but not heavy in the brand's words, pitched for skin that feels dry, with retinal, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), ectoin and milk lipids.
Expert Madeca Cream Radiance, 50 ml, $40.00. A lightweight, glow-focused cream with what the brand calls a 1% TECA-SHOT blend of TECA and vitamins C, D and E.
Madeca Cream Review: Which Centellian24 Version? | Sleepy Hello
