Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner Review: What a One-Month Trial Showed

Few Korean toners have generated as much sustained buzz over the past few years as Anua’s Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner, usually just called “Anua 77.” It is Anua’s best-known product and it often appears in “best Korean toner” lists. Here is what I can say about it from my own month of use, one outside reviewer’s trial and the published ingredient list.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you’re dealing with persistent acne, rosacea, eczema or another skin condition, please see a dermatologist.

How we put this review together: I have used this product myself, and my own experience is in the section titled “My Experience After One Month”. I also analyzed the full ingredient list and summarized the experience of a creator with oily-combination skin who ran a one-month trial. Their review is credited and linked below. The brand’s claims, the outside creator’s trial and my own experience are kept separate below. Results vary from person to person, so patch test anything new.

What Is Heartleaf, Exactly?

Heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata) is a botanical often mentioned alongside Centella asiatica, since Korean skincare marketing describes both as calming. Heartleaf has a history in traditional Korean herbal use, and Anua’s marketing leans on that. Research on the plant or its extracts does not by itself show that this finished toner works the same way.

The Formula

The 77% on the label refers to how much of the formula is heartleaf extract (mostly a water base), not how much active compound it delivers, so it should not be read as a potency score. It sits alongside a relatively short supporting ingredient list. This is consistent with the broader Korean trend toward minimal, barrier-friendly toners covered in our double cleansing and skin barrier posts. On the current Anua US product page, checked on October 8, 2026, the brand labels the toner fragrance-free. The published list does not name Alcohol, Alcohol Denat. or Ethanol, but it does include glycols such as Butylene Glycol. This is a check of that listed formula, not a guarantee that every past or regional version is identical or that it will suit every sensitive skin type. The ingredient list above comes from the current US product page. The bottle I used in Korea was an earlier purchase, and this post does not compare its label with that list, so I cannot say the two are identical. The outside reviewer’s version below listed mild fruit-derived exfoliating extracts. Formulas can differ by version and region, so check the label of the bottle you are buying.

Texture and Application

Both the creator I cite and I found it quick to absorb (details in the sections below). Korean toner routines often use toner as a hydrating first layer, patted in by hand or applied with a pad, rather than as a cleansing step.

Does It Deliver?

Soothing/calming: The brand positions it for calming, and heartleaf has a long history in traditional herbal use, but I did not find a source that tests this finished toner on rosacea, post-procedure skin or any other condition, so I do not claim that here. The creator trial above is the closest evidence I cite, and it describes how the toner felt, not a clinical result.

Hydration: The outside reviewer described softer, more hydrated skin. A toner is not a replacement for a moisturizer, and I would not expect it to do the work of a dedicated hydrating serum.

Pore/oil control: The outside reviewer saw her oil look more balanced but no change in whiteheads or sebaceous filaments. I did not measure oil control myself.

What a One-Month Trial Showed

Charisse Daily has oily-combination skin. She used the toner daily for a month, both swiped on a cotton pad and patted in by hand. Her findings are more balanced than most of the hype:

• The texture is basically water: clear, unscented, and fast-absorbing with no stickiness. Everything she layered on top sat well.
• Her skin felt softer and more hydrated, and her oil looked more balanced: neither greasy nor matte.
• It did not give her “glass skin”. She also saw no change in the whiteheads on her chin or the sebaceous filaments on her nose.
• It didn’t stop her occasional hormonal pimple. When one appeared, though, it stayed small and flattened faster than usual.
• She pointed out that some buyers report breakouts. The version she used included mild fruit-derived exfoliating extracts, so she recommends patch testing and adding it to your routine on its own. Her version may differ from the current formula listed above.

Our read: based on one outside reviewer with oily-combination skin and my own one-month use, this is an easy-to-layer hydrating toner. Neither account is a clinical test, and neither establishes that it suits sensitive skin or treats acne or texture. The “viral” reputation can oversell what a toner does.

My Experience After One Month

I used this product during my military service in Korea, before I moved to Australia.

I used the Anua Heartleaf 77 Soothing Toner for one month, always as the very first step of my routine after cleansing. I liked how quickly it absorbed, and the creams and serums I layered on top also seemed to absorb well afterward.

This is a personal impression of texture and layering rather than a measured result, and your skin may respond differently.

Who Should Use It

A reasonable option if you want a light hydrating toner as a first layer. I have no evidence that it protects skin from retinoids or acids, so introduce those gradually as you normally would. If your skin is reactive, patch test first.

Price and Value

Compare the exact bottle size, currency and delivered price rather than relying on a fixed price range. The Anua US listing, checked on October 8, 2026, offers 250ml and 500ml options. Promotions, shipping and regional pricing can change, so check the selected size and current total before buying.

Is this the same as a Centella asiatica toner?

No. Heartleaf and Centella asiatica are different plants, though both are marketed as calming. They often appear in the same routines, but one is not a substitute for the other.

Can I use it every day?

The creator used it daily for a month, and I used it as the first step of my routine for a month. Neither of us is a clinical test, and I did not find a source that sets a recommended frequency for this toner, so go by how your own skin reacts and stop if it stings.

Anua’s Heartleaf 77% Toner is a short-ingredient-list toner that the reviewer I cite and I both found easy to layer, and the brand markets it as soothing. Whether it suits sensitive or reactive skin is not something this post can establish, so patch test and check the label of your bottle.