Index / Anua / Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Anua

Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil.

Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Cleansers

About this product

A K-beauty cleansing oil formulated with heartleaf extract and oils designed to remove makeup, sunscreen, and oil-based impurities as the first step of a double cleanse.

Best for

Oily skinAcne-prone skin
Cleansers

The Guru Index verdict

67%

Mixed

~Mixed · 67%
9Reviewers
5Approved
1Mixed
3Skip
#15 in Best Cleansers

What the gurus are saying

Gurus are split. Fans praise it as an effective makeup and sunscreen remover that feels hydrating and works well for oily or acne-prone skin, though it delivers basic cleansing rather than the viral claim of extracting sebaceous filaments. Detractors report it has an unpleasant medicinal smell, causes skin irritation and burning, and has triggered breakouts in unusual spots for sensitive users. A recurring frustration: the hype around sebaceous filament removal is overblown; it performs like any standard cleansing oil.
Synthesized from 9 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Vitamin EAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Butyl Avocadate, Fragrance, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Bark Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Skip
"The worst Anua product at Ulta has got to be the Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil. It kind of just like misses the mark for me personally on a couple different levels. Number one, it smells weird. It has this very medicinal smell. The heartleaf extract does have a medicinal, earthy, planty, green kind of smell, but I think there's some artificial stuff happening in here as well. This is a fragrance product, but for whatever reason, it just doesn't strike me as pleasant. It just strikes me as kind of medicine-y in a non-appealing way. And I like earthy plant-like smells, but for whatever reason, this is not it. When I used this product, it actually irritated my skin. It kind of warms up and felt like it burned. It just felt kind of fiery on my skin. Now, I do have sensitive skin. I don't generally use products with fragrance on my facial skin, but it did create some warmth and some irritation that just felt very uncomfortable for my skin. And then the few times that I did use this I ended up with a pimple in not a normal spot."
All 2 takes from Kelly Driscoll
K-Beauty at Ulta! The BEST and WORST! | Pt 1
"The worst Anua product at Ulta has got to be the Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil. It kind of just like misses the mark for me personally on a couple different levels. Number one, it smells weird. It has this very medicinal smell. The heartleaf extract does have a medicinal, earthy, planty, green kind of smell, but I think there's some artificial stuff happening in here as well. This is a fragrance product, but for whatever reason, it just doesn't strike me as pleasant. It just strikes me as kind of medicine-y in a non-appealing way. And I like earthy plant-like smells, but for whatever reason, this is not it. When I used this product, it actually irritated my skin. It kind of warms up and felt like it burned. It just felt kind of fiery on my skin. Now, I do have sensitive skin. I don't generally use products with fragrance on my facial skin, but it did create some warmth and some irritation that just felt very uncomfortable for my skin. And then the few times that I did use this I ended up with a pimple in not a normal spot."
My Skincare BETRAYALS!! | These Did Me Dirty
"Let's talk about the Anua cleansing oil because, omg, I started to use this earlier in the year. Gave me the weirdest pimple. The weirdest pimple right under my eye. What? I don't get pimples under my eye. And I got a pimple under my eye and it lasted for like a month. And then the hyperpigmentation from that lasted for like three or four months. Like it was just the strangest pimple in the weirdest spot. And this product has broken out so many people. Like kind of similar stories like in the weirdest places. It also kind of made my skin burn and tingle just on the whole. I just think it's I just hate it so much. And I wish more people would say that they hate it. Some people do enjoy it and I'm really so glad that it works for you. But there are just so many people who have bad experiences with this. My experience burning skin and then strange pimples is a total betrayal."
Approved
"K Beauty is iconic for the double cleanse. Number one cleansing oil in K Beauty is the Anua cleansing oil. This is the cleansing oil that draws all the sebum out. I love it. It helps to break up makeup and sunscreen. You have to use it for about 60 seconds. Then you wash it off completely and go in with a water-based cleanser. This is the best one for pores, a deep cleanser. I love this, it gets into all of it, it helps to remove any extra grime and dirt on the skin. Heartleaf powder creates really dense, dense bubbles like the ones you see on my face right now. Dense bubbles are able to foam into your pores. This makes my skin feel really clean. You want to feel hydrated, not too strict or dry. Your cleanser is perfect for those with sensitive skin. The main ingredient is heartleaf. I love that."
Approved
"It has anti-inflammatory calming hoaba seed oil that helps in a non-pore clogging way, mimics skin's natural sebum but helps at the same time cleanse. So you don't have to worry about it contributing to more clogged pores. And then also grape seed oil that is also an antioxidant. So for those who are oily, acne prone, looking for an oil based cleanser, a cleansing oil that helps to remove makeup and product buildup without contributing to clogged pores, I highly recommend checking out this product."
Skip
"I'm not really loving the Anua cleansing oil. It's kind of got an odd aroma to it."
All 3 takes from Dr Dray
My June 2025 Skincare Empties & Favorites
"Any cleansing oil you chose would achieve those outcomes and there isn't anything about this cleansing oil or any cleansing oil that I've tried that actually has something that targets oil production sebum. Those of you who have oily breakout-prone skin don't assume that this is the cleansing oil for you based on the claims around it. It worked fine but not one I would go after again."
Ulta Is Leaving Target! Let's Go Shopping 🛍️
"I'm almost finished with the Anua cleansing oil."
Shopping For Korean And Japanese Skincare
"I'm not really loving the Anua cleansing oil. It's kind of got an odd aroma to it."
Approved
"The first hack that we have here is to use a cleansing oil to dissolve some of the sebaceous filaments that have built up into your pores. And a good option here is the one from Anua."
Approved
"I have gone through two entire jars of this heartleaf cleansing oil and I absolutely love it. On its own just as a cleansing oil it is fabulous, does not break you out, it is super super amazing. You're going to start with a dry dirty face, apply this cleansing oil, wash it off with face wash."
Top Pick: cleansing oil
All 3 takes from Nipun Kapur
Korean Skincare Fails from 2023 | Nipun Kapur
"It is the Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and it became so viral because a lady in a video was rubbing this on her nose like how you rub oil and she said that sebaceous filaments and I don't know what were coming out from inside. I tried that technique too. I also used it simply like a regular cleansing oil, like how you use a cleansing balm. It does the job, okay, yes it will remove your sunscreen, yes it will remove your makeup, it will remove whatever. But I tried a lot and no sebaceous filaments came out for me, and maybe those pores, maybe I don't know, I don't know how she managed to get it all out. I really tried, I'm like down to almost finishing this bottle and nothing comes out. This is just a regular cleansing oil. You can get like the doctor said, namely any of the Indian brands, they will do exactly the same thing. So you don't need to spend on a super expensive Korean brand for this purpose."
Best Products from Anua for All Skin Types | Best Korean Skincare for Indian Skin | Nipun Kapur
"I have gone through two entire jars of this heartleaf cleansing oil and I absolutely love it. On its own just as a cleansing oil it is fabulous, does not break you out, it is super super amazing. You're going to start with a dry dirty face, apply this cleansing oil, wash it off with face wash."
Korean Skincare That Should Be Viral I Best Korean Skincare of 2024 | Nipun Kapur
"The cleansing oil is really good. I finished one and a tier bottle now on the second one. I actually don't use it that often, my husband likes to use it more, but occasionally I also use it. It is like a good cleansing oil."
~Mixed
"As far as this cleansing oil goes, once you get past the redness, it does feel nice on the face, but I want to see how it rinses off because that's another thing with a lot of cleansing oils is that they are not the most pleasant to rinse off, they can take quite a while and that's just not my favorite. It did rinse off relatively quickly, I think I only had to do like four passes over my skin for the oil to come off, which is not bad for a cleansing oil. Sometimes it's super frustrating trying to get that off your face and that's one of the biggest determining factors as to whether I like a cleansing oil or not."
Skip
"If you are very oily, I would avoid it and go for the lighter one, the newer one. This product went viral, and I don't understand why. Like, it's fine. It's absolutely fine. It's gonna do the job it needs to do. It's gonna take off your makeup. It's to take off your sunscreen in a no different way to any other oil, other cleansing oil out there. It's fine. It's normal. It's nothing special."
Sponsored
All 2 takes from James Welsh
AD Award Winning Korean Skincare You NEED To Try!
"Anua is a very popular brand over on TikTok. I am usually 50/50 about their products but this is one that I know everybody absolutely loves. Heartleaf is actually the houttuynia cordata extract, it's called heartleaf which is anti-inflammatory, it's an antioxidant, then we have olive fruit oil, macadamia oil, sunflower oil. I feel like in general K Beauty it's hard to over exaggerate what the products do. As far as sebaceous filaments and a little clogged pory bits coming out, nothing's come out but I do generally keep on top of that so there's not really anything in there anyway. But as an oil cleanser, I really like it. It's a little bit thicker than your average oil but it's nice."
Overly Sponsored Skincare Products - What's Worth The Hype And Whats NOT!
"If you are very oily, I would avoid it and go for the lighter one, the newer one. This product went viral, and I don't understand why. Like, it's fine. It's absolutely fine. It's gonna do the job it needs to do. It's gonna take off your makeup. It's to take off your sunscreen in a no different way to any other oil, other cleansing oil out there. It's fine. It's normal. It's nothing special."
Approved
"This is the ANUA Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil. It's an oil that cleanses. I go through cleansing oils constantly because I'm washing my face every time I film, like three times a day. So this is actually a product that, of course, will remove your makeup, dissolve the makeup, but also helps to remove blackheads and sebaceous filaments effortlessly. Sebaceous filaments are those little dots in your nose that aren't necessarily full on blackheads, but they look like blackheads. So like the name suggests, it contains Heartleaf, which is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, it has antibacterial properties. So not only will it actually come off your skin and emulsify, it's also good for your skin. It has added benefits."
Sponsored
You might also like

Similar products worth a look.

Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.

This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Subscribe to the digest