A complete four-step routine for skin that easily turns red, shiny and uneven. The cleansing oil dissolves makeup and sunscreen, the cleansing foam clears pores deeply with a BHA, the toner calms and hydrates with 77% Houttuynia Cordata, and the face cream locks moisture in with ceramide NP. All four products are built on the same calming plant extract, so the steps never work against each other. The routine is designed for sensitive, congestion-prone skin that needs cleansing without weakening the barrier.
- ✨ Houttuynia Cordata
- 👍 Calming Formula
- 🔄 All skin types
Heartleaf Complete Skincare Routine, 4 steps to calmer skin
What the routine does for your skin:
- Dissolves makeup, sunscreen and excess sebum in step 1, without leaving skin tight
- Clears pores deeply with a BHA in step 2
- Calms redness and restores the skin's pH with 77% Houttuynia Cordata in step 3
- Locks moisture in and rebuilds the barrier with ceramide NP in step 4
- Four products built around the same calming plant extract, with no clashing actives
- Designed for sensitive, congestion-prone skin, morning and night
Houttuynia Cordata
Calms redness and strengthens the skin barrier.
Salicylic Acid (BHA)
Clears pores deeply and dissolves blackheads.
Ceramide NP
Rebuilds the skin barrier and holds moisture in.
Panthenol (B5)
Hydrates and calms irritated skin.
Kvercetin
An antioxidant that protects against external stressors.
Adenosin
Smooths fine lines and gives skin bounce.
A four-step routine built around a single calming plant extract. Here's how the steps fit together:
- Steps 1 and 2 double cleanse: the oil dissolves oil, the foam clears the rest
- 77% Houttuynia Cordata in the toner, 70% in the face cream
- Four products — 200 ml, 150 ml, 250 ml and 50 ml — enough for a complete routine
- Ceramide NP and panthenol in the final step, to rebuild the barrier

Every ingredient has a purpose
Built around Houttuynia Cordata in all four steps, completed with a BHA for the pores and ceramide NP for the skin barrier.
The plant extract the whole routine is built around. It's in all four steps and calms redness, soothes irritation and strengthens the skin's own barrier.
Benefits
- Calms redness
- Soothes irritation
- Strengthens the barrier
An oil-soluble BHA in the cleansing foam that gets into the pore and dissolves sebum and impurities from within.
Benefits
- Clears the pores
- Dissolves blackheads
- More even skin texture
One of the skin's own barrier lipids. In the face cream it fills the gaps in the barrier so moisture stays put.
Benefits
- Rebuilds the barrier
- Holds moisture in
- Less tightness
Provitamin B5 that draws in moisture and calms skin irritated by cleansing or weather.
Benefits
- Hydrates deeply
- Calms irritation
- Softer skin feel
A plant antioxidant in the cleansing foam that protects skin from free radicals and external stressors.
Benefits
- Protects against free radicals
- Counters external stress
- Preserves skin's radiance
A skin-identical ingredient in the face cream that smooths fine lines and gives skin bounce.
Benefits
- Smooths fine lines
- Gives skin bounce
- Firmer skin feel
FAQs
Everything you need to know before starting this four-step routine from Korean Essence.
Use the steps in order. Step 1, massage the cleansing oil into dry skin and emulsify with a little water before rinsing. Step 2, lather the cleansing foam in your hands and massage in, then rinse with lukewarm water. Step 3, pour the toner into your palm or onto a cotton pad and press it into the skin. Step 4, finish with the face cream. Run the full routine in the evening. In the morning, steps 2 to 4 are enough.
Skin usually feels cleaner and less tight after the very first evening. Redness and pore visibility respond more slowly — expect 2 to 4 weeks of regular use. The skin barrier builds over time, so the biggest difference usually shows after about a month.
Yes, it's designed for sensitive, easily irritated skin. The cleansing foam contains a BHA, so if your skin is very reactive you can start that step every other evening and build up gradually. Always test on the inner arm first if you know you react easily.
Yes. The cleansing foam contains a BHA, which can make skin slightly more sun-sensitive. Wear sunscreen every morning, whatever the season. That goes for all skincare with exfoliating acids, incidentally.
All four steps are built around the same plant extract, Houttuynia Cordata, and are designed to be used in sequence. That means no step works against the next, which is the most common reason a pieced-together routine irritates skin. You also get the whole routine in sizes that run out at roughly the same time.
Yes. Add serum between step 3 and step 4. Be careful about adding more exfoliating acids or retinol on the same evening you use the cleansing foam, since it already contains a BHA. Alternate rather than stack.
Yes. The cleansing oil and the face cream are the two steps dry skin benefits from most. If skin feels tight you can skip the cleansing foam in the morning and simply rinse with water, keeping all four steps for the evening.
Somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight. A bathroom cabinet works well. Screw the caps on properly, especially on the toner, and use the products within twelve months of opening.