Day one. 7:15 AM. I squeezed this onto my forehead and waited for the TikTok magic to happen. It didn’t. What did happen was a slightly sticky ten minutes where I questioned my life choices.
But here’s the thing—I kept going because the shine reduction by week two was actually undeniable. My nose stopped looking like a glazed donut by noon.
This is Anua’s Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Serum. $22 for 30ml. Claims to visibly tighten pores and control oil without stripping your face off.
Pore-tightening claim
Says it shrinks pores in 4 weeks—I saw slight change, not a miracle
Oil control
Less grease by lunch, but my T-zone still needed a blotting paper by 3 PM
Texture
Watery gel. Absorbs in 12 seconds if you pat. 20 if you rub like an animal.
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
Heartleaf extract soothes redness. Quercetin is the antioxidant that’s supposed to calm inflammation. Niacinamide brightens. But here’s the real tea—it has a touch of salicylic acid, but not enough to exfoliate. So don’t ditch your actual exfoliant.
- Heartleaf (Houttuynia Cordata): calms irritation and redness
- Quercetin: antioxidant that reduces pore appearance over time
- Niacinamide: brightens and balances sebum
- Salicylic Acid: very mild—more of a whisper than a shout
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
Squeezes out like a watery gel. Smells faintly like grass and regret. First few days, my skin felt tacky for a solid 15 minutes—like I’d been hugged by a humidity cloud. Not cute.
Week two: the tackiness vanished. Week three: pores on my cheeks looked slightly less like craters. But my forehead? Still a little spicy. Unexpected observation: this works better on damp skin than dry. Press don’t rub.
Photo: pmv chamara / Unsplash
Pores look slightly smaller—think medium instead of large. Oil production is down maybe 30%. But my blackheads? Still there. Not a pore vacuum, just a gentle nudge.
It’s a decent daily helper, not a hero. If you’re patient and oily, try it. If you want drama, look elsewhere.