ANUA: The Heartleaf From Ulleung Island That Changed Korean Skincare

You have probably met ANUA before you knew its name — on a TikTok shelfie, in a "empties" video, or in that friend's bathroom who suddenly has calmer skin and won't stop talking about a green-labeled toner from Seoul.

This piece is a proper introduction: where ANUA actually comes from, why heartleaf keeps showing up in nearly everything it makes, which products are worth your money, and which ones to skip if your skin isn't the right fit. Every ANUA reference we mention is in stock at Kool Seoul, sourced from Seoul and shipped worldwide via DHL Express — free shipping on orders over $150.

Where ANUA actually comes from

Anua Heartleaf Soothing Toner 77% 250mlthe toner that made ANUA globally famous$20.90Shop now →

ANUA is a Korean skincare label built around a single obsession: heartleaf extract, a plant Koreans have used for generations as a herbal remedy for skin that flares up. The brand is part of the K-beauty second wave — the one that came after sheet masks and cushion foundations, when Korean consumers started asking for cleaner INCI lists and clearer promises. ANUA answered by putting the ingredient percentage right on the front of the bottle.

That decision — Heartleaf 77%, Peach 70%, Birch 70%, PDRN 100 — sounds like marketing, but it's actually the brand's editorial line. Every hero SKU is named after the exact concentration of its star ingredient, so you know what you're rubbing into your face. It's a Korean approach that feels very un-marketing, and it's a big part of why dermatologists and skin nerds tolerate the brand instead of rolling their eyes at it.

ANUA is manufactured in South Korea. The brand reports that its heartleaf is sourced from Ulleung Island, a volcanic island off the east coast known for clean air and mineral-rich soil — a claim we've seen echoed in its Korean product pages. We don't have independent lab data on the sourcing, so we hedge; what we can confirm is that batches arriving at our warehouse carry Korean-language packaging, Korean production dates, and Korean barcodes.

The heartleaf story (Houttuynia cordata) — the signature ingredient

Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil 200mlthe cult first-cleanse that started the heartleaf craze$26Shop now →

Heartleaf — Houttuynia cordata — is not new in Korea. It has been used in traditional East Asian herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory poultice, and in the 2000s Korean dermatology brands started distilling it for calming ampoules and post-procedure creams. What ANUA did was pull it out of the clinic and put it into everyday textures: cleansing oils, toners, pads, sun creams.

The Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil is the product most people meet first. It's an oil-based first cleanse designed to melt sunscreen and sebum without stripping the barrier — the point being that if your first cleanse is aggressive, no amount of soothing toner afterwards will save you. This one turns milky on contact with water and rinses without a film, which is why it keeps showing up in "double-cleanse" tutorials.

The hero products worth knowing

Anua Heartleaf Clear Pad 77% 160mlgentle exfoliating pads for congested, oily skin$32Shop now →

Five products carry most of ANUA's reputation. The first is the Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner: watery, unscented, layerable in the "seven skin method" without pilling. The second is the Heartleaf Clear Pad 77, thin cotton discs soaked in heartleaf and mild acids for skin that needs pore-clearing without a full BHA routine.

Anua Heartleaf 80 Moisture Soothing Ampoule 30mlthe concentrated calming serum for reactive skin$36Shop now →

The third is the Heartleaf 80 Moisture Soothing Ampoule, a thin, quickly-absorbed serum built for the moment your skin is angry and everything stings. It sits well under other serums or alone; we've seen customers reach for it after a long flight or a stressful week when their cheeks flush without warning.

Anua Heartleaf 70 Soothing Cream 100mllightweight gel-cream for combination skin$36Shop now →

The fourth is the Heartleaf 70 Soothing Cream, a gel-cream texture that suits humid climates, oily-dehydrated skin, and anyone who finds most Korean moisturizers too rich. If your skin needs more slip, its bigger sibling, the Heartleaf 70 Daily Relief Lotion, gives you a fluid milk texture in a 200 ml pump — a favourite of ours for post-shower body-face-and-neck use.

Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream 50mla silky Korean SPF that finishes matte-satin$31Shop now →

The fifth is the Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream. Korean sunscreen is its own conversation — reformulated more often than French SPFs and generally more elegant to wear — and ANUA's take is a chemical filter blend with a satin, almost-matte finish that plays well under makeup. It doesn't have a white cast, and it doesn't sting even close to the eye area.

Beyond heartleaf — the ingredient lines ANUA has been quietly building

Anua Peach 77 + Niacin Essence Toner 250mlbrightening toner for dull, uneven skin tone$31Shop now →

ANUA has spent the last two years widening the shelf without breaking its own logic. There's a Peach + Niacin line for dullness and uneven tone — the Peach 77 Niacin Essence Toner is the entry point, softer and more comforting than a straight vitamin C. It reads sweet on the skin without leaving a sticky finish.

Anua Rice 7 + Ceramide Hydrating Barrier Serum 50mlrice + ceramide barrier repair for dry, tight skin$36Shop now →

There's also a Rice + Ceramide line — Korea's favourite grain paired with a lipid family your skin recognises. The Rice 7 Ceramide Hydrating Barrier Serum is one of the ones we recommend to customers coming off a stripped, over-exfoliated routine; it's cushioned enough to feel like a treatment, thin enough not to pill under sunscreen.

Anua PDRN + Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum 30mlPDRN + hyaluronic acid for plumper, bouncier skin$42Shop now →

Finally, ANUA has moved into PDRN, an ingredient that got popular in Korea via aesthetic clinics before drifting into skincare. The PDRN + Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum is ANUA's version — a light, bouncy serum aimed at hydration and "bounce". We won't pretend PDRN skincare replicates in-clinic results, but as a topical it's pleasant and non-irritating, which for a trend ingredient is not a given.

Who ANUA is really for — and who it isn't

ANUA is a great fit if your skin is reactive, congested, dehydrated, or generally worn out from switching products too often. It's a great fit if you don't want strong fragrance, if you're rebuilding your barrier after too many acids, or if you're new to Korean skincare and want a brand where the labels tell you what's inside.

ANUA is not the right brand if you want dramatic anti-aging results in six weeks, if you love heavy occlusive creams, or if you're chasing a specific dermatologist-grade actives routine (tretinoin, high-percentage vitamin C, prescription azelaic). It's also probably not the brand for someone who dislikes green, herbal-clean scents — the heartleaf line has a subtle plant note some people find calming and others find a bit "spa".

How to build an ANUA routine (AM + PM)

Anua Birch 70 + Hyaluron Moisture Boosting Toner 250mlquenching birch-sap toner for dry mornings$29Shop now →

A simple ANUA morning: gentle water rinse or a splash of toner on a cotton pad (Heartleaf 77 for calm, Birch 70 for dryness, Peach 77 for dullness), a serum matched to your concern, the Heartleaf 70 Soothing Cream, and the Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream. Five steps, ten minutes.

A simple ANUA evening: Heartleaf Cleansing Oil, a gentle foam cleanser, one round of Heartleaf Clear Pad if your skin is congested (skip it if it's not), the Heartleaf 80 Ampoule when your skin is angry, and the same moisturizer as the morning. Twice a week you can layer a sheet mask in place of the ampoule.

What to expect in the first few weeks

ANUA is not a "results in three days" brand. The first thing most people notice is that their skin stops stinging when they apply the next product — a small win that says a lot about the state of a modern barrier. Then, over two to four weeks, skin looks less inflamed, pores look a little tighter around the nose and chin, and makeup sits better.

What you shouldn't expect: dramatic pigmentation fading, deep-wrinkle correction, or an overnight glass-skin transformation. Those need actives ANUA doesn't lean into. If you want fireworks, layer ANUA under a targeted brand (a retinal serum, a strong vitamin C) and let ANUA do the calm, hydrated, barrier-friendly base work.

ANUA — frequently asked questions

Is ANUA Korean?

Yes. ANUA is a Korean skincare brand manufactured in South Korea, and its packaging, batch codes and R&D are Korean. The brand reports that its heartleaf is sourced from Ulleung Island, off Korea's east coast. Every bottle we ship from Kool Seoul is Korean-market inventory.

What is heartleaf, and why does ANUA use so much of it?

Heartleaf is the common English name for Houttuynia cordata, a plant used in traditional East Asian herbal medicine for its calming effect on reactive skin. ANUA distills it into a base ingredient at high percentages — 70%, 77%, 80% — and builds toners, pads, ampoules, creams and sunscreens around it. The brand's bet is that a single, well-studied plant, used at meaningful concentrations, does more for reactive skin than a long list of trend actives.

Which ANUA toner should I start with?

If your skin is reactive, sensitive or breaking out, start with the Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner. If your skin is dull or uneven, start with the Peach 77 + Niacin Essence Toner. If your skin is tight and dehydrated in the morning, start with the Birch 70 + Hyaluron Moisture Boosting Toner. All three are non-stripping and layerable in the "seven skin" method.

Is ANUA good for sensitive or acne-prone skin?

ANUA's heartleaf line was designed with reactive, congested skin in mind, and many of its most popular customers are people who couldn't tolerate stronger acid routines. The formulas are fragrance-light and avoid harsh essential oils. That said, "sensitive skin" is not a diagnosis — if you have rosacea, perioral dermatitis or active eczema, please patch-test and check with a dermatologist first.

Are ANUA products cruelty-free and vegan?

ANUA states that its products are not tested on animals, and many of its formulas are labeled vegan on their Korean packaging. We don't have a global cruelty-free certification body's stamp to point to, so we hedge: read the individual product page for the vegan tag if this is a purchase driver for you, and reach out if you want us to double-check a specific SKU with the Seoul team.

Can I use ANUA if I already use retinol or acids?

Yes — in fact, ANUA works especially well as the "supporting cast" in an actives-heavy routine. Use your retinol or acid on its designated night, and let the Heartleaf ampoule, cream, and cleansing oil do barrier support the other nights. Skip the Heartleaf Clear Pad on the same evening you use a strong acid, so you're not exfoliating twice.

How long does ANUA shipping from Seoul to the US take?

Kool Seoul ships ANUA from Seoul via DHL Express with tracking end-to-end. Transit time to the US is typically three to six business days once your parcel is scanned, though customs and remote-address delivery can add a day. Shipping is free on orders over $150.

Is Kool Seoul an authorized place to buy ANUA?

Kool Seoul sources ANUA through the same Korean distribution network used by Korea's largest beauty retailers, and every batch is checked in Seoul before it ships. You get Korean-market packaging with Korean production dates, not grey-market repackaged inventory. If a batch doesn't pass our check, it doesn't ship.

Our ANUA selection at Kool Seoul

Each reference below is in stock and shipped from Seoul. Tap any product to shop.

Shop all ANUA →

Why shop ANUA at Kool Seoul

— Yeseo, team Kool Seoul · sourced from Seoul, shipped worldwide