Brand Review
Anua Heartleaf, Reviewed: Which Products In The Range Are Actually Worth It
If you've spent any time on K-beauty TikTok, you've seen the plain glass bottle with the green cap: Anua's Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner. It turned Anua from a niche name into one of the most searched Korean skincare brands in South Africa. But a viral toner isn't a whole routine, and Anua now sells five products built around the same extract: two cleansers, the toner, a soothing cream, and an SPF.What heartleaf is, and why Anua built a range around it
Heartleaf is the common name for houttuynia cordata, a heart-shaped plant used in traditional Korean medicine for centuries to calm inflammation and irritated skin. Modern formulators extract it for the same reason: it shows antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity, exactly what oily or breakout-prone skin needs. Anua didn't invent the ingredient. It built an entire identity around proving one well-dosed hero can outperform a shelf of trendy actives.
- Calms visible redness without the tightness or peeling harsher actives can cause
- Helps limit the bacteria associated with breakouts
- Supports the skin barrier while it works, rather than stripping it the way a lot of acne-focused ingredients do
Why Korean skincare reaches for this ingredient
Korean skincare favours ingredients with a long history of traditional use, backed by modern formulation science: think centella asiatica and propolis alongside heartleaf. Anua's bet is that consistency, the same calming extract at every step, beats layering unrelated actives from different brands. For anyone new to K-beauty, that removes the guesswork of matching ingredients yourself.
Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner: the product that made Anua famous
The Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner is, by a wide margin, the most talked-about product in the line, and it largely earns the reputation. It's formulated with 77 percent houttuynia cordata extract and sits at a skin-friendly, pH-balanced level. It skips alcohol, artificial fragrance and essential oils, which keeps irritation risk low even for sensitive skin. Where a lot of soothing toners lean on marketing language alone, this one has the concentration to back it up.
Texture, scent, and how it feels on skin
The texture is thin and watery, closer to a hydrating essence than a traditional astringent, and it absorbs in seconds. There's a faint, slightly herbal scent from the plant extract that fades quickly. Skin dealing with redness or a mild flare-up tends to feel calmer within a few uses, and oil production visibly settles with consistent use over two to three weeks. Don't expect an overnight fix.
Who this toner suits best
It's at its best on oily skin, combination skin, and anyone managing acne-prone skin or occasional redness. Apply it with a cotton pad for a light exfoliating swipe, or splash it onto damp skin and pat it in for a faster, more hydrating finish.
As a stand-alone step for very dry skin. It hydrates, but won't replace a proper moisturiser, so pair it with something richer if your skin flakes or feels tight. Used daily, it's one of the more genuinely useful toners to come out of Korean skincare in recent years.
The double cleanse duo: cleansing oil and cleansing foam
Anua's two cleansers are designed to be used together, and this is where the range earns real practical points. A double cleanse, an oil-based first step followed by a water-based second step, is standard practice in K-beauty, because a single cleanser rarely removes sunscreen, makeup, and the day's sebum without leaving residue or over-drying skin.
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
The first step in the evening double cleanse. It emulsifies sunscreen, makeup, and excess sebum on contact, which matters if you wear daily SPF (and given local UV levels, you should). Massage it onto dry skin and rinse with lukewarm water: it lifts stubborn product without the harsh, squeaky-clean feeling that stripping cleansers leave behind. For anyone dealing with blackheads or congested pores, an oil cleanse is one of the simplest ways to soften built-up sebum before it hardens.
- Best for: daily sunscreen or makeup wearers who need a proper first cleanse
- Step: 1, evening double cleanse
Heartleaf Quercetinol Cleansing Foam
The second step, built around quercetinol (a heartleaf-derived antioxidant) and salicylic acid, finishes the job: clearing oily residue and refining the look of pores. It foams into a light, low-density lather rather than a thick, drying one, which keeps the barrier intact. Use lukewarm rather than hot water, since heat strips natural oils and undoes the calming benefit. One proper double cleanse a day, in the evening, is enough for most people, over-cleansing morning and night can leave oily skin producing even more oil to compensate.
- Best for: pairing with the cleansing oil for a complete evening cleanse
- Step: 2, or as a sole cleanser AM/PM
Other heartleaf products worth knowing: soothing cream and sun cream
Beyond the toner and cleansers, the line includes a soothing cream and a sun cream that get far less attention, but are still worth understanding.
Heartleaf 70 Soothing Cream
Powered by 70 percent heartleaf extract, this cream leans further into repair than the toner does, soothing inflamed skin and adding deeper moisture on top of the redness relief. It's a sensible reach for skin that needs more comfort and hydration than a lightweight toner can give, without introducing a heavier, unrelated moisturiser into the mix.
- Best for: redness and dehydration that need more than the toner alone can fix
Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream
Blends the same calming extract into a lightweight, hydrating base. It sits well under makeup and doesn't pill when layered over the rest of the range, a common gripe with sunscreens generally. UV protection is non-negotiable given how strong the sun is here for most of the year, and this is a convenient way to keep the heartleaf theme through to the last step of your morning routine. Still, it's a nice-to-have rather than a must-buy if you already trust a sunscreen.
- Best for: anyone building a full heartleaf routine who wants their SPF to match
Who the Anua Heartleaf line actually suits (and who should be cautious)
No single ingredient works for every skin type, and heartleaf is no exception. Being honest about who benefits most matters more than pretending this range suits everyone.
Best for oily, combination and acne-prone skin
Oily, combination and acne-prone skin tend to see the fastest, most visible results, particularly from the toner and the cleansing duo. The anti-inflammatory action helps with breakout-related redness, and the lightweight textures don't add to existing oiliness the way heavier creams can. If your main frustrations are enlarged pores or a shiny T-zone by midday, this is a sensible place to start.
Dry skin can still use the toner and sun cream, but should follow with a richer moisturiser, since the range leans hydrating rather than deeply nourishing on its own. Sensitive skin generally tolerates it well too, since the formulas are free from alcohol, fragrance, and essential oils. Patch test any new product for 24 to 48 hours first, especially alongside actives like niacinamide or exfoliating acids.
Barrier health comes first. If skin feels tight after a new step, scale back to the toner alone before layering on the rest.
How to build a simple heartleaf routine
You don't need every product in the range, and you don't need ten steps. Here's a realistic, beginner-friendly routine.
Morning routine order
- Cleanse with a gentle formula (the foam alone is enough if you didn't wear heavy product overnight)
- Toner on damp skin
- Soothing Cream if using
- Moisturiser if you need extra hydration
- SPF to finish
That's four steps: realistic for daily use rather than something you'll abandon within a week.
Evening routine order
- Double cleanse with oil first and foam second to properly remove the day's sunscreen and sebum
- Toner applied
- Soothing cream layered, if you're using it
- Moisturiser suited to your skin type if you aren't using the cream
If you use niacinamide or another treatment, apply it after the toner and before the moisturiser: thinner, water-based formulas go on before heavier ones.
| Product | Step in routine | Best suited to | Essential or optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil | Step 1, evening double cleanse | Daily sunscreen and makeup wearers, oily skin | Essential for daily SPF users |
| Heartleaf Quercetinol Cleansing Foam | Step 2, or sole cleanser AM/PM | Oily, combination, acne-prone skin | Essential |
| Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner | After cleansing, AM/PM | All skin types, especially reactive or oily skin | Essential, the hero product |
| Heartleaf 70 Soothing Cream | After toner, AM/PM | redness, dehydration | Optional upgrade |
| Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream | Last step, AM | Anyone needing daily SPF | Optional if already using a sunscreen |
Buying genuine Anua Heartleaf in South Africa
Anua's popularity has a side effect shoppers should know about: a market full of parallel imports and, occasionally, outright counterfeits. Because the brand doesn't manufacture locally, stock entering the country outside official channels can be old, repackaged, or formulated for a different market, with ingredient lists that don't match what's advertised.
Why authorised stockists matter for K-beauty
Buying from an authorised stockist means the product carries a manufacturer's warranty and has been verified as genuine, rather than sourced through a grey-market reseller with no accountability if something goes wrong. At Secret Skin, we stock the Anua Heartleaf range as authorised, direct stockists, so every bottle carries that same backing.
Still building out the rest of your routine? Our guide on how to read skincare labels like a pro is a useful next read, and if redness is a bigger concern than heartleaf alone can manage, our roundup of the best skin products for rosacea covers additional options worth layering in.
Frequently asked questions
What does heartleaf actually do for skin?
It calms inflammation, keeps acne-causing bacteria in check, and supports the skin barrier while it does, making it useful for redness, oiliness and mild acne without the stripping effect of harsher actives.
Is Anua Heartleaf good for acne-prone skin?
Yes. Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, combined with quercetinol and salicylic acid in the cleansing foam, suit acne-prone skin and breakout-related redness well. Very active breakouts may still need a dedicated spot treatment alongside it.
Can you use the Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner every day?
Yes, it's formulated for twice-daily use, morning and evening, and it's gentle enough that most people don't need to build up tolerance first.
What is Anua's most popular Heartleaf product?
The Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner, by far. It's the product that built the brand's reputation in Korean skincare and on social media generally.
Where can I buy authentic Anua Heartleaf products in South Africa?
From an authorised stockist, to avoid parallel imports and counterfeits. Secret Skin is a direct, authorised stockist of Anua locally, and every product in our Anua collection carries the manufacturer's warranty.
Key takeaway
Heartleaf earns its reputation where it counts. The 77% Soothing Toner and the cleansing oil and foam pairing are genuinely worth building a routine around, while the soothing cream and sun cream are worthwhile upgrades once the basics are working for you.
Ready to try it? Browse our Anua collection and build the routine that suits your skin.
1 Comment
This is so helpful