Can skincare be gentle and still genuinely improve your skin? Anua, a Korean brand from The Founders in Seoul, began with that question. Its motto is “Gentle yet Effective.” As Anua explains its name, A stands for Ask and Answer (listening and responding to customers), while n and u are the math symbols for intersection and union. Anua sorts its ingredients into gentle ones, like heartleaf and peach, and effective ones, like PDRN and retinol, and names many lines after them.
Anua by skin concern
Redness and blemishes: Azelaic Acid. The lightweight, non-comedogenic serum with 10% azelaic acid is made for oily and sensitive skin. Here, Anua means redness caused by dryness, not a skin condition. The line also includes pads, plus a toner and a cream with 3% azelaic acid.
Dark spots and dull tone: Niacinamide + TXA and Peach. The Niacinamide + TXA serum combines 10% niacinamide, 4% tranexamic acid and 2% arbutin, a “concentrated trio” that targets the look of dullness, dark spots and enlarged pores. Peach is Anua’s glow line; the brand recommends its Peach 70 serum (5% niacinamide) for dry skin.
Dryness and barrier: PDRN, Ceramide and Rice. For hydration and glow, the capsule serum from the PDRN line pairs PDRN (Anua says it comes from salmon DNA) with hyaluronic acid and collagen. Which of the line’s products to pick and in what order to use them is in our guide to the Anua PDRN line. The 3 Ceramide Panthenol cream (5% panthenol) supports sensitive skin’s moisture barrier. Anua positions its Rice line for dry skin, though the Rice Ceramide 7 serum (seven rice extracts, plus 3% niacinamide and zinc) also suits oilier skin.
Pores and blackheads: Heartleaf. For pores, Anua suggests double cleansing with this line: a cleansing oil on dry skin first, then a foam cleanser. The Heartleaf 77 toner pairs 77% heartleaf with hyaluronic acid for light hydration of stressed, sensitive-feeling skin.
Signs of aging: Retinol. The Nano Retinol 0.3% + Niacin serum blends retinol, niacinamide and peptides for fine lines, uneven texture and pores. The 0.3% refers to the retinol complex; Anua puts pure retinol at 0.11%.
Getting started and layering: Anua’s advice
A typical order in Anua’s sets is cleansing oil, foam, toner or pad, serum, cream. In the morning, finish with sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher with active serums).
Start the Azelaic Acid serum once or twice a week, gradually building up to twice a day.
Retinol is for evenings only, as light and heat affect it. For the first two weeks, use it every other evening, then every evening if your skin feels comfortable. Anua advises against combining it with high-strength vitamin C or exfoliants, and against using it during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
The Niacinamide + TXA serum can be used with vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening.
