Anua Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser for oily acne-prone skin
Glycerin
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Average
- HighOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it 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
- Offers moderate cleansing for your oily skin, as Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate and Coco-Glucoside gently yet effectively cleanse pores, while Zinc PCA helps regulate sebum. Multiple forms of hyaluronic acid provide humectant action, supporting overall hydration without exacerbating oiliness.
- While the formula provides general hydration benefits, it lacks specialized ingredients like stronger concentrations of Zinc PCA to more effectively target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your oily skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.8Overall rating based on 400+ reviewsUsers with dry and sensitive skin frequently praise this cleanser for its hydrating and non-stripping properties, noting it leaves skin soft and clean. It is also often described as gentle and suitable for sensitive skin types, with a moderate number of users appreciating its rich lather and effective cleansing. A moderate number of reviews mention issues with the thick consistency and packaging, making it difficult to dispense, while a low number of users found the scent unpleasant or the results underwhelming compared to other products. Negligible mentions of breakouts were reported.
Highlights
Hydrating non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “doesn't leave skin tight”
- “leaves face soft”
- “moisturizing finish”
- “no dry feeling”
Gentle sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “no irritation”
- “mild facial cleanser”
- “soothing for redness”
- “great for sensitive skin”
Effective cleansing Sometimes Noted
- “removes residue well”
- “cleanses pores deeply”
- “refreshing finish”
- “skin feels clean”
Rich creamy lather Sometimes Noted
- “foams well”
- “dense bubbles”
- “luxurious foam”
- “little goes a long way”
Packaging texture issues Sometimes Noted
- “hard to squeeze out”
- “very thick consistency”
- “tube is stiff”
- “difficult to dispense”
Beneficial ingredients Rarely Noted
- “love the panthenol”
- “zinc helps oil”
- “8 types of HA”
- “good barrier support”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused small bumps”
- “broke me out”
- “acne on forehead”
- “clogged my pores”
Underwhelming results Rarely Noted
- “just an ordinary cleanser”
- “nothing special”
- “prefer the Heartleaf version”
- “expected more hydration”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “odd medicinal smell”
- “smells like raw ingredients”
- “faint chemical scent”
- “weird fragrance-free smell”
Sources: lovi.care, anua.us, oliveyoung.com, stylekorean.com, yesstyle.com, ulta.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Anua Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for oily skin by clearing pores and keeping the skin hydrated without adding extra oil. However, it lacks stronger blemish-fighting ingredients to properly target your breakouts. A cleanser for this skin needs soothing and effective ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, probiotics, or salicylic acid.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser fits your oily skin with Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate and Coco-Glucoside to clean pores, while Zinc PCA helps control oil and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid provide light moisture without causing excess grease. However, because it lacks stronger breakout-fighting ingredients, a cleanser for this skin type needs soothing and effective additions like niacinamide, ceramides, probiotics, or salicylic acid to properly clear blemishes.
What does Water do for oily acne-prone skin?
Water helps keep oily, acne-prone skin hydrated without making it greasy. Keeping skin hydrated is important because acne treatments can dry it out and irritate the skin barrier.
What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in the morning and evening steps of your routine, as it gently cleanses pores while supporting hydration without making your skin oily. Because this product provides only moderate care for breakouts, oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with stronger levels of ingredients like zinc PCA to better target blemishes.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine with retinol, applying it before your retinol treatment. It gently cleanses pores and provides basic hydration without a high risk of irritation, though oily acne-prone skin often benefits more from a cleanser that includes stronger blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or higher concentrations of zinc.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines. It gently washes your pores while helping keep your skin hydrated, though oily acne-prone skin typically benefits most from a cleanser that includes stronger concentrations of zinc pca and targeted acne-fighting ingredients.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is safe for your oily skin and is unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts due to the absence of harsh ingredients. However, because it lacks stronger acne-fighting ingredients like higher levels of Zinc PCA or salicylic acid, a product for this skin type typically needs more targeted blemish-clearing components to better handle breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should use caution around the eyes because the skin there is very thin. The product's gentle cleansers and hydrators suit both areas well, though this type of skin needs ingredients like salicylic acid or stronger amounts of zinc to properly target body breakouts.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022A 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, 2017The 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, 2020Ten 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
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better
Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021A novel emulsion containing niacinamide, lens esculenta seed extract, and white willow bark extract effectively improved acne, blackheads, and conspicuous facial pores in 30 subjects with oily skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Hydrolyzed Protein, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Zinc Pca, Decyl Glucoside, Hectorite, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Phosphate Starch, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Polyquaternium-67, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Maltodextrin
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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