Anua Skincare Guide: Heartleaf Toner, Serums and What to Buy

Anua is a South Korean skincare brand launched in 2019 by The Founders, a Seoul brand-building company, and it is best known for heartleaf, a soothing plant extract. Its hero products are the Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner ($23), the Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil ($22) and the Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum ($28). Start with the toner if your skin is sensitive or oily, and choose the serum if dark marks are your main concern.

Before you buy, you can scan a product's barcode or label with the ingredient scanner in Pori to check it against your skin type. Pori reads the ingredient list for you; it does not diagnose skin conditions.

This guide covers who owns Anua, what is in its bestsellers, which products suit which skin type, which to skip, and where to buy it in the US. We compared published ingredient lists, brand claims and listed prices; we did not test these products on skin. Prices are list prices on anua.com, Anua's US store, as of November 2026, and they change often. For more Korean brands, see our K-beauty hub.

Who owns Anua?

Anua belongs to The Founders Inc., a Korean company that describes itself as a global brand-building company. Its co-CEOs are Seonhyeong Lee and Changju Lee. Anua launched in 2019 and is still independent of the big Korean beauty groups. That sets it apart from Beauty of Joseon, SKIN1004 and Round Lab, which all now sit under Goodai Global. US sunscreen labels filed with the FDA list The Founders Inc. as the labeler, which confirms who stands behind the products sold here.

Anua grew mostly online. It first sold on Ulta.com in December 2024 and reached about 1,400 Ulta stores in February 2025. Our overview of Korean skincare brands shows how Anua compares with the other big names.

What is Anua known for?

Heartleaf. The plant, Houttuynia cordata, is used in Korean skincare to calm redness and oiliness, and Anua puts it at the top of several formulas. The rest of the range has grown around clear, number-led names: a toner that is "77" heartleaf, a serum with 10% niacinamide and 4% tranexamic acid, and an azelaic acid serum with 10%. Most products cost $15 to $30.

Lab and animal studies suggest heartleaf has anti-inflammatory effects, but there are few human trials of heartleaf skincare. The soothing claims are plausible, and still unproven in people.

Is the Anua Heartleaf 77% Toner worth it?

For a gentle, fragrance-free watery toner, yes. The first ingredient is heartleaf water, followed by water, glycerin, betaine, butylene glycol and panthenol, with centella and several forms of hyaluronic acid lower down. It has no acids and no alcohol. Anua lists it at $23 for 250 ml and $34.50 for 500 ml.

It suits sensitive, oily and combination skin that wants light hydration. Very dry skin will need a cream on top. Our full Anua Heartleaf 77% Toner review walks through the ingredient list and the brand's own test claims, and our guide to what toner does explains whether you need one at all.

Which Anua cleanser should you use?

Anua sells a two-step double-cleansing pair. Both have catches worth knowing.

• Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil ($22). An oil cleanser that melts sunscreen and makeup. Its base is ethylhexyl palmitate with sunflower, macadamia, olive, jojoba and grape seed oils. Fragrance is the sixth ingredient, so skip it if fragrance bothers your skin.
• Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam ($20). A foaming second cleanse with heartleaf water, mild amino-acid surfactants and a little betaine salicylate. It also lists eucalyptus leaf oil, which can irritate reactive skin.

If you want a fragrance-free double cleanse, a plain cleansing oil plus a gentle hydrating gel cleanser does the same job. Our guide on how to double cleanse explains when the second step is worth it.

Does Anua Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum work for dark spots?

Its main ingredients have reasonable evidence for uneven tone. Anua says the serum contains 10% niacinamide, 4% tranexamic acid and 2% arbutin, and all three appear near the top of the list, along with alpha-arbutin, hyaluronic acid and ceramide NP. No fragrance is listed, though it does contain small amounts of plant oils. It costs $28 on anua.com.

Expect slow results. Fading marks usually takes two to three months of daily use, and only if you wear sunscreen every day. Our guides to how to fade dark spots and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation cover what else helps. Ten percent niacinamide can sting some sensitive skin, so start every other day.

Anua also sells an Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum ($28) with 10% azelaic acid. That is a sensible pick for redness and bumps, and our azelaic acid guide explains how it compares with prescription strengths.

Which Anua moisturizer suits your skin?

The Heartleaf 70% Intense Calming Cream ($26 for 50 ml) pairs heartleaf extract with ceramides and panthenol, which makes it the obvious partner for the toner on dry or sensitive skin. The 3 Ceramide Panthenol Moisture Barrier Cream ($22) is the plainer barrier option. Oily skin may prefer a gel. For other choices, see our moisturizer shelf.

Is Anua sunscreen FDA approved?

Anua's US sunscreens carry US Drug Facts labels and use filters on the FDA's list, which is what a US sunscreen needs. In the US, sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug, and many Korean-market sunscreens use newer filters the FDA has not approved. A Korean tube sold by a third-party seller may also lack a US label. In June 2026 the FDA added bemotrizinol to its list, its first new filter in about two decades, but most Korean filters are still not allowed.

The Zero-cast cream has no fragrance in its list and adds niacinamide and panthenol. The mineral formula is the pick for sensitive skin or anyone who reacts to octocrylene. Look for the Drug Facts panel on the box. Our best Korean sunscreen roundup compares other US-labeled options.

What should you buy from Anua for your skin type?

Which Anua products should you skip?

• The cleansing oil, if fragrance bothers you. Fragrance is high on its list.
• The Quercetinol foam, if your skin is reactive. It contains eucalyptus oil.
• Stacking actives. The niacinamide serum, azelaic acid serum and newer BHA toner do not all need to go on the same night.
• Korean-market sunscreen tubes from third-party sellers. Buy the US-labeled versions instead.

How do you build an Anua routine?

Keep it short. In the morning, rinse or use a gentle cleanser, pat on the Heartleaf 77 toner, add a moisturizer and finish with a US-labeled sunscreen. At night, use the cleansing oil only if you wore sunscreen or makeup, follow with a gentle second cleanser, then toner, one treatment serum and a cream. Our guides to morning and night routines explain the order.

Add new products one at a time, about two weeks apart, so you can tell what helps and what irritates. Patch test anything with fragrance, essential oils or strong actives first. If your skin stings, cut back to toner, moisturizer and sunscreen until it settles. Extras such as sheet masks or an essence are optional; they add hydration and treat nothing on their own.

Where can you buy Anua in the US?

Anua sells through its own US store at anua.com, at Ulta Beauty in stores and online, and through Amazon, where Anua calls the Heartleaf toner the number one best-selling facial toner. Buying from these channels lowers the risk of counterfeits and old stock. Ordering straight from Korea now costs more: the US ended duty-free entry for low-value packages on August 29, 2025. Our Korean skincare routine steps guide shows where each product fits, and the best centella products list has more soothing options.

Is Anua worth it?

Mostly, yes. The Heartleaf 77 toner is a gentle, fair-priced basic, the niacinamide serum uses well-studied brighteners at useful strengths, and the US sunscreens carry proper labels. Read the lists on the cleansers before you buy if fragrance or essential oils bother you, and keep the heartleaf claims in perspective. If you are building a full K-beauty routine, compare it with COSRX, whose basics cover similar ground.