Anua Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam for oily acne-prone skin
Succinic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Glycerin
Ceramide Np
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
- Offers excellent cleansing and pore-clearing benefits for your oily skin, as disodium cocoamphodiacetate and salicylic acid effectively remove impurities and decongest the pores. Succinic acid further aids in managing excess oil and providing moderate exfoliation for your acne and blemishes.
- The inclusion of Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Panthenol ensures a soothing experience, minimizing potential irritation for your skin.
- This formula is safe for your skin, 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
★4.6Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsThis 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
What makes ANUA Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
ANUA Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam is a great fit because salicylic acid and disodium cocoamphodiacetate clear away impurities, while succinic acid manages excess oil and helps with acne. Houttuynia cordata extract and panthenol also calm your skin and minimize irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because salicylic acid and disodium cocoamphodiacetate clear impurities and unclog pores, while succinic acid helps manage excess oil and gently exfoliates blemishes. Additionally, ingredients like panthenol and heartleaf extract soothe the skin to minimize irritation.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
What does Succinic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?
Succinic acid helps oily, acne-prone skin by balancing skin microbes and reducing breakouts, excess oil, and redness. It is also shown to help calm irritation and decrease acne severity.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Skin Research and Technology, 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 is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin and goes as the first step in your morning routine and the second step in your evening routine after a makeup remover. Its salicylic and succinic acids effectively remove impurities and manage excess oil while minimizing irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying it during your routine before your retinol treatment. It helps remove impurities and excess oil while soothing the skin, making it a suitable prep step.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin and can be used daily in both your morning and evening routines. It helps remove impurities, clear pores, and manage excess oil while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because it uses salicylic acid and succinic acid to clear impurities, manage excess oil, and decongest pores. It also includes soothing ingredients like panthenol to help calm your skin.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is safe to use on your body, but you should avoid the thin skin around your eyes since it may cause irritation. The formula is gentle enough for larger areas, while soothing ingredients like panthenol help keep skin calm.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2023Topical 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, 2002A 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, 2025A 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, 2017Treatment 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, 2024Treatment 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, 2024Treatment with plant-derived exosomes combined with non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid and succinic acid improved facial hyperpigmentation in two patients.
Cureus, 2026Hyaluronic acid and succinic acid combination induced mitophagy in senescent fibroblasts, promoted adipogenesis, increased IGF1 and decreased TNFA in aged adipocytes, and upregulated COL3A1 and EGF expression.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025Cryotherapy 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, 2024A 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
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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