Anua Heartleaf Low PH Deep Cleansing Water for oily acne-prone skin
Houttuynia Cordata Extract Heartleaf Extract
Panthenol
GlycerinAverage
- 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 benefits for your oily skin, as Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Glycerin provide effective cleansing and hydration, while Panthenol supports your skin barrier.
- While suitable for oily skin, the formula lacks specialized ingredients to directly address your concerns with 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
★4.7Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers with sensitive and acne-prone skin highly praise this cleansing water for its ultra-gentle, non-stripping formula that effectively removes base makeup while soothing redness. It leaves skin feeling hydrated and refreshed without a sticky residue, though some users note it may struggle with waterproof mascara.
Highlights
Gentle and non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “Doesn't strip my skin”
- “mild feeling of use”
- “no irritation or dryness”
- “feels like water”
Effective on base makeup Often Mentioned
- “Removes base makeup easily”
- “cleans skin very well”
- “foundation melts off”
- “great for light makeup”
Soothing for sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “Soothes sensitive skin”
- “great for acne-prone skin”
- “calms my redness”
- “no breakouts”
Hydrating finish Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves skin nourished and hydrated”
- “moisturizing finish”
- “skin feels soft after”
- “contains panthenol and squalane”
Waterproof makeup Sometimes Noted
- “Mascara may require special remover”
- “struggles with waterproof eye makeup”
- “need multiple pads for heavy makeup”
- “doesn't remove everything”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “Tingling sensation in eyes”
- “stung my eyes a bit”
- “irritated my eyes”
Inconvenient packaging Rarely Noted
- “Not a pump type”
- “hard to control amount”
- “bought a separate pump”
- “wish it had a dispenser”
Slightly pricey Rarely Noted
- “Price gave me pause”
- “wait for a sale”
- “a bit pricey for micellar water”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, global.oliveyoung.com, stylevana.com, skinsort.com, yesstyle.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Anua Heartleaf Cleansing Water work for oily acne-prone skin?
Anua Heartleaf Low PH Deep Cleansing Water works reasonably well for your oily skin by cleansing and hydrating with heartleaf and glycerin, and supporting your skin barrier with panthenol, but it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address breakouts. To truly care for oily acne-prone skin, a cleanser needs ingredients like salicylic acid to manage oiliness and clear pores without irritation.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Houttuynia cordata extract and glycerin help cleanse and hydrate oily skin, while panthenol supports your skin barrier. A cleanser for oily acne-prone skin also needs ingredients like salicylic acid and soothing extracts to actively manage blemishes and control oil.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
What does Houttuynia Cordata Extract do for oily acne-prone skin?
Houttuynia cordata extract helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by fighting bacteria and reducing redness and swelling. It is unlikely to cause irritation while supporting clearer skin with its strong antioxidant properties.
What does Panthenol do for oily acne-prone skin?
Panthenol helps regulate sebum, improves skin hydration, and reduces redness and irritation in oily acne-prone skin. It is well tolerated and may support barrier recovery without causing adverse reactions.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, coming right after a makeup remover at night and before a hydrating toner, moisturizer, and SPF. It is safe for oily skin and helps clean and hydrate, but an average fit for acne-prone skin means this type of product also needs specialized ingredients to directly target breakouts and blemishes.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser before retinol, as it safely cleanses without harsh ingredients and helps support your skin barrier. A cleanser for this skin also needs ingredients to actively target acne and breakouts.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It cleans and hydrates your oily skin safely without irritation, though managing breakouts effectively requires a cleanser with specialized blemish-fighting ingredients.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts since it has a safe formula with no harsh or prohibited ingredients for oily skin. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients for acne and blemishes, oily acne-prone skin needs a product that includes targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing benefits.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cleanser on the body and around the eyes because it is safe and gentle for the skin. However, the skin in these areas varies greatly in thickness, ranging from very thin on the eyelids to much thicker on the back.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2017Topical 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, 2002Quercetin 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, 2023Moisturizer 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, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 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, 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
Two percent supramolecular salicylic acid showed similar efficacy to 0.01% adapalene plus 5% benzoyl peroxide in reducing acne lesions in 31 patients over 28 days.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2019Chemical peels with 30% supramolecular salicylic acid effectively treated acne and reduced facial sebum secretion while improving skin hydration and barrier function in 25 patients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Houttuynia Cordata Extract Heartleaf Extract, Panthenol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disodium Edta
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
How does it fit your skin?
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