Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam Versus Nineless A-Control Heartleaf & BHA Cleanser
This salicylic acid foaming cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.
This salicylic acid cream cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Houttuynia Cordata Extract 33.4%
Skin Conditioning
Quercetin
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Polyquaternium-67
Houttuynia Cordata Powder
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
ChelatingHouttuynia Cordata Extract 33.4%, Quercetin, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Salicylic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Potassium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-67, Houttuynia Cordata Powder, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Dextrin, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
Houttuynia Cordata Flower/Leaf/Stem Water
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
PEG-32
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
ChelatingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Leaf Extract
AstringentPinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Houttuynia Cordata Flower/Leaf/Stem Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Water, Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, PEG-32, Propanediol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Decyl Glucoside, Betaine, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Dextrin, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Leaf Extract, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Dextrin is a starch-derived polysaccharide. It's made by partially breaking down corn, potato, or other plant starches.
Think of it as "half-processed" starch; it's less complex than the original but not fully broken down into sugar like maltodextrin.
In cosmetics, it mainly functions as a bulking agent, viscosity controller, binder, and absorbent. It helps thicken products, stabilize powders, and get certain textures a less "wet" feel.
This ingredient has a pretty solid safety profile; it's recognized as a safe food additive and its large molecular size means it doesn't meaningfully penetrate skin.
Human repeat insult patch tests using a rinse-off facial product containing 42.69% dextrin found no skin irritation or sensitization in 54 subjects.
Typical real-world usage is much lower: usually under 1% as a texture modifier and up to 40% in masks (rinse off products use less).
Learn more about DextrinDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinThis ingredient comes from the evergreen flowering plant, gardenia. It has skin conditioning properties.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSalicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.
Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.
Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, it’s still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic AcidChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
