ANUA Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam Review

BeautyBrief™

Brand

ANUA

Product

Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam

Claims check

If you want an oil-focused foaming wash, ANUA's testing supports temporary cleansing results, but the salicylates do not establish an OTC acne-treatment dose.

Shopper fit

  • Normal
  • Combination
  • Oily
  • Acne-Prone

Formula flags

  • Essential oils
  • Betaine salicylate and capryloyl salicylic acid (rinse-off exfoliants; undosed)

Shopper preferences

  • Cruelty-Free
  • Non-Comedogenic

Key ingredients

GlycerinGives you high-placed moisture support that helps the foaming cleanser feel less stripped.
Betaine SalicylateAdds rinse-off exfoliating support for rough texture and pore-clogging buildup.
HectoriteAdds temporary surface-oil absorption.
Houttuynia Cordata Flower/Leaf/Stem WaterProvides the heartleaf-water base without independently proving skin treatment.
Capryloyl Salicylic AcidAdds further rinse-off exfoliating support.

Price tier

$$ Mid-Range

Value check

At the Mid-Range tier, you get foaming cleansing with heartleaf and clay, not independently proven lasting pore correction.

Where to buy

We may earn a commission through these links at no additional cost to you. This does not affect our BeautyBrief.

Bottom line

If your combination or oily skin likes foam, ANUA provides cleansing with heartleaf, glycerin and mild exfoliating ingredients. Eucalyptus oil may not fit scent-reactive skin, and its tests do not establish medication-level acne treatment. At the Mid-Range tier, choose it for cleansing feel and formula preferences.

What is Shopper Fit?

Shopper Fit shows who The Beauty Briefing finds the product is reasonably suited for after reviewing the complete formula or product design, product format, expected performance, directions, tolerability, usability, and available evidence.

Depending on the product category, Shopper Fit may reflect factors such as skin type, hair or scalp characteristics, product needs, routine compatibility, sensitivity, experience level, or practical use considerations.

Shopper Fit is BB's editorial product-fit assessment, not a copy of the brand's marketing. It is not a diagnosis, a guarantee of results or tolerance, or a claim that the product is suitable for everyone.

What are Shopper Preferences?

Shopper Preferences are product attributes The Beauty Briefing has enough evidence to treat as established for the exact product. A brand statement, badge, or retailer claim alone is not enough.

Vegan
BB found sufficient documentation to verify the vegan claim within the documented product scope.
Cruelty-Free
BB found sufficient documentation to verify the cruelty-free claim within the scope of the evidence reviewed.
Non-Comedogenic
BB found sufficient product-specific evidence or documentation to support the non-comedogenic claim. A brand claim by itself does not qualify.
Dermatologist-Tested
BB verified documentation showing the exact product was tested with dermatologist involvement. This does not mean dermatologist-recommended.
Ophthalmologist-Tested
BB verified documentation showing the exact product was tested with ophthalmologist involvement.
Hypoallergenic
BB found sufficient product-specific evidence or documentation to support the hypoallergenic claim. It does not guarantee that no shopper will react.
None Found
BB did not find sufficient evidence to verify any of the controlled Shopper Preferences for the exact product.

Brand marketing tells BB what to investigate. BeautyBrief tells the shopper what BB has established.

What are Formula Flags?

Formula Flags identify characteristics of a product's formula that materially affect shopper fit, tolerability, routine compatibility, or use. A flag does not mean an ingredient is bad or that the product is unsafe. It highlights something worth knowing before you buy.

Fragrance
Added fragrance or parfum that materially affects shopper fit or tolerability.
Essential oils
Essential oils that are relevant to fragrance exposure, sensitivity, or use.
Drying alcohols
Volatile alcohols at a level that materially affects feel, dryness, or tolerability.
Retinoids
Retinoid actives that affect routine compatibility, tolerability, or use.
Exfoliating acids
Exfoliating acids such as AHAs, BHAs, or PHAs at a functionally relevant level.
Comedogenic concerns
Formula characteristics that warrant additional consideration for breakout-prone shoppers.
Sulfates
Sulfate cleansing agents that materially affect cleansing strength, skin or hair feel, or shopper fit.
Silicones
Silicones that materially affect texture, finish, or shopper fit.
Added color
Added colorants that materially affect the finished formula or shopper use.
Other
Another formula characteristic materially affects shopper fit or use.
None identified
No defined Formula Flags materially affect shopper fit or use.

Formula Flags are informational. They are not a list of ingredients everyone should avoid.

If your normal, combination, oily, or acne-prone skin wants a foaming cleanser that combines oil removal, high-placed glycerin, heartleaf, and built-in exfoliating support, ANUA Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam gives you a multifunctional Mid-Range option. The main fit limitation is eucalyptus leaf oil if aromatic essential oils bother your skin.

Beauty Briefing Verdict 2026 09 20T214510.016 1

What it claims

ANUA says the cleanser soothes stressed skin, deeply cleans impurities and excess sebum, gently exfoliates rough texture, and leaves your skin moisturized rather than dry or stripped. The current U.S. page identifies the exact product as non-comedogenic, low irritation, and free of artificial color.[1]

ANUA also reports finished-product testing showing 99.5% pore cleansing after one use, a 17.46% reduction in acne severity after two weeks, and a 49.98% reduction in sebum after two weeks.[1] Those are brand-reported results rather than guaranteed individual outcomes, and the public page provides limited study-method detail.

Claims vs. formula

Sodium cocoyl glycinate, sodium lauroyl glutamate, disodium cocoamphodiacetate, coco-glucoside, and decyl glucoside create the foaming cleansing system for surface oil, sweat, sunscreen residue, and routine buildup.

Glycerin appears second, and several forms of hyaluronic acid appear later in the stored formula. That supports a more comfortable hydrated finish without turning the cleanser into a leave-on hydration treatment.

Betaine salicylate and capryloyl salicylic acid provide rinse-off exfoliating support. ANUA does not disclose their individual concentrations, so you should not treat this as a standard clearly dosed salicylic-acid acne cleanser.

Hectorite adds absorbent support for surface oil, while heartleaf water appears first in the stored formula and heartleaf powder appears later, making the botanical a meaningful part of the formula rather than a label-only trace.

Eucalyptus leaf oil is an aromatic essential oil and remains the main fit limitation if your skin reacts to aromatic oils.

Ingredients that matter

Heartleaf water is the first ingredient, while glycerin and sodium cocoyl glycinate help provide an airy cleansing feel. Hectorite absorbs some surface oil, and betaine salicylate and capryloyl salicylic acid contribute exfoliating ingredients with undisclosed concentrations.

ANUA reports changes in pore-cleansing appearance, sebum and acne severity in its product tests, but the public summary does not establish a labeled OTC acne-treatment dose or comparable outcomes for everyone. Eucalyptus leaf oil contributes an aromatic essential oil and is a fit concern for scent-reactive skin.

Close-up of glycerin dropper and test tube with glycerin.

Glycerin

If your skin feels dry or tight, glycerin helps your skin hold moisture. You don't need a high percentage or a separate serum when your moisturizer already works well.

Read the IngredientBrief
Hyaluronic acid serum dropper with liquid on a soft pink background.

Hyaluronic Acid

If your skin feels dry or tight, hyaluronic acid helps your skin hold moisture. You don't need several HA forms or a separate serum when your moisturizer already hydrates well.

Read the IngredientBrief
Skincare dropper with serum above amber glass bottle for skincare routine.

Heartleaf

Heartleaf is a botanical with early human evidence for lightweight hydration and reduced facial oil in one small toner study. Extract type, botanical water versus extract, and the complete formula…

Read the IngredientBrief
Essential Oils

Essential Oils

Essential oils are concentrated aromatic plant materials used mainly for fragrance. Some individual oils have specific evidence, but their benefits and irritation or phototoxicity risks depend on the exact oil…

Read the IngredientBrief

Safety and regulatory context

ANUA describes this exact cleanser as non-comedogenic, cruelty-free and low irritation in its product claims.[1] Those labels do not guarantee tolerance, especially when the complete INCI includes Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil.

The two salicylate ingredients do not mean this is a clinically dosed acne drug. If you already use leave-on acids or retinoids, consider your total exfoliation exposure.

What to expect in the short term

You get rich foam and effective removal of everyday oil, sweat, sunscreen residue, and routine buildup. Combination and oily skin get the clearest immediate value from the cleansing system plus hectorite’s oil-absorbing role.

The two salicylate ingredients add mild exfoliating support, but this is not a substitute for a clearly dosed acne treatment when persistent acne needs a dedicated active.

What to expect over time

Regular use can help keep surface oil and pore-clogging buildup better managed if the cleanser remains comfortable enough for your routine. The exfoliating ingredients are most useful when they simplify your routine rather than duplicate several other acid products.

ANUA’s testing percentages strengthen the product story, but the durable buying case is the formula itself: effective cleansing, high-placed moisture support, oil absorption, heartleaf, and built-in rinse-off exfoliation.

Who it fits

This makes the most sense if your skin is normal, combination, oily, or acne-prone and you like foaming cleansers with some exfoliation and oil-control support built into the wash step.

If your skin is very dry, peeling, highly reactive, treatment-stressed, or sensitive to aromatic essential oils, a simpler fragrance- and essential-oil-free cleanser is easier to fit.

Compare before you buy

Choose ANUA when you want cleansing, oil control, moisture support, heartleaf, and mild exfoliation combined in one foaming step.

Choose a dedicated acne cleanser when a clearly dosed acne-treatment active is the main reason for the purchase.

Final Assessment

If your combination-to-oily skin enjoys foam with some exfoliating support, ANUA Heartleaf Quercetinol provides humectants, surfactants and oil-absorbing clay. The brand’s pore and acne figures are not evidence of comparable outcomes for every user, and eucalyptus oil limits some sensitive-skin fit. At the Mid-Range tier, its value is multifunctional cleansing rather than a clearly dosed acne treatment.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Sources

  1. ANUA Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam. Official U.S. product page; current formula, directions and brand disclosures, accessed October 14, 2026.

    Return to citation.

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