Anua Heartleaf + BHA Pore Deep Cleansing Foam for acne-prone skin
Heartleaf
Bha Beta Hydroxy Acid
Quercetin
Centella Asiatica ExtractAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 and pore decongestion for your combination skin, as salicylic acid and houttuynia cordata extract work to clear pores and soothe inflammation. While beneficial for general skin health, these ingredients are not concentrated enough to significantly target your primary concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The formula provides supportive hydration and cleansing, with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and various plant extracts contributing to overall skin comfort.
- The product is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it.
- This cleanser is the first step in your morning routine and the second step after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Always follow up with a toner and moisturizer .
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face in circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it work effectively against breakouts. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water .
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
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 acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for acne-prone skin, offering gentle pore clearing and soothing benefits through ingredients like salicylic acid and heartleaf extract, though it lacks the higher concentration needed to strongly target breakouts. To truly fit acne-prone skin, a product of this type needs powerful ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to effectively address blemishes while keeping the skin safe and balanced.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid, heartleaf, and centella asiatica extract help clear pores and calm inflammation in acne-prone skin. To better fit this skin type, a cleanser also needs powerful acne-fighting and barrier-protecting ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides.
What does Heartleaf do for acne-prone skin?
Heartleaf helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing redness and tackling bacteria that can cause breakouts. It may also help lower inflammation and protect skin from daily stress, making it a great addition for clearer, smoother skin.
Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 2016The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2021
What does Bha do for acne-prone skin?
BHA helps clear acne-prone skin by clearing out pores to reduce both inflammatory and non-inflammatory breakouts. It also helps calm redness and lower oil production, and is unlikely to cause harsh side effects when used regularly.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes into both your morning and evening skincare routines, used after a makeup remover at night and followed by your toner and moisturizer. An acne-prone routine needs a cleanser with higher concentrations of salicylic acid or targeted blemish-fighting ingredients to properly clear breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in the same routine as retinol, applying the cleanser first on damp skin, rinsing it off, and then applying your retinol product once your face is dry. This cleanser is unlikely to cause irritation when paired with retinol, but acne-prone skin often needs stronger targeted treatments with higher concentrations of active ingredients to effectively clear breakouts.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser works fine for daily washing, though acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with stronger bha or salicylic acid levels to properly target breakouts.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to cause severe irritation, but some reviewers do report that it can cause breakouts or leave acne-prone skin feeling dry. To truly clear and prevent breakouts, acne-prone skin needs a product with stronger concentrations of active ingredients like salicylic acid and soothing plant extracts.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is safe to use on your body and around your eyes, though the skin on your body is much thicker than the very thin skin around your eyes.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2021Houttuynia cordata extract containing hyperoside and quercitrin protected human HaCaT keratinocytes from UVB-induced cell damage, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation by modulating MAPKs and Akt signaling pathways.
Antioxidants, 2022Fermented Houttuynia cordata extracts reduced oxidative stress, inflammation factors, and inflammatory gene expression while increasing keratin-1 gene expression in H2O2 and UVA-treated human skin keratinocytes more effectively than unfermented extracts.
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2023Topical 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, 2022Twice 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, 2024Quercetin 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
Why other cleansers fit acne-prone skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
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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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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