Anua Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam for skin with dark spots
Succinic Acid
Salicylic Acid
Glycerin
Ceramide Np
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for skin with dark spots; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. 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
- This cleansing foam offers excellent cleansing for your normal skin, with disodium cocoamphodiacetate and salicylic acid effectively removing impurities and decongesting pores. Succinic acid and salicylic acid provide moderate exfoliation to address your pigmentation concerns and refine pores, promoting gentle skin renewal.
- The formula is highly suitable for normal skin, as salicylic acid and succinic acid offer keratolytic action and pH modulation, while panthenol and ceramides support barrier repair.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents like Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Panthenol.
How to apply
- You can use this cleanser AM and PM every single day. Start slowly 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in your morning routine or the second step in your evening routine. Follow it with toner and moisturizer.
- Massage a small amount of cleanser gently onto your face using circular motions. Rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- For the best results, apply your cleanser directly to wet skin to help wash away dirt. Make sure your face is clean before you begin.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes. Always do a quick patch test before using the product for the very first time.
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 skin with dark spots?
This cleansing foam is a great fit because succinic acid and salicylic acid gently exfoliate to address your dark spots and refine pores. The formula also includes soothing ingredients like Houttuynia Cordata Extract and panthenol, which help keep your skin calm.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for skin with dark spots?
Salicylic acid and succinic acid make this cleanser a great fit for skin with dark spots by providing gentle exfoliation to address pigmentation and refine pores. Panthenol and ceramides also support the skin barrier while keeping it calm.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
What does Succinic Acid do for skin with dark spots?
Succinic acid may help improve dark spots and uneven skin tone when used as part of your skincare routine. Studies show that treatments combining succinic acid can successfully address facial hyperpigmentation.
What does Salicylic Acid do for skin with dark spots?
Salicylic acid helps fade dark spots and uneven skin tone left behind after breakouts. It gently clears away surface buildup, which may improve the look of dark marks and support a smoother, more even complexion over time.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser fits into both your morning and evening routines as the first or second cleansing step. It helps gently remove impurities while supporting your skin.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser in your routine when using retinol, as it washes away impurities while helping renew skin gently. Use it before applying your retinol treatment to clear pores, and follow with a moisturizer to keep your skin calm and hydrated.
How often should I use this cleanser?
ANUA Heartleaf Succinic Moisture Cleansing Foam is a great fit for skin with dark spots and can be used daily as part of your morning and evening routine. Its mild ingredients and soothing agents help gently clear impurities while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts, as its formula uses gentle cleansers and exfoliating acids that help clear pores and encourage gentle skin renewal. It has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients, and includes soothing agents like panthenol to keep skin calm.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
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 the eyes. While the formula cleanses well and supports skin barriers, the eye area has particularly thin skin that requires specialized products.
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, 2017A 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, 2025Topical 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 topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020Treatment 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, 2026Cryotherapy 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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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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