Anua Heartleaf Cleansing Foam: What a Wash Can and Cannot Do
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The short version
- It is a cleanser. It sits on your face for about twenty seconds, then goes down the sink.
- A systematic review of washing and cleansers in acne found the clinical evidence for them thin and the studies few (Stringer, 2018).
- The one decent trial of a 2 per cent salicylic acid cleanser did find fewer comedones, in 30 people over four weeks (Shalita, 1989).
- Heartleaf research is real but almost entirely laboratory and animal work. We could not find a human facial trial (Rafiq, 2022).
- Buy it as a good cleanser. Do not buy it as a treatment.
What is actually in it
Heartleaf water, or Houttuynia cordata, is the first ingredient, so it is the bulk of the formula rather than a token inclusion.
The acids are betaine salicylate and capryloyl salicylic acid. Both are beta hydroxy acids, the same family as salicylic acid. There are also several forms of hyaluronic acid and a little eucalyptus leaf oil.
What a wash can realistically do
This is the part worth being blunt about. A leave-on acid works on your skin for hours. A cleanser works on it for seconds and is then rinsed away.
A 2018 systematic review looked for clinical studies on washing and over-the-counter cleansers in acne and reported that the evidence base is small and poorly understood (Stringer, 2018). That is not a criticism of this product. It is the state of the category.
The most useful individual study is old. A four-week crossover trial put a 2 per cent salicylic acid cleanser against a 10 per cent benzoyl peroxide wash in 30 people, and only the salicylic acid arm significantly reduced comedones (Shalita, 1989). Thirty people, four weeks, 1989. It points the right way and it is not much to lean on.
Dermatology guidelines treat cleansing as supportive rather than as the active part of managing acne (Zaenglein, 2016).
Heartleaf, honestly
Houttuynia cordata has a long record in traditional use across Asia, and a comprehensive pharmacological review sets out the flavonoids and essential oils behind the interest in it (Rafiq, 2022).
Laboratory work has reported antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity from an ethanol extract (Sekita, 2016). That is a bench result. It is not a person washing their face.
So we will say heartleaf is plausible and under-researched, rather than proven. If someone tells you it calms your skin, ask them which trial they read.
Why a gentle cleanser matters anyway
Blemish-prone skin often has a compromised barrier, and harsh washing makes that worse (Deng, 2024). A cleanser that removes the day without stripping is doing a real job, even if it is an unglamorous one.
How we would use it
- Second step. Take makeup off with an oil or balm first.
- Lather it in wet hands before it touches your face.
- Twenty seconds, lukewarm water, rinse well.
- Once or twice a day. If your skin feels tight afterwards, drop to nights only.
- It contains eucalyptus leaf oil. Patch test if you react to essential oils.
One thing about supply
Anua has no New Zealand distributor. This came through the parallel market, which is legal and also means we cannot promise another one. We have a single unit at $27.50.
If you want something with a supply chain behind it and a therapist who can follow up, the Medik8 cleansers we stock are the answer. This is here because it is good and because we could get one.
The Verdo team
