Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam Review

My nose has been my problem zone since high school. Grey sebaceous filaments, congested cheeks, and a T-zone that produces oil by 2pm.

Most cleansers I tried solved one issue and created another. Sulfate foams cleared the grease and left my face tight. Gentle milky washes felt lovely and left makeup residue behind.

The Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam has been sitting in every K-beauty haul video for two years now. Anua claims it clears pores by 99.5% after one use and cuts sebum by nearly half in two weeks.

In a Nutshell

• The formula is genuinely mild. It uses amino acid surfactants like sodium cocoyl glycinate and sodium lauroyl glutamate instead of harsh sulfates, so the foam cleans without that squeaky, stripped finish.
• Heartleaf water leads the ingredient list. Houttuynia cordata sits in the first position ahead of water, and it brings soothing flavonoids including the quercetin the product is named after.
• The exfoliation is real but soft. Betaine salicylate and capryloyl salicylic acid (LHA) do light pore work, though contact time in a rinse-off wash limits how much they achieve.
• Best suited to oily, combination, and congested skin. Reviewers with these skin types report smoother noses within two weeks. Dry and reactive skin often finds it too much, especially twice a day.
• The scent is polarising. A herbal, slightly medicinal green note that some people love and others find sharp. Eucalyptus oil appears low in the list.
• Purging is commonly reported. Small whiteheads around the chin and nose during weeks one and two show up repeatedly in user feedback.

Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam

Last update on 2026-08-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

The tube arrived in a slim green carton with the standard Anua minimal print. Nothing precious, nothing wasteful.

The 150ml tube feels sturdier than most Korean cleansers I own. It stands on its cap, which matters more than you would expect on a crowded bathroom shelf.

My first squeeze produced a pale sage-green cream, thicker than a gel and looser than a paste. Tiny dark flecks are visible throughout, which is the heartleaf powder doing its advertising work.

One quirk worth flagging early. Several long-term users mention the product separating slightly in the tube and needing a shake before use. Mine did this around week four, with a thin watery layer coming out first.

The nozzle is narrow, so portion control is easy. A pea-sized amount covers my whole face when emulsified properly.

At $20 for 5.07 fl oz, the price sits in the mid range for K-beauty cleansers, above COSRX and below most Western pharmacy equivalents.

The Texture, Scent, and Lather Experience

This is where the product earns most of its fans. The cream turns into foam faster than almost any cleanser I have used.

A small amount of water and about ten seconds of rubbing produces a dense, whipped lather that holds its shape on my palm. It does not collapse into water halfway through the wash.

The foam feels cushioned rather than airy. It glides instead of dragging, which is what you want for skin that already deals with inflammation.

The scent is the divisive part. I read it as crushed green stems with a cool medicinal edge, closer to a herbal tea than a spa product.

It does not linger on the skin after rinsing, which helps. My partner, who hates fragranced skincare, described it as “vaguely like a garden centre” and left it at that.

Rinsing is clean and fast. No film, no slip, and no need to go over the same area twice.

What The Ingredient List Actually Delivers

Houttuynia cordata flower, leaf, and stem water sits in the first slot, ahead of glycerin and water. That is a real formulation choice rather than a marketing sprinkle.

Heartleaf carries polyphenol flavonoids including quercetin, quercitrin, and rutin, all studied for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Anua lists quercetin at 10,000 ppb in earlier documentation.

The cleansing system is the part I care about most. Sodium cocoyl glycinate, sodium lauroyl glutamate, coco-glucoside, and decyl glucoside are amino acid and sugar-derived surfactants used in baby washes.

Exfoliation comes from betaine salicylate plus capryloyl salicylic acid, a lipophilic BHA derivative. Both sit far down the list, so expect gentle maintenance rather than a treatment step.

Anua also includes a stack of nine hyaluronic acid forms and a patented Anti-Sebum P blend of Pueraria lobata, Ulmus davidiana, Pinus palustris, and evening primrose flower extracts.

One flag: eucalyptus globulus leaf oil appears near the bottom. Essential oils in a rinse-off product are low risk, but reactive skin should know it is there.

Top 3 Alternatives for Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam

If the heartleaf scent, the exfoliating acids, or the price point do not suit you, these three are the cleansers I recommend most often as substitutes.

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

Last update on 2026-08-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

Last update on 2026-06-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Cleanser

Last update on 2026-06-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

The Clinical Claims Versus What I Observed

Anua publishes three headline numbers. Pores cleaned by 99.5% after one use, acne severity down 17.46% in two weeks, and sebum down 49.98% in two weeks.

Read these carefully. They come from small brand-commissioned panel tests, and “pores cleaned” is measured by imaging surface debris, not by shrinking pore size.

The product also carries completed skin irritation and non-comedogenic testing, which are standard Korean regulatory panels rather than long-term dermatology studies.

What I actually saw: my nose looked visibly clearer after a single wash, but so does my skin after any decent cleanse plus good lighting.

The honest result showed up at week three. My sebaceous filaments were smaller and lighter in colour, and my chin stopped producing the small closed bumps I usually get.

Oil control was moderate. I still needed blotting paper by mid-afternoon, just one sheet instead of two.

Nothing here resembles a 50% sebum reduction in my experience. Treat the percentages as directional marketing, not a promise.

My Six Week Skin Diary

Week one was smooth. My skin felt clean, comfortable, and slightly matte without tightness.

Week two brought the purge that so many reviewers describe. Six or seven small whiteheads appeared along my jaw and around my nostrils.

They surfaced fast and resolved in about four days each, which reads as congestion coming up rather than new inflammatory acne. Skin that reacts to salicylates may experience something different.

By week three my texture had improved noticeably. Foundation sat better across my nose, which is the test I trust most.

Week four is when I dropped to once daily at night. Twice-daily use had started to leave my cheeks slightly tight by the end of the day.

Weeks five and six on the reduced schedule were the best of the trial. Clear nose, calm chin, no dryness.

The tube is roughly half empty after six weeks of mostly single daily use. That points to about three months of life per tube.

How It Performs on Oily and Combination Skin

This is the audience Anua built the product for, and the fit is good.

The amino acid surfactants remove a full day of sebum, sunscreen, and city grime without the tacky residue that gel cleansers sometimes leave behind.

Users with combination skin and hormonal breakouts consistently report feeling less congested, particularly when they pair it with a first-cleanse oil.

The double cleanse point matters. Anua’s own instructions specify removing makeup with a cleansing oil first, and the foam performs measurably better as a second step.

Used alone on a full face of makeup, it struggles. Mascara and long-wear foundation both survived my attempt.

Oily skin can likely handle morning and night use. Combination skin like mine does better at night only, with a plain water rinse in the morning.

The finish is the selling point. My skin felt clean for hours without that mid-morning greasy rebound that harsher foams trigger.

Dry and Sensitive Skin Should Read This

Here is where I get blunt. This cleanser is not a universal recommendation.

Reddit threads about the product are full of people with dry or reactive skin reporting stinging, redness across the chin, and breakouts that never settled into anything better.

Three factors explain it. Two salicylate exfoliants, a fragrance component in some regional versions, and eucalyptus oil in the current US list.

Heartleaf itself is soothing for most people, but a handful of users genuinely react to Houttuynia cordata. It is not a hypoallergenic ingredient by default.

Dry skin that wants the heartleaf benefit should look at Anua’s cream or gel cleansers instead of the foam.

If you have rosacea, active eczema, or a compromised barrier, skip this entirely. A no-acid amino acid cleanser will serve you better.

One more caution: using too much product is the most common self-inflicted problem. Several reviewers found tightness disappeared once they cut their dose to a pea size.

Packaging Function and Daily Usability

The tube design is quietly practical. It is a flip-cap that stands upside down, so gravity does the work as the product runs low.

The cap closes with a firm click and has not popped open in my travel bag once.

The opening is small enough to prevent over-dispensing, which genuinely helps given how little product you need per wash.

The separation issue is the main flaw. A watery layer can form at the nozzle, and a quick shake before use fixes it.

I would prefer a printed batch and PAO marking that was easier to read. Mine is faint and located on the crimped seal.

The carton is recyclable paperboard, and Anua labels the product cruelty free with no artificial colourants.

At 150ml, it is slightly larger than the 100ml standard many Korean foams use, which improves the value calculation.

There is no travel size in most markets, so decanting into a small squeeze bottle is your best option for trips.

The Flaws Nobody Mentions in Sponsored Posts

The ingredient list has changed. Older versions circulating on review databases show salicylic acid and fragrance, while the current US list shows betaine salicylate and eucalyptus oil.

That inconsistency matters if you are allergy-tracking, and Anua has not communicated the change loudly.

The nine hyaluronic acid derivatives are largely marketing. Humectants rinse down the drain in a cleanser, contributing very little lasting hydration.

The acid content is too low to replace a leave-on BHA. If you bought this expecting blackhead removal, you will be disappointed.

Availability creates a real risk. Counterfeit Anua listings appear regularly, so buy from the official brand store or an authorised retailer.

The purge period is inconvenient and undisclosed on the packaging. Two weeks of small whiteheads will make some people quit before the product proves itself.

And the price sits above genuinely excellent cleansers that do a similar job with a simpler formula.

Pros and Cons at a Glance

Pros

• Amino acid surfactant base cleans thoroughly without the tight, stripped finish of sulfate foams.
• Houttuynia cordata water leads the formula at a meaningful concentration rather than a token amount.
• Exceptional lather that whips up in seconds and cushions the skin during massage.
• Visible improvement in sebaceous filaments and nose texture within two to three weeks.
• Non-comedogenic and irritation tested, cruelty free, and free of artificial colourants.
• Generous 150ml size that lasts roughly three months at once-daily use.

Cons

• Too active for dry, sensitive, or barrier-compromised skin, especially twice daily.
• Contains eucalyptus oil and, in some regional versions, fragrance.
• A two week purge period is widely reported and never mentioned on the packaging.
• Formula appears to have been reformulated without clear communication.
• The hyaluronic acid complex adds marketing value more than functional value in a rinse-off.
• Cannot remove makeup on its own and requires a first-cleanse oil.
• Product can separate in the tube and needs shaking.

Final Verdict on the Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam

Last update on 2026-08-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I believe will add value to my readers. Thank you for your support!

I am keeping this one, with conditions. It earns a spot in my nighttime routine, not my morning one.

For oily and combination skin dealing with congestion, it does what a second cleanse should: remove the day thoroughly and leave the barrier intact.

The heartleaf content is legitimate, the surfactant choice is smart, and the lather quality is better than cleansers costing twice as much.

But the marketing numbers oversell it. This is a very good daily cleanser, not a pore treatment, and the difference matters.

Dry, sensitive, and reactive skin should look elsewhere. The salicylate pair and the eucalyptus oil create too much risk for too little reward.

My rating sits at 4 out of 5 for the target skin type and closer to 2.5 out of 5 for everyone else.

Buy it if your nose frustrates you and your barrier is healthy. Skip it if your skin flares at the mention of an acid.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this cleanser suitable for daily use?

Yes for oily skin, with caution for everyone else. Oily skin types generally tolerate morning and night use without dryness.

Combination and normal skin should start with once daily at night and add a morning wash only if there is no tightness.

Dry skin should treat it as an occasional deep cleanse two or three times weekly, if at all.

Does it remove makeup?

Not on its own. Anua’s own directions instruct you to use a cleansing oil or balm first.

The foam handles sunscreen and light tinted moisturiser adequately, but full coverage foundation and waterproof mascara need an oil-based first cleanse.

Why is my skin breaking out after starting it?

Two possibilities. The betaine salicylate and capryloyl salicylic acid can accelerate existing congestion to the surface, producing small whiteheads that clear within days.

The second possibility is a genuine reaction to heartleaf, eucalyptus oil, or the fragrance in some versions. If bumps are red, painful, and lasting beyond three weeks, stop using it.

What is the pH of this cleanser?

Anua does not publish an official figure. Independent user testing places it in the mildly acidic to neutral range, roughly 5.5 to 6.5.

That sits comfortably within the range most dermatologists consider barrier-friendly for a foaming wash.

Is it safe during pregnancy?

The salicylate content in a rinse-off cleanser is very low, and topical BHA at these levels is generally considered acceptable.

That said, the eucalyptus oil and the acid content are worth raising with your doctor. I am not a medical professional, so please check with yours.

How does it compare to the COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser?

The COSRX is milder, simpler, and cheaper, with a thin gel texture and minimal foam.

The Anua cleans more thoroughly and produces far better lather, but carries more irritation risk.

Choose COSRX for sensitive or dry skin. Choose Anua for oily, congested skin that needs a stronger second cleanse.

Can teenagers use this product?

The formula is mild enough for teenage oily skin, and the soothing heartleaf base suits young skin dealing with early breakouts.

Start with once daily at night, use a pea-sized amount, and always follow with a simple moisturiser and daytime sunscreen.

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