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Anua Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam for oily acne-prone skin

High

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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

  • Highly suitable for your oily skin, this cleanser effectively addresses acne and blemishes with salicylic acid for pore cleansing and houttuynia cordata extract for anti-inflammatory action.
  • The formulation also includes allantoin and panthenol to soothe your skin, ensuring a comfortable cleansing experience.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of beneficial soothing components.

How to apply

  • Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
  • Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
  • Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
  • Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.2Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is frequently praised by users with oily, resilient skin for its ability to deep clean pores and remove sebaceous filaments, but it is often criticized by those with dry or sensitive skin for being overly stripping and causing barrier damage. While many report a smooth finish, a significant number of users experienced breakouts or irritation.

Highlights

  • Deep pore cleansing Often Mentioned
    • “effectively removes sebum”
    • “clears sebaceous filaments”
    • “unclogs pores”
    • “"squeaky clean" feeling”
  • Rich lather Often Mentioned
    • “dense creamy foam”
    • “foams up easily”
    • “a little goes a long way”
    • “luxurious texture”
  • Drying and stripping Often Mentioned
    • “leaves skin tight”
    • “feels "squeaky" dry”
    • “damages moisture barrier”
    • “causes flaking”
  • Oil control Sometimes Noted
    • “reduces excess oil”
    • “matte finish”
    • “great for summer/humid weather”
    • “helps greasy T-zones”
  • Skin smoothing Sometimes Noted
    • “exfoliates dead skin”
    • “leaves face soft”
    • “reduces skin texture”
    • “removes "gunk"”
  • Breakouts and acne Sometimes Noted
    • “caused closed comedones”
    • “"ruined skin"”
    • “painful cystic acne”
    • “bad reaction/purging”
  • Irritation Sometimes Noted
    • “stinging sensation”
    • “redness after use”
    • “burning on sensitive areas”
    • “too harsh”
  • Strong scent Rarely Noted
    • “overpowering herbal smell”
    • “smells like eucalyptus/medicinal”
    • “fragrance is too strong”

Sources: lovi.care, reddit.com, oliveyoung.com, yesstyle.com, stylevana.com, skinsort.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes anua Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a great fit because it uses salicylic acid to clear out pores and plant extracts to calm blemishes on oily skin. It also includes comforting ingredients like panthenol and allantoin to keep your skin feeling soft and comfortable without any harsh irritation.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because it uses salicylic acid to clear out pores and houttuynia cordata extract to calm swelling. It also includes soothing allantoin and panthenol to keep your skin comfortable and safe from irritation.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

What does Houttuynia Cordata Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?

Houttuynia cordata extract helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing redness, swelling, and irritation while fighting the bacteria that cause breakouts. It also protects skin cells from daily sun and environmental damage that can make marks left by acne worse.

Antioxidants, 2022Heliyon, 2024

What does Salicylic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Salicylic acid helps clear breakouts and keeps oily skin balanced by reducing oil levels and calming inflammation. It is well suited for oily, acne-prone skin because it targets pimples while helping keep the skin hydrated and protected.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Experimental Dermatology, 2019

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser fits well as a daily step in both your morning and evening skincare routines to help manage oily skin and blemishes. Using a mild cleanser as part of a consistent daily routine supports overall skin comfort and improvement.

The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first, rinsing thoroughly, and then following with your retinol treatment once your skin is dry. Because this cleanser contains salicylic acid, using it with strong treatments like retinol may occasionally cause mild dryness, so you can alternate your usage times or watch how your skin feels to keep it calm and comfortable.

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines. It is well-suited for your oily acne-prone skin, helping to clean out pores and calm blemishes comfortably.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin, using salicylic acid to clean deep into pores and houttuynia cordata extract to help calm breakouts. It is unlikely to cause irritation because it includes soothing ingredients like allantoin and panthenol, but individual reactions can still vary.

BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

This cleanser is suitable for use on the body, especially for oily skin areas, but the thin skin around the eyes requires extra gentle care to avoid irritation. Salicylic acid and soothing ingredients help manage body breakouts safely, though you should keep it away from the delicate eye area.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002BioMed Research International, 2020

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • A 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, 2020
  • Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
  • The use of a salicylic acid-based dermocosmetic significantly reduces the needed quantity of benzoyl peroxide without impacting efficacy in mild to moderate acne, and as maintenance post-benzoyl peroxide allows a significant reduction of acne relapse compared to vehicle.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
  • A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
  • A hyperoside-enriched fraction of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. inhibited UVB-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen degradation in human dermal fibroblasts by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway.

    Plants, 2021
  • Quercetin 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, 2016
  • Quercetin-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, 2019
  • Optimized 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, 2023
  • Cryotherapy 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, 2010
  • Treatment 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, 2024
  • Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010
  • A 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, 2017
  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022
  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Quercetin, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Edta, Salicylic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, 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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