Where to Buy Anua in Australia & NZ? | Kanvas Beauty Buying Guide

You can shop Anua online in Australia and New Zealand - including the popular Anua Heartleaf Toner and Anua Niacinamide Serum right here on Kanvas Beauty! Kanvas Beauty are an official stockist for Anua Skincare, which means collabs, freebies and promotions....stay tuned.

The ANUA brand: Is it all marketing or is there more to it?

It's like no one had any idea who or what Anua was, and then one day, Anua Heartleaf was everywhere on social media. A zillion positive reviews for its products came pouring in and in short time, it became one of the bestselling Korean skincare brands!  So is Anua a good brand? There is no doubt that their marketing machines had been working overtime and every influencer seemed to rave about Anua products. Obviously, we wanted to know: is it all marketing hype or is Anua Korean skincare really the shiznits? There were a few things that prompted us to stock it: firstly, it was receiving fairly consistent positive reviews from non-influencers. Secondly, its ingredients were clean, gentle and weren't buzzy. Heartleaf for instance, has been used in K-Beauty for years now. Thirdly, many purchasers became repeat purchasers. So, we bit the bullet and tried it. Time to dissect their key products.

Anua Cleansing Oil: The pore vaccuum cleaner

Videos all over TikTok showed the Anua Pore Control Cleansing Oil quite literally pulling the excess sebum and sebaceous filaments out of people's noses! Does it work it real life? The answer is, yes: the Anua Oil Cleanser DOES make a lot of blackheads and gunk come out (it's gnarly!). With that said, it is definitely not for everyone that has blocked pores, and there is a trick to using it. Let's chat.

Anua Pore Cleansing Oil uses a number of emollients, such as sunflower seed, macadamia, jojoba and grapeseed oils. These are very nourishing, and the additions of its signature Heartleaf as well as tumeric root give the watery oil an antioxidant boost. Melia Azadirachta Bark extract is a natural antibacterial, which can help reduce pore clogging. But we don't think this is a formula for sensitive, dry and cystic-acne prone skin. The number one ingredient is the emollient Ethylhexyl Palmitate, which is non-irritating (and a great replacement for mineral oil) but has a higher comedogenicity rating (a big word for likelihood to clog the skin). We're guessing this is why some users report the cleansing oil makes them breakout. It also contains added fragrance, which may be a no-no for hypersensitive skin. What we're saying is, the hype is real, it can make your skin smoother and clearer, but don't buy into the hype if you don't have the right skin type! The whole idea behind skincare is buying the right products for your skin, intsead of forcing your skin to like trending products. We noticed a lot of negative reviews came from those with unsuitable skin types.

How to use Anua Oil Cleanser

If you have oily/combination skin with large pores and blackheads on the nose, AND if you're skin isn't particularly prone to cystic acne or sensitivity, this product can be quite transformative. Use a pump and rub it onto dry skin, focusing on the T-Zone for around 5 minutes (yes, that long). Think of it as a mini facial massage. It'll leave your skin noticeably soft and smooth. Loose sebaceous filaments just disappear. It also removes makeup better than most micellar oils. It's pretty darn good! We would recommend using this oil every second or third day, because most of us don't really need a 5 minute oil massage before our second cleanse on the daily. Using it on alternate days will also help to protect your skin barrier. 

Anua Toner: Simply one of the best

Well, people have called it the best toner in Korea, and in a country with a TONNE of high-performing skincare products, that is a massive compliment! So we were immediately intrigued with Anua's Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner. If you've already got fairly good skin, chances are you won't think the Anua Heartleaf Toner is anything special. It does its best work on irritated and red skin.This mildly acidic toner made of 77% Houttuynia Cordata extract (aka Heartleaf) works best on rosacea, redness-prone skin or skin with acne. So, if the cleansing oil didn't quite work for you, the toner probably would. While it feels quite watery, the high concentration of Heartleaf gets straight to work, and helps improves skin tone in a matter of days! It can even reduce closed comedones in some cases, with Heartleaf a known anti-inflammatory that can regulate sebum levels. But if you're looking for something to soothe, combat redness and calm angry breakouts, this should be one of your top picks. 

The Anua Toner Pad: Not the same as the Heartleaf 77 toner

The Anua Toner Pads might have you thinking, why don't I just use the toner instead? Why pay extra money for cotton-soaked pads? Don't worry - they are actually completely different products. Where the Anua 77 Toner is for soothing skin, the Anua Heartleaf Clear Pad is an exfoliator. Both contain a 77% concentration of Heartleaf extract, but the toning pads also use gluconolactone, which is an acid exfoliant. Think of it as a gentler type of AHA. Both work at removing surface skin cells, but gluconolactone is less aggressive thanks to its larger molecular weight. 

How to use Anua Toner Pad

Use the Anua Clear Pads after double cleansing, as you would any exfoliant. The pads itself are super soft, so don't worry about it being abrasive. Gently swipe it across the skin, focusing on particularly congested areas. It does a surprisingly good job at removing any leftover dirt and debris on the skin (we legit thought our skin was already clean enough after washing our face but nope). And like the toner, we'd also recommend this one for dry, sensitive, acne-prone skin because the Anua Heartleaf Pads is quite gentle as far as acid exfoliants go. Just don't over-use it (3x per week is fine for most of us) and watch your skin clear up!

Honorable product mentions

• Heartleaf Ampoule: Err, did someone say underrated product? Honestly, this Anua ampoule was loved by the entire office. It's hydrating, but lightweight, reduces redness, feels soothing, just *chefs kiss*. It has a higher concentration of Heartleaf (80%) and just felt very nourishing on application.
• Anua Peach Serum: We don't know how much work the 70% peach extract puts in, to be fair, but we love the brightening prowess of the Anua Niacin Serum. This deliciously peach-scented baby essentially does 3 things: (1) Brighten; (2) Hydrate; and (3) Clarify. Let's unpack that. 5% niacinamide combined with alpha arbutin helps fade old acne scars and restore an even skin tone. Betaine salicylate gently clarifies pores, while hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid hydrates and nourishes skin.
• Anua Cleansing Foam: The Anua Pore Deep Cleansing Foam (full name: Anua - Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam) had us like, what on earth is quercetinol?! Quercetin is essentially derived from grapes, ginko and other plants, and functions as an antioxidant. Interestingly, new research is showing quercetin can protect against UVB rays. The actual cleanser itself is more for very oily skin, and can be used every few days for a deep clean. 

THE FAST FACTS

Q: Is Anua cruelty free?
A: Hooray, Korean brand Anua is both vegan and cruelty-free!

Q: Does Anua Heartleaf Toner cause purging?
A: The Anua Heartleaf Toner shouldn't cause purging. If you're breaking out in tiny red bumps, your skin barrier may be too weak for the product, or it simply doesn't suit your skin - which can happen with any skincare product! And just FYI, we are a bit sceptical about the whole concept of 'purging' to begin with (except with retinol, which can make existing acne already under the skin's surface erupt faster before clearing). 

Q: Does Anua Oil Cleanser clog pores?
A: The Anua Oil Cleanser may clog pores on some - it's just a function of different skin, different reactions. If your skin is easily clogged, we'd probably avoid using it, and opt for a formula without Ethylhexyl Palmitate.

Q: Is Anua Heartleaf Toner good for combination skin?
A: We think the Anua Heartleaf Toner is great for combination skin - on both the dry and oily end of the combination skin-spectrum. Heartleaf can help to gently balance and regulate sebum levels, and the toner is hydrating enough for a dry U-zone.

Q:Is Anua clean?
A: There’s no universal standard or definition of what’s considered ‘clean’ when it comes to skincare and cosmetics. However, in our opinion, *most* Anua products are clean in that they are free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, PEGs, SLS, synthetic dyes, micro beads, ethanol and any other harsh chemical you can think of. But, some of their products may contain added fragrance - such as their popular Anua Heartleaf Oil Cleanser.

Q: Where to buy Anua products?
A: Now you already know the answer to that! And if you’re still not sure, keep scrolling 😉  

FIND ANUA AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND AT KANVAS BEAUTY

You can shop Anua skincare products online in Australia and New Zealand right here on Kanvas Beauty.

We ship Australia-wide, including all the major cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide and Canberra). Enjoy free standard shipping with any purchase over $50, and free express shipping with any order over $99. If you’re new to Kanvas Beauty, take an additional $20 off your first order with us (use code WELCOME20 at checkout). We also ship to New Zealand!

Happy shopping! If you have further questions on Anua or any of our other brands, drop us a line on: hello@kanvasbeauty.com.au.

Have you tried any Anua products? What do you think? Leave a review under your favourite products and give us the deets!