One Anua bottle says Heartleaf and the other says Rice. Next to it there is a serum with two percentages in the name. The packaging looks tidy; They can still leave a little mystery when making the decision.

Maybe you’re looking for something to take off makeup in the evening. Maybe you want a light layer under your cream in the morning. These are two different wishes. If we start with them, Anua will be much easier to get to know than if we try to fit the entire brand into a single recommendation.

What kind of brand is Anua?

Anua is a South Korean skincare brand. On its Korean website, it lists The Founders Inc. as a company based in Seoul. The range includes heartleaf, rice, ceramide and niacinamide. The names each highlight an ingredient or a care approach; they do not replace the full recipe. The origin and product range breakdown can be found on the Korean brand page .

You can get to know Heartleaf when cleaning in the evening or as a toner after washing. The cleansing oil is rinsed off; the toner remains on the skin as a liquid care step.

Heartleaf: What’s behind the name?

Heartleaf refers to Houttuynia cordata, often called Herzblatt in German. You can find the botanical name on the ingredients list of the Anua toner. This first clarifies which plant is meant. How the finished care turns out also depends on the other components.

In the well-known Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner, the number refers to the specified proportion of the heartleaf component. For the comparison with another plant extract, it would also be important to know how both extracts are composed. The pure percentage value does not yet answer which finished care product suits you better.

When making your selection, the more unspectacular question is often more useful: Do you want a watery care product, a cream or something to wash off?

If you want to remove make-up: the cleansing oil

The Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil is an oil cleanser. The formula combines, among other things, ethylhexyl palmitate with substances that allow rinsing with water and several vegetable oils. It also contains Fragrance. Anyone who consciously avoids fragrances should know this point before purchasing.

Shop and manufacturer describe the application similarly: apply gently to dry face with dry hands, add a little water until a milky mixture is formed and rinse thoroughly. The manufacturer then provides a water-based cleaner. Our article on double cleansing explains how you can judge whether two cleansing steps are right for your evening.

The moment with the water is particularly practical: the oil can then be removed as a milky mixture. When rinsing, pay attention to the hairline and the sides of the face, where something can easily be left behind. This gives this cleaning step a clear beginning and end.

If you are looking for a light care layer: the toner

The Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner is applied after cleansing and remains on the skin. In addition to heart leaf extract, the shop recipe includes glycerin, betaine and panthenol. You can spread it with your hands; A cotton pad is not absolutely necessary for this.

This makes it interesting as an additional watery layer if you like exactly this type of care. However, it neither removes make-up like the oil nor does it perform the same task as a cream. If you are satisfied with the cleansing and cream, there is no missing step to make up for.

If you are primarily concerned with the order, you will find more detailed orientation at Toner and Essence .

If you are looking for a cream: Ceramides and Panthenol

The Anua 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream leads us to a different texture. The shop and manufacturer name panthenol and the ceramides NP, AP and EOP. The recipe also contains, among other things, glycerin and squalane.

Ceramides belong to the lipids, i.e. fats, in the outer layer of the skin. We explain why they are used in care creams and why the entire formulation counts in the article about ceramides in skin care.

The cream completes your evening care routine. If you like to apply a layer of cream after a watery toner, you can try Anua’s combination of ceramides and panthenol here.

Especially when using a new cream, it is practical to keep the rest of the routine as familiar as possible. This way you’ll notice more quickly whether the texture is enough, too much or if it’s compatible with your usual sun protection the next morning.

Is Anua suitable for sensitive or impure skin?

Here it is particularly worth distinguishing between a brand and an individual product. The tested cleaning oil contains fragrance. Several plant extracts are listed for the toner. Even calmly designed packaging and words like “soothing” cannot exclude an individual reaction.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends testing new skin care products on small areas of skin first. For ordinary care she says seven to ten days; A product for washing off only remains on the skin according to its application. If there is a reaction, it should be rinsed off and not used again. The Guide to testing new care explains this in more detail. Such an attempt at home does not replace a medical diagnosis of allergies.

Also the question “Will Anua oil give me pimples?” does not have a one-size-fits-all answer. If new symptoms arise after a change, this is no reason to add several more products from the same series. Pause the new step and have persistent or significant symptoms classified professionally. If the burning sensation is severe, an additional “soothing” product is not a reliable immediate solution; our contribution to the skin barrier helps with the classification.

For an Anua routine, does everything have to be from Anua?

You can add a single Anua product to an existing routine. The order depends on the task: oil cleanser to wash off, toner as a light layer, cream to finish off the evening care. Appropriate sun protection is essential in the morning.

Before placing an order, place the products that you actually use next to each other. An existing toner gives you a good point of comparison: Should the new one be lighter, apply differently, or contain different ingredients? With a cream, you can also choose specifically based on the texture and how you want your skin to feel.

You can search the Anua selection at Bloom & Shine in this way for a specific step. Our overview of Korean skincare brands will help you include other brands and get to know textures and skincare approaches side by side.

What we know for sure

• Heartleaf oil and heartleaf toner have different recipes and tasks.
• The number 77 describes a specified ingredient in the recipe, not a promised effect.
• The tested cleaning oil contains fragrance. This does not mean that it is suitable for all sensitive skin.

Sources

• Anua Korea: company details and range
• Anua: Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, ingredients and application
• Anua: Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner, current US formulation
• Anua: 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream
• American Academy of Dermatology: testing new care products

Product pages and sources checked on September 8, 2026.