Anua: The Korean Skincare Brand Built on One Botanical
A Seoul-founded, ingredient-led label that turned heartleaf into the calming foundation of a modern K-beauty routine.
Anua is a Korean skincare brand launched in Seoul in 2019 by brand-building company The Founders. Its entire philosophy rests on using a short list of botanicals and actives — beginning with heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata) — to address real skin concerns without overloading the skin. If you want gentle formulas that layer cleanly, it is a brand worth knowing.
Who Anua Is For
Anua is for the person who wants their routine to do something specific — calm visible redness, even out skin tone, or rebuild hydration — without a cluttered shelf of competing products. The brand emphasizes gentle yet effective formulations that combine naturally derived ingredients with scientifically backed actives to address common skin concerns while minimizing irritation. That combination draws in people with sensitive skin, reactive skin, and anyone who has tried more aggressive routines and found them too much. Anua appeals to those who appreciate natural ingredients and simple formulations — particularly people with sensitive skin or those looking for gentle yet effective skincare solutions.
It also suits anyone building their first serious routine. Product names are transparent (a number in the name usually signals the percentage of an active ingredient), and hero ingredients are clear and easy to understand, making formulas ideal for achieving that much-coveted dewy Korean complexion.
Where the Brand Comes From
Anua was established in South Korea in 2019 by The Founders Inc., a Korean beauty company specializing in consumer-focused skincare brands. The Founders was led by co-CEOs Lee Sunhyung and Lee Changjoo. The incubator model meant that Anua arrived already fully formed — with a clear skin-concern focus, a commitment to minimal packaging, and a manufacturing philosophy rooted entirely in Korea.
Anua believes that healthy skin does not depend solely on skincare products but also on having a relaxed mind and regulated lifestyle. According to the brand, it chooses pure, organic ingredients to maximize effectiveness and minimize irritation. The brand describes its products as environmentally friendly and made in Korea, with simple packaging — restraint that is consistent with an ethos of doing more with less.
The Heartleaf Line: Where It All Started
When The Founders set out to build Anua's first product range, they looked for a botanical that could anchor the entire brand identity. Since its inception, Anua has embraced a philosophy of minimalist, ingredient-focused skincare: rather than chasing every latest trend, it chose to focus its identity on a single star plant — heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata). According to the brand, it sources heartleaf from Korea's Jeju Island region, where the plant has been used in traditional Korean medicine for centuries, and built its first product — the Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner — around it.
The Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner was later joined by other heartleaf-led bestsellers, including the Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad. Together, they helped turn Anua from another Korean skincare name into a brand with a clear visual and ingredient identity. The strategy worked. The Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner both appeared in Olive Young's top-sellers list for 2024. In 2025, the Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner took first and second place in the Best Toner category at the Olive Young Awards, and the PDRN Hyaluronic Capsule 100 Serum won Best Essence/Serum.
