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Anua Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam for dry skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Anua Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam

Average

  • AverageDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for dry skin; other cleansers fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 suitability for your dry skin as glycerin and panthenol provide some hydration, but it lacks sufficient emollients like caprylic capric triglyceride and ceramides to fully address dryness and flakiness.
  • The cleansing agents, disodium cocoamphodiacetate and salicylic acid, effectively remove impurities and decongest pores, which is beneficial for overall skin health.
  • The product is safe for your dry skin, containing no harsh or prohibited ingredients that would cause irritation.

How to apply

  • Use this cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin clean. Start using it daily right away since your skin is not sensitive.
  • Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow with your toner and moisturizer afterwards.
  • Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
  • Apply this cleanser on slightly damp skin for a comfortable and refreshing wash. This helps maintain your skin's natural moisture while cleansing away dirt.
  • Avoid getting the cleanser directly into your eyes to prevent any irritation. Do a simple patch test before your first use to ensure your skin likes it.

People Say

★4.6Overall rating based on 200+ reviews

This gel-type cleanser is widely praised by users with sensitive and acne-prone skin for its ability to gently exfoliate and reduce texture without damaging the moisture barrier. While most users report a soothing, non-stripping finish, a minority experience dryness or purging breakouts, particularly those with very dry skin or sensitivity to the active acids.

Highlights

  • Gentle and non-stripping Often Mentioned
    • “skin feels squeaky clean but never too dry”
    • “leaves my face very clean... non stripping”
    • “adjusts to my sensitive skin”
    • “gentle cleansing properties”
  • Can be drying Sometimes Noted
    • “not as moisturizing for my very dry skin”
    • “left it dry... especially for those with sensitive oily skin”
    • “extremely stripping... definitely not for dry skin”
    • “become dry and strip off layers”
  • Improves skin texture/acne Sometimes Noted
    • “reduce textures... really good for oily acne prone skin”
    • “didn't feel as much texture... wasn't breaking out as often”
    • “helped my skin especially after all the small breakouts”
    • “pores being nonexistent”
  • Rich, dense lather Sometimes Noted
    • “lathers nicely... beautiful foam”
    • “creates dense, rich foam”
    • “viscous transparent gel that can be easily lathered”
    • “cloudy and creamy kind of texture”
  • Soothing and calming Sometimes Noted
    • “skin never felt less congested”
    • “helps soothe sensitive skin”
    • “calm inflamed or irritated skin”
  • Caused breakouts/purging Rarely Noted
    • “gave me tiny white bumps all over”
    • “chin and lower left cheek are FREAKING OUT”
    • “destroyed my skin... irritated, red, bumpy”
    • “doesn't get rid of my acne and makes it more irritated”
  • Eye irritation/Bad taste Rarely Noted
    • “get in your eyes and make them sting”
    • “can literally taste it without even trying”
    • “sting your eyes”
  • Ineffective for deep cleaning Rarely Noted
    • “doesn't remove sebum like in the ads”
    • “mild is non existent... BHA definitely is better”
    • “not sure if it does anything for my skin”

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

Questions and answers

How well does Anua Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam work for dry skin?

This cleanser works moderately well for dry skin, offering some hydration while clearing pores, though other products fit better. A cleanser for dry skin needs extra rich moisturizers and skin-strengthening ceramides to fully lock in hydration and prevent flakiness.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017

Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry skin?

Glycerin and panthenol make this cleanser a fit for dry skin by providing hydration and supporting the skin barrier. A cleanser of this type needs rich hydrating and barrier-repairing ingredients like essential ceramides and sodium hyaluronate to fully address dryness and flakiness.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017

What does Succinic Acid do for dry skin?

Succinic acid helps protect skin cells from damage and keeps them healthy. It is unlikely to cause irritation and supports overall skin recovery.

Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2025

What does Salicylic Acid do for dry skin?

Salicylic acid is generally not a good fit for dry skin, as it is meant to clear out pores and remove dead skin rather than hydrate. Because dry skin needs soothing and moisture rather than exfoliation, a product for dry skin needs nourishing ingredients like urea to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft.

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry skin?

This cleanser is used in both your morning and evening routines as the first or second cleansing step. For dry skin, a cleanser of this type needs richer hydrating ingredients like heavy plant oils and ceramides to fully comfort dryness and flakiness.

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

You can use this cleanser in your routine, applying it before your retinol step. It safely clears away impurities, but to prevent dryness, your routine for this skin needs rich moisturizers and skin-softening oils.

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. This product of this type needs rich moisturizers with heavy oils and skin-repairing ingredients to fully comfort dry skin and prevent flakiness.

The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?

This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin as it effectively removes impurities and decongests pores. However, to fully prevent flakiness and keep dry skin smooth, a cleanser of this type needs richer emollients and ceramides.

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

You can use this cleanser on your body, but the thin skin around the eyes requires extra care and richer moisturing ingredients to prevent dryness.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • 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

  • A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.

    The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017

  • Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.

    American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

  • 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

  • Treatment with a facial cream gel containing a biotechnological phytocomplex, niacinamide, and succinic acid increased skin microbial diversity and reduced C. acnes abundance, lesion counts, sebum, and acne severity in 44 subjects with mild-moderate acne over 56 days.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • Treatment with a lotion containing a phytocomplex, niacinamide, and succinic acid increased skin microbial alpha diversity, reduced Cutibacterium acnes relative abundance, and improved acne severity and clinical symptoms in 43 subjects with truncal mild-moderate acne.

    Skin Research and Technology, 2024

  • Treatment with plant-derived exosomes combined with non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid and succinic acid improved facial hyperpigmentation in two patients.

    Cureus, 2026

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

Why other cleansers fit dry skin better

Ingredients

Water, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Glycerin, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Sodium Chloride, Methylpropanediol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Chitosan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tromethamine, Coco-Glucoside, Panthenol, Salicylic Acid, Succinic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Protease, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide Np, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Cholesterol

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play