Anua Heartleaf + BHA Pore Deep Cleansing Foam for sensitive skin
Heartleaf
Bha Beta Hydroxy Acid
Quercetin
Centella Asiatica ExtractAverage
- SuperiorNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate exfoliation for redness and irritation due to the presence of salicylic acid and willow bark extract, which gently decongest and refine pores for your normal skin. Multiple forms of hyaluronic acid provide excellent humectant action, ensuring superb hydration.
- The inclusion of Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Centella Asiatica Extract further supports soothing benefits, making it a suitable choice for managing redness.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser in the AM and PM routines every day. Start using it daily since your sensitive skin needs gentle care.
- Apply this first in your morning and evening skincare routine before toner and moisturizer. This clears away dirt without upsetting your skin.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using soft circles. Avoid any rough rubbing to keep redness away.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it wash away impurities softly. Clean skin feels fresh and comfortable afterwards.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes and do a quick patch test before first use. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 20.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is highly effective for oily and acne-prone skin, with users frequently noting its ability to deeply cleanse pores and reduce sebaceous filaments. Many also appreciate its texture-improving qualities and rich lather. Some users with dry or sensitive skin report it can be drying or irritating, and a moderate number experienced breakouts or purging upon initial use.
Highlights
Deep pore cleansing Mostly Mentioned
- “eliminated the blackheads on my nose”
- “removes sebum within my pores”
- “feel squeaky clean”
- “gently clear deep within the pores”
Improves skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels smooth and fresh”
- “made the red bumps go away”
- “leaves my skin super soft”
- “helped with texture and hyperpigmentation”
Rich foaming lather Often Mentioned
- “lathers pretty much well”
- “dense and creamy consistency”
- “creates soft and rich bubbles”
- “little goes a long way”
Calms acne/redness Sometimes Noted
- “helped clear the acne on my chin”
- “redness subsided after using it”
- “soothing effect on my skin”
- “pimples are slowly going away”
Causes breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “broke me out like crazy”
- “gave me tiny white bumps”
- “chin and cheek are freaking out”
- “awful purging until November”
Drying and stripping Sometimes Noted
- “leaves my skin a bit dry”
- “made my skin feel tight”
- “caused peeling around the nose”
- “too drying for twice a day”
Irritating to sensitive skin Rarely Noted
- “stung my eyes”
- “made it so irritated i cried”
- “burning sensation on sensitive areas”
- “reaction was bad”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smelled like cardboard”
- “herbal scent with spicy undertone”
- “scent is a bit strong”
Sources: lovi.care, yesstyle.com, oliveyoung.com, ulta.com, reddit.com, stylevana.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does anua Heartleaf + BHA Pore Deep Cleansing Foam work for sensitive skin?
This cleanser works for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because they offer a gentler cleanse with barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides and soothing actives like niacinamide to prevent irritation and keep moisture locked in.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cleanser fits sensitive skin with calming heartleaf, centella asiatica extract, and gentle exfoliating salicylic acid and willow bark extract. These ingredients help soothe redness while keeping skin clean. Sensitive skin needs cleansers with soothing ingredients like niacinamide and ceramide-3, along with deep hydrators that protect the skin barrier without causing irritation.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
What does Heartleaf do for sensitive skin?
Heartleaf helps calm sensitive skin by reducing irritation and easing redness. It works by targeting inflammation and fighting bacteria, making it well-suited for skin that easily reacts to stress or environmental triggers.
Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 2016Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2023
What does Bha do for sensitive skin?
BHA helps clear pores and calm breakouts, but because sensitive skin can easily get irritated by strong acids, it is unlikely to suit you unless it is part of a very gentle, well-tolerated formula. Sensitive skin needs hydrating ingredients and calming agents to keep the skin barrier strong and comfortable while treating blemishes.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser fits into both your morning and evening routine as the cleansing step. A product for sensitive skin of this type needs mild, calming ingredients and gentle hydrators to cleanse without causing irritation.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
This cleanser works for your sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because of the exfoliating ingredients inside. You can use it in the same routine as retinol, but a cleanser of this type needs extra soothing and hydrating ingredients to keep dry skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser works for your sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because it provides moderate exfoliation with salicylic acid and willow bark extract. Sensitive skin needs a cleanser that gently washes away impurities while keeping it calm and hydrated with soothing ingredients and lots of moisture.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cleanser may cause breakouts for some people with sensitive skin, as reviewers occasionally report this issue. To better avoid clogged pores and irritation, sensitive skin needs a very gentle, fragrance-free formula with soothing ingredients and no strong exfoliating acids.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser may be too harsh for the very thin skin around the eyes, though it can generally be used on the body where skin is thicker. Sensitive skin on the body and around the eyes usually needs gentle cleansers with soothing botanical extracts and hydrating ingredients without exfoliating acids.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023Quercetin phospholipids 1% cream significantly reduced UV-, histamine-, and chemical-induced skin erythema (-10.05%) and mean wheal diameter in 30 healthy human volunteers, showing comparable efficacy to 1% dexchlorpheniramine cream.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2016Quercetin-loaded niosomes formulated with Span60-RH40 at a 9:11 mass ratio improved quercetin solubility, photostability, sustained release, and transdermal penetration, yielding a skin retention 2.95 times higher than quercetin solution.
Molecules, 2019Optimized rutin-loaded glycerosomes formulated into a nanosunscreen gel demonstrated sustained drug release, greater skin permeation, good antioxidant activity, and better epidermal retention compared to the dermis, indicating high safety, stability, and sun protection factor values for topical administration.
Gels, 2023Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Quercetin directly targeted JAK2 and PKCδ, suppressed UV-induced MMP-1 and COX-2 expression, and prevented collagen degradation in human skin tissues compared to untreated UV-exposed skin.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2019Topical treatment with quercetin-3-O-glycosides, particularly isoquercitrin, reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression, skin lesions, and epidermal hyperplasia in an AD mouse model.
Inflammation, 2025Topical administration of liposomes co-loaded with quercetin and resveratrol reduced tissue damage, oedema, and leukocyte infiltration in a mouse model of skin lesion.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2016Topical application of 0.05% w/w ECa 233 gel reduced erythema index by 0.03 U and improved early crusting and general wound appearance compared to placebo in thirty individuals undergoing facial laser resurfacing.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2020A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Salicylic Acid, C12-14 Pareth-12, Octyldodeceth-16, Melaleuca Alternifolia Extract Tree, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Quercetin, Pentylene Glycol, Willow Bark Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Edta, Tocopherol, Ceramide Np, Butylene Glycol, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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