Anua Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner: the calming toner for red, reactive skin

What does heartleaf do for your skin?

A soothing toner depends on its calming ingredient. Heartleaf is one of the better-supported calming ingredients. The evidence for it is mostly preclinical, which means it comes from lab and animal studies. A 2018 review in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology gathers the lab and animal evidence that Houttuynia cordata extract is both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Those effects may help skin that turns red and reactive easily. That review includes no human clinical trials. So heartleaf is best treated as a soothing ingredient with good lab and animal evidence. It is not a proven treatment for any condition.

A toner stays on the skin instead of being rinsed off, so the heartleaf has longer to work. In the Anua cleansing oil that shares the name, heartleaf is a minor ingredient in a product you rinse off in seconds, so it has little effect. A toner stays on the skin, and at 77% the heartleaf is the bulk of the formula. So in this toner, the heartleaf has far more chance to work than in the cleansing oil.

It soothes and hydrates the skin. It does not treat specific skin concerns. A toner like this adds water back to the skin straight after cleansing. It leaves the skin calm and slightly damp for the next product. It won’t smooth texture, fade marks or clear breakouts, because that needs a treatment product.

What’s in it?

The formula contains few active ingredients and many plant extracts. Heartleaf extract is first on the list at 77%. Water is second on the list. In most toners, water comes first. Below that come glycerin, betaine and panthenol (provitamin B5). These are humectants, which means they draw water into the skin. Next comes a hyaluronic-acid complex, then several plant extracts, including purslane, chamomile and burdock. Most of these were chosen to soothe the skin and act as antioxidants, like the heartleaf. There’s no added fragrance, no essential oil and no alcohol. That makes it a lower-risk pick for reactive skin.

Two things are worth knowing. First, the hydration is light. Glycerin and panthenol draw water into the skin, but there is no occlusive, which is an ingredient that forms a seal to hold that water in. So you still need a moisturiser over it. Second, the toner contains hyaluronic acid. The current bottle is sold as “Heartleaf 77 + Hyaluron”, and the maker’s list includes seven forms of hyaluronic acid. These range from plain hyaluronic acid to a hydrolysed form, which is broken into smaller, lighter pieces, and a crosspolymer, which has its chains linked together. Hyaluronic acid draws water into the skin and holds it there. All seven come after the glycerin and panthenol on the list, and the maker gives no percentages. They add some hydration, but the toner is still a light hydrating step.

Texture and how to use it

It’s a thin, water-like toner with no oils, so it’s built to absorb quickly. Anua says it has a cooling effect on contact. That’s aimed at skin that feels hot, tight or flushed.

Use it straight after cleansing, before your essence or serum. Press a few drops in with your hands, or pour it onto a cotton pad and sweep it over the face. For very dry or irritated skin, soak a couple of pads and leave them on for three to five minutes as a quick toner mask. Follow with a hydrating essence or a treatment, then moisturiser, and sunscreen in the morning.

Anua made this toner for skin that feels hot or irritated.

Who’s it for — and who should skip it?

It suits sensitive skin that reddens or overheats easily. That includes anyone whose face flushes after cleansing, exercise, wind or a day in the sun. It’s also a good first toner. It is inexpensive, and it has no fragrance or alcohol, which are common triggers for reactive skin.

Skip it if you want a toner that exfoliates, smooths texture or fades marks. This one is not made to do those things. Use a treatment toner or a product made for that job instead. And if your skin is already calm and well-hydrated, you probably don’t need a soothing toner. The ingredient list is gentle, but it is a long list of botanical extracts, so patch-test first if your skin reacts to plant ingredients.

Is it worth it?

The 250ml bottle gives you a lot of fragrance-free, alcohol-free hydration for the price, and heartleaf is its main ingredient. It is made to calm reactive skin, with nothing in it that commonly stings. Many Australians manage sensitive skin that reddens easily all year round, and this toner is a gentle way to help calm it. The drawback is that it calms skin without treating any specific concern, and the hydration is light, so a moisturiser still has to follow it.