Anua Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam for acne-prone skin
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few cleansers fit it even 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
- Highly suitable for your combination skin and acne, blemishes, and breakouts due to salicylic acid and houttuynia cordata extract, which effectively target inflammation and pore congestion. Allantoin and panthenol further soothe and support your skin's barrier function.
- The cleansing action is excellent, with sodium cocoyl isethionate and salicylic acid working to clear pores and exfoliate dead skin cells.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your combination skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components.
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
★4.2Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is frequently praised by users with oily, resilient skin for its ability to deep clean pores and remove sebaceous filaments, but it is often criticized by those with dry or sensitive skin for being overly stripping and causing barrier damage. While many report a smooth finish, a significant number of users experienced breakouts or irritation.
Highlights
Deep pore cleansing Often Mentioned
- “effectively removes sebum”
- “clears sebaceous filaments”
- “unclogs pores”
- “"squeaky clean" feeling”
Rich lather Often Mentioned
- “dense creamy foam”
- “foams up easily”
- “a little goes a long way”
- “luxurious texture”
Drying and stripping Often Mentioned
- “leaves skin tight”
- “feels "squeaky" dry”
- “damages moisture barrier”
- “causes flaking”
Oil control Sometimes Noted
- “reduces excess oil”
- “matte finish”
- “great for summer/humid weather”
- “helps greasy T-zones”
Skin smoothing Sometimes Noted
- “exfoliates dead skin”
- “leaves face soft”
- “reduces skin texture”
- “removes "gunk"”
Breakouts and acne Sometimes Noted
- “caused closed comedones”
- “"ruined skin"”
- “painful cystic acne”
- “bad reaction/purging”
Irritation Sometimes Noted
- “stinging sensation”
- “redness after use”
- “burning on sensitive areas”
- “too harsh”
Strong scent Rarely Noted
- “overpowering herbal smell”
- “smells like eucalyptus/medicinal”
- “fragrance is too strong”
Sources: lovi.care, reddit.com, oliveyoung.com, yesstyle.com, stylevana.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes anua Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is a great fit because salicylic acid and Houttuynia Cordata extract help clear clogged pores and calm inflammation in acne-prone skin. Ingredients like allantoin and panthenol further soothe the skin and support its protective barrier while you wash.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid and Houttuynia Cordata extract make this cleanser a great fit by helping to clear out clogged pores and calm redness. Allantoin and panthenol are also included to soothe your skin and keep it comfortable.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Houttuynia Cordata Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Houttuynia cordata extract helps acne-prone skin by fighting bacteria and calming redness and swelling. It reduces cell damage from inflammation and supports skin repair, making it a soothing addition to your routine.
What does Salicylic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing pimples and calming redness without causing many side effects. It works by dipping deep into pores to clear out blockages and control oil, making it a reliable choice for keeping skin smooth and clear.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is used both morning and evening as the first cleansing step in your routine, right before toners, treatments, and moisturizers.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first to clear pores, then following with your retinol treatment once your skin is dry. Using a gentle, clearing cleanser alongside your routine is unlikely to cause irritation when paired with soothing ingredients.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Its ingredients help clear pores and calm breakouts while being gentle on your skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024BioMed Research International, 2020
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause irritation for acne-prone skin because it contains salicylic acid and houttuynia cordata extract to help clear pores and calm inflammation, alongside soothing ingredients like allantoin and panthenol. However, some reviewers do mention experiencing breakouts or a feeling of being dry and stripped after use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but it is best to avoid the very thin skin directly around your eyes to prevent dryness and irritation. Its deep cleaning ingredients work well on body breakouts, while gentle soothing components keep skin calm.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
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, 2024The 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, 2023A 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, 2020Sodium cocoyl isethionate micelles are too large to penetrate stratum corneum aqueous pores, resulting in significant steric hindrance that prevents skin barrier perturbation and explains its skin mildness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007Topical 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, 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010A 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, 2001Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Quercetin, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Edta, Salicylic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, 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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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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