THE UNDERRATED EDIT

The Anua Product Everyone Is Sleeping On: Why the Heartleaf 80% Soothing Ampoule Deserves More Attention

Anua has no shortage of viral skincare.

There's the Heartleaf toner you've probably seen hundreds of times. The cleansing oil that helped make double cleansing mainstream on social media. The pink Niacinamide + TXA serum. And now, PDRN has given the Korean brand another headline-making product.

But quietly sitting among all those viral bottles is an Anua product we think deserves considerably more attention:

The Anua Heartleaf 80% Moisture Soothing Ampoule.

It doesn't contain the ingredient of the moment. It doesn't have brightly coloured capsules floating inside the bottle. And its ingredient list isn't trying to impress you with ten different actives.

Instead, Anua built this ampoule around one very simple idea:

When your skin needs hydration and comfort, give it exactly that.

And in an era when skincare routines are becoming increasingly complicated, that simplicity might be exactly what makes it worth rediscovering.

What Is the Anua Heartleaf 80% Soothing Ampoule?

The Anua Heartleaf 80% Moisture Soothing Ampoule is a lightweight, fragrance-free hydrating ampoule formulated with heartleaf extract.

Anua positions it specifically for combination, sensitive and acne-prone skin, describing it as a soothing daily ampoule designed to hydrate and support a healthy, radiant-looking complexion.

And the ingredient list is refreshingly short.

Its official formula includes:

Houttuynia Cordata Extract · Butylene Glycol · Glycerin · Betaine · Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract · Panthenol · Sodium Hyaluronate

along with the ingredients necessary to complete and stabilize the formula.

No elaborate active cocktail.

No retinoid.

No exfoliating acid.

No artificial fragrance.

That's part of the appeal.

Why Heartleaf?

If you've explored Korean skincare recently, you've almost certainly encountered heartleaf, or Houttuynia cordata.

It's the ingredient around which Anua originally built much of its international reputation.

Heartleaf is particularly popular in Korean skincare formulas intended for soothing and hydrating routines, which explains why it appears across Anua's toners, cleansers, creams and ampoules.

But the Heartleaf 80% Ampoule takes the idea further.

Rather than heartleaf being one supporting ingredient among dozens, heartleaf extract is the first ingredient in the formula.

That makes this one of the products we'd look at if heartleaf itself is what attracted you to Anua in the first place.

What Does Anua Heartleaf 80% Ampoule Actually Do?

Strip away the marketing and its purpose is remarkably straightforward:

Hydrate + Soothe + Support the skin's comfortable, healthy-looking appearance.

Anua reports that in its testing, the formula reduced the appearance of redness associated with dryness by 4.89% after two weeks. Importantly, the brand specifies that this refers to redness from dryness and not redness associated with a medical condition.

That's exactly how we'd think about this product.

It's not an acne treatment.

It's not a rosacea treatment.

It's not an exfoliant.

It's a comfort-first hydrating ampoule.

And sometimes that's precisely what a skincare routine needs.

Why We Think It's More Interesting in 2026

Here's the irony.

The more sophisticated K-beauty becomes, the more useful a product like this can become.

Think about what's sitting in many skincare routines now:

Retinal.

Vitamin C.

Exfoliating acids.

Azelaic acid.

Reedle Shot.

High-percentage niacinamide.

Targeted pigmentation serums.

You can very quickly end up with a bathroom shelf full of products trying to do something.

The Anua Heartleaf 80 Ampoule isn't trying to compete with them.

It's the quiet step in between.

If you already have targeted treatments in your routine, you may not need yet another serum containing another active.

You might simply need hydration.

The Texture Is Part of the Story

Despite the word ampoule, don't imagine an oily or extremely heavy treatment.

The texture sits somewhere between a watery serum and a light gel.

It has enough body to feel more substantial than the Heartleaf toner but remains easy to spread across the skin.

Anua describes it as lightweight, while Korean consumer reviews frequently mention hydration and soothing as strengths. Some users do find the texture richer or slightly tacky, particularly when several layers are applied, so someone specifically looking for an ultra-watery serum may prefer a thinner formula.

That's an important distinction.

Lightweight doesn't necessarily mean weightless.

Anua Heartleaf Toner vs. Ampoule: Do You Need Both?

This is probably the most useful question to ask.

Because if you already own the famous Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner, why would you need the ampoule?

They're not exactly duplicates.

Heartleaf 77% Toner

Think:

Watery · Lightweight · Prep · Easy layering

It's the product we'd choose if you want heartleaf in a very light first hydration step.

Heartleaf 80% Ampoule

Think:

More concentrated-feeling hydration · Serum step · More cushioning · Targeted soothing routine

The ampoule has a noticeably more substantial texture and sits where a serum would normally go.

Which Would We Choose?

If your skin is oily and you love minimal routines, the toner may be enough.

If your skin is dehydrated, easily feels uncomfortable or you want more hydration than a watery toner provides, we'd look at the ampoule.

And if you love heartleaf?

There's nothing inherently wrong with using both.

Just don't buy two products because you think you have to complete the collection.

The Ingredient List Is Surprisingly Minimal

This may actually be our favourite thing about it.

Skincare marketing currently rewards complexity.

Consumers see:

10% this.
5% that.
12 peptides.
8 types of hyaluronic acid.
PDRN + EGF + collagen + exosomes...

and naturally assume more ingredients mean a better product.

Not necessarily.

The Anua Heartleaf 80% Ampoule takes almost the opposite approach.

Alongside heartleaf, the formula uses familiar moisturizing and skin-conditioning ingredients including glycerin, betaine, panthenol and sodium hyaluronate.

It's not trying to make your moisturizer, exfoliant and treatment serum obsolete.

It's trying to be a good soothing ampoule.

We appreciate that.

Is Anua Heartleaf 80% Ampoule Good for Sensitive Skin?

Anua specifically recommends the formula for sensitive skin, and the product is fragrance-free.

Its relatively concise ingredient list may also appeal to shoppers who don't want an overly complicated serum.

But sensitive skin is highly individual.

A product being designed for sensitive skin doesn't guarantee compatibility with every person's skin, so patch testing a new product remains sensible if you know your skin is reactive.

Is It Good for Acne-Prone Skin?

Anua lists acne-prone skin among the skin types for which it recommends the product.

But there's an important distinction:

Acne-prone skincare ≠ acne treatment.

We wouldn't buy this expecting it to clear acne.

We'd buy it because acne-prone skin can still become dehydrated and uncomfortable—particularly when the rest of the routine contains targeted active ingredients.

In that context, a simple hydrating ampoule can make a lot of sense.

Is It Good for Oily Skin?

Potentially, yes.

Oily skin still needs hydration.

And a lightweight ampoule can be a particularly attractive way to add hydration without immediately reaching for an extremely rich moisturizer.

If you have very oily skin, we'd start with one thin layer rather than following the social-media temptation to apply multiple droppers of serum.

More product isn't automatically more effective.

What About Dry Skin?

This is where we'd use it differently.

For dry skin, we'd think of Heartleaf 80 as the hydrating layer underneath your moisturizer, rather than expecting the ampoule to replace a cream.

Try:

Toner → Heartleaf 80 Ampoule → Moisturizer

The ampoule provides the lightweight hydration; the moisturizer helps finish the routine.

Dehydrated Skin Might Be Its Sweet Spot

Dry skin and dehydrated skin aren't exactly the same thing.

And the Heartleaf 80 Ampoule makes particularly good sense when skin feels tight, temporarily uncomfortable or lacking in water but you don't necessarily want a heavy skincare routine.

Glycerin, betaine, panthenol and sodium hyaluronate all fit naturally into that hydration-first concept.

For combination-dehydrated skin, this might actually be one of the more interesting products in Anua's Heartleaf range.

Can You Use It With Retinol or Retinal?

This is where the simplicity of the formula becomes useful.

If you already have a retinal or retinol product doing the heavy lifting in your evening routine, you don't necessarily need another complicated active serum.

A routine could be as simple as:

Cleanser → Heartleaf 80 Ampoule → Retinoid → Moisturizer

The exact order can depend on your retinoid product and its directions.

The broader point is that Heartleaf 80 can occupy the hydrating/supporting role rather than competing with your active.

Can You Use It With Niacinamide?

Yes, assuming your skin tolerates the other product.

Interestingly, the current official Heartleaf 80% Moisture Soothing Ampoule ingredient list doesn't list niacinamide.

That's useful if you're already using a dedicated niacinamide serum elsewhere in your routine.

For example:

Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum → Heartleaf 80 Ampoule → Moisturizer

You don't necessarily need both, but they perform very different jobs.

Can You Use It With Anua Azelaic Acid 10 Serum?

This is another combination that makes conceptual sense.

The Azelaic Acid serum is the targeted step.

Heartleaf 80 is the hydrating step.

If your skin tolerates both formulas, that separation of responsibilities can create a much more logical routine than stacking several treatment serums on top of one another.

Introduce new products gradually rather than starting both simultaneously.

And What About PDRN?

Same idea.

The Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum is a much trendier product right now.

If your primary objective is glass-skin hydration and you specifically want to explore PDRN, that's probably where we'd look.

But if your priority is simply:

“My skin feels stressed and I want something uncomplicated,”

Heartleaf 80 may actually be the smarter purchase.

Not every routine needs the newest ingredient.

How to Use Anua Heartleaf 80% Soothing Ampoule

Anua recommends using the ampoule after toner in both morning and evening routines, smoothing it over the face and neck. The brand says its mild formula can be used daily.

A simple routine would look like this:

AM: Cleanser → Toner → Heartleaf 80 Ampoule → Moisturizer → Sunscreen

PM: Cleanser → Toner → Heartleaf 80 Ampoule → Moisturizer

You can simplify that further depending on your skin.

Who Should Buy It?

We'd put Heartleaf 80 near the top of the list if:

Your skin gets dehydrated easily.

You want hydration without a complicated active formula.

Your routine already contains several targeted treatments.

You like Anua's Heartleaf toner but want something more substantial.

You have combination skin that doesn't always enjoy rich serums.

You prefer fragrance-free skincare.

Your skin's current request is basically: please calm down.

Who Should Skip It?

We wouldn't automatically recommend it if:

You're looking specifically for a pigmentation serum.

You want a dedicated acne treatment.

You already own a hydrating serum you love.

Or you simply don't get along with heartleaf-based products.

And if you strongly dislike any degree of tackiness in a serum, note that some Korean reviewers find the texture slightly sticky, even though others describe it as easily absorbed.

That's the kind of nuance we'd rather tell you before you buy it.

Is Anua Heartleaf 80% Ampoule Worth It?

For someone who wants a dramatic before-and-after active serum?

Probably not.

That's not what this product is trying to be.

For someone who wants a dependable hydrating ampoule to slot between all the more exciting products in their routine?

That's where we think Heartleaf 80 becomes underrated.

Interestingly, the product currently has a 4.8/5 rating from 128 reviews on Anua's U.S. website, while Korean beauty-review platform Hwahae shows a 4.36 rating across hundreds of reviews. Hydration, soothing and absorption appear repeatedly in the Korean consumer feedback, although some reviewers find the formula richer or tackier than expected.

It's not universally perfect.

No skincare product is.

But it seems to have built something more valuable than viral hype:

A group of people who quietly keep repurchasing it.

Where to Buy Anua Heartleaf 80% Soothing Ampoule in Canada

Canadian shoppers can find the Anua Heartleaf 80% Soothing Ampoule at THEKSHOP, alongside the rest of Anua's Korean skincare collection.

THEKSHOP carries the product online for customers across Canada.

When shopping for popular Korean skincare, particularly products from highly visible brands such as Anua, we'd recommend paying attention to who is actually selling the product, rather than choosing an unfamiliar marketplace seller solely because the price is a few dollars lower.

Shop Anua Heartleaf 80% Soothing Ampoule at THEKSHOP Canada

The Verdict: Sometimes Boring Skincare Is Exactly What You Need

The Anua Heartleaf 80% Soothing Ampoule probably isn't going to be the most exciting bottle on your skincare shelf.

That's precisely why we like it.

It doesn't ask you to reorganize your entire routine around one trendy ingredient.

It doesn't try to exfoliate, resurface, brighten and firm your skin simultaneously.

It gives you heartleaf, humectants and soothing ingredients in a relatively straightforward formula designed around hydration and comfort.

And as skincare routines become increasingly crowded with actives, sometimes the smartest addition isn't another treatment.

Sometimes your skin just wants a glass of water.