Anua Heartleaf 77% Soft Cleansing Oil Review

Quick Verdict: 4.2/5

The Anua Heartleaf 77% Soft Cleansing Oil lives up to its “soft” promise. It’s genuinely gentle, removes makeup without a fight, and won’t leave your eyes watering. The trade-off? It’s thicker than most cleansing oils and takes its sweet time to emulsify. If you’ve got sensitive skin and have been burned by harsher formulas, this one’s worth the slower pace.

What It Is

This is K-beauty’s answer to the “cleansing oil but make it gentle” brief. The star ingredient is heartleaf (houttuynia cordata) at 77% concentration — that’s the soothing, anti-inflammatory botanical that’s been having a moment in Korean skincare. The rest of the formula builds around sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil, and a handful of other plant oils designed to dissolve makeup without stripping your face raw.

At 200ml for around $18, it’s positioned as the approachable middle ground between drugstore cleansing oils that can be hit-or-miss and the $40+ luxury versions. Anua markets this specifically to people with sensitive or easily irritated skin who still want the deep-cleaning benefits of oil cleansing.

The packaging is clean and minimal — a clear bottle with a pump that actually works. Small win, but you’d be surprised how many cleansing oils come with pumps that dispense either nothing or half the bottle.

Texture and Application

Here’s where things get interesting. This oil is thick. Not quite balm territory, but definitely heavier than the lightweight, almost water-like cleansing oils you might be used to. When you pump it out, it has this golden color and a slightly viscous consistency that feels substantial on your fingers.

The application is smooth — it spreads easily across dry skin without tugging. You can feel it working on makeup immediately. Mascara, foundation, even that stubborn waterproof eyeliner starts dissolving within seconds of contact.

The scent is herbal and green. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s definitely present. If you’re sensitive to fragrance or prefer completely odorless products, heads up — you’ll notice this one.

Now for the emulsification test. This is where cleansing oils either shine or fall apart. Add water, and a good oil should turn milky white immediately, lifting away all the dissolved makeup and oil. The Anua takes about 10-15 seconds longer than I’d like to fully emulsify. It gets there, but you need to massage it with water for a bit before it transforms into that satisfying milky texture.

Once it does emulsify, it rinses clean. No residue, no film, no need to double-cleanse unless you want to.

Performance: Makeup Removal

This is where the Anua really delivers. Full-coverage foundation? Gone. Waterproof mascara? Dissolves like it was never there. The real test was a full face of long-wearing makeup including concealer, setting powder, and liquid eyeliner. After one round with this oil, everything lifted off cleanly.

The eye area deserves special mention. A lot of cleansing oils sting when they get near your eyes — not this one. You can massage it directly over closed eyes to remove eye makeup without any burning or irritation. That alone makes it worth considering if you’ve had bad experiences with other formulas.

I tested it against my usual suspects: waterproof mascara, cream blush, and that stubborn lip stain that claims to last 16 hours. The Anua handled all of them without requiring excessive rubbing or multiple passes. Just gentle circular motions for about 30 seconds, add water, massage until milky, rinse.

Who It’s For

This oil has a very specific sweet spot. If you have sensitive skin that reacts to most cleansing oils, this could be your gateway drug into double cleansing. The high concentration of heartleaf makes it genuinely soothing rather than just “not irritating.”

It’s also great for people who wear heavy makeup regularly but have struggled to find a gentle-enough remover. The combination of effective makeup removal with minimal irritation is harder to find than you’d think.

However, if you have very oily skin, the thicker texture might feel too heavy. And if you’re already happy with a lightweight cleansing oil that emulsifies quickly, this might feel like a step backward in terms of user experience.

People new to cleansing oils might find this a good starting point — it’s forgiving, works well, and doesn’t have any of the harshness that can put people off oil cleansing entirely.

Value and Alternatives

At $18 for 200ml, the math works out to about 9 cents per ml. That’s solid value in the cleansing oil category. You’re getting a large bottle of a formula that actually works, with quality ingredients, at a price that won’t make you wince.

But let’s talk alternatives, because this isn’t the only good cleansing oil out there.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is the OG that many consider the gold standard. It’s lighter in texture, emulsifies faster, and has decades of happy users. But it’s also more expensive and can be more irritating for sensitive skin types. The olive oil base gives it a very different scent profile too.

For those looking to streamline their routine entirely, there’s also the option of using a multi-tasking oil that handles both cleansing and treatment steps.

Kerala Botanics’ formula combines cleansing with vitamin C treatment and bakuchiol (a plant-based retinol alternative), though it comes at a higher price point and works best for those who prefer minimalist routines.

Product	Price	Size	Texture	Best For
Anua Heartleaf	$18	200ml	Thick, emulsifies slowly	Sensitive skin, heavy makeup
DHC Deep Cleansing	$28	200ml	Light, emulsifies quickly	Normal skin, speed preference
Kerala Botanics	$49	30ml	Medium, multi-purpose	Minimal routines, active ingredients

The Honest Cons

Let’s be real about where this oil falls short. The emulsification time is genuinely annoying if you’re used to faster formulas. Those extra 10-15 seconds feel like forever when you’re tired and just want to get your makeup off.

The thickness can feel heavy, especially if you have oily skin or prefer lightweight products. It’s not going to feel refreshing or light — it feels like what it is, which is a thick oil.

The scent, while natural, is polarizing. Some people love the herbal, green smell. Others find it medicinal or too strong. There’s no middle ground here.

And if you’re someone who likes to oil cleanse in the morning (which some people do for very dry skin), this might be too much for AM use. It’s definitely designed as an evening, makeup-removal product.

Final Rating and Recommendation

Overall: 4.2/5

• Gentleness: 5/5 — This is genuinely one of the mildest cleansing oils I’ve tested
• Makeup Removal: 4.5/5 — Removes everything, including waterproof formulas
• Texture/Feel: 3.5/5 — Works well but feels heavy, slow to emulsify
• Value: 4/5 — Good price for the size and quality
• User Experience: 4/5 — Solid pump, clear packaging, does what it claims

The Anua Heartleaf 77% Soft Cleansing Oil delivers exactly what it promises: gentle, effective makeup removal for sensitive skin. It’s not going to revolutionize your routine, but it does its job well without causing irritation.

If you’ve been struggling to find a cleansing oil that doesn’t leave your skin red or stinging, this is worth trying. The slower emulsification and heavier texture are fair trade-offs for the gentleness factor. Just don’t expect it to feel like the lightweight oils you might be used to.

For building a complete routine around gentle, effective cleansing, check out our guide to double cleansing methods and evening skincare routines that work well with oil cleansing as the first step.

Bottom line: This isn’t the most elegant cleansing oil out there, but it might be the kindest to your skin. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.