All three share the same kind of rinse-off base. What sets them apart is the plant oils and the scent.
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control, Anua Mild and SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella are built the same way. Light esters such as ethylhexyl palmitate or ethylhexyl stearate dissolve sunscreen and makeup, and sorbeth-30 tetraoleate turns the oil milky when you add water so it rinses off. All three come in 6.76 fl oz bottles, and heartleaf and centella are minor ingredients in each.
The differences sit further down the list. Anua’s original adds six plant oils and fragrance. SKIN1004 is the cheapest and lightest, but it’s scented with bergamot, geranium and rose oils. Anua Mild has the shortest list: no added fragrance, one plant oil and a little rosemary oil. If your skin is sensitive, start with Mild. If you want the best price and like a scented cleanser, buy SKIN1004.
Which cleansing oil fits your skin?
How cleansing oils work
- Esters do the dissolving
The first ingredients in all three are light esters: ethylhexyl palmitate in Anua’s original, ethylhexyl stearate in SKIN1004 and Anua Mild. They melt sunscreen and makeup and feel thinner than straight plant oils.
Look forLight esters at the top of the listWatch out forHeavy plant-oil blends on oily skin - An emulsifier lets it rinse
Sorbeth-30 tetraoleate is in all three. It turns the oil milky when you add water, so it rinses off instead of sitting on your skin. Always emulsify with a splash of water before rinsing.
Look forSorbeth-30 tetraoleate or a similar emulsifierWatch out forRinsing before the oil turns milky - Scent is the biggest difference
Anua’s original lists fragrance. SKIN1004 uses bergamot, geranium and rose oils plus limonene and linalool. Anua Mild has no added fragrance, only a small amount of rosemary oil. For reactive skin, the shorter and less scented the list, the better.
Look forNo added fragrance for sensitive skinWatch out forEssential-oil blends if fragrance irritates you - Featured extracts are minor
Heartleaf and centella sit low in their lists. In a cleanser you rinse off within a minute, choose on the base and the scent, not the extract.
Look forThe oil and scent profileWatch out forBuying for the extract name
No cleansing oil changes pore size. What it can do is dissolve the sunscreen, makeup and sebum that make pores look clogged. All three are built for that job, so pick the one whose scent and oil content suit your skin.
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control: the richer, scented option
Richer cleansing oil with plant oils and fragrance.
Anua’s original oil starts with ethylhexyl palmitate, a light ester, then adds two emulsifiers (sorbeth-30 tetraoleate and sorbitan sesquioleate) so it rinses clean with water. After that come six plant oils: sunflower, macadamia, olive, jojoba, grape seed and moringa. That gives it more slip and a more cushioned feel than the other two.
Fragrance sits sixth on the list, ahead of the plant oils. Heartleaf extract and vitamin E come near the end.
It suits normal and dry skin that likes a richer cleanse. If you’re breakout-prone or fragrance-sensitive, Anua Mild is the better Anua.
- Six plant oils give a cushioned, slippery cleanse
- Two emulsifiers help it rinse off
- Good for normal and dry skin
- Contains added fragrance
- More plant oils than breakout-prone skin may want
- Usually costs more than SKIN1004
SKIN1004 Centella Light: the cheapest, but the most scented
Light, low-cost cleansing oil with essential oils.
SKIN1004’s oil leads with ethylhexyl stearate and cetyl ethylhexanoate, two light esters, with sorbeth-30 tetraoleate to emulsify. Centella extract and sunflower, olive and jojoba oils follow. It’s the lightest-feeling of the three.
The catch is scent. It contains bergamot, geranium and rose flower oils, plus limonene and linalool, the fragrance compounds they carry. That makes it pleasant if you like scent and a poor choice if fragrance makes your skin sting or flush.
It comes in the same 6.76 fl oz size as the Anua oils and usually costs much less.
- Usually costs much less than either Anua
- Light, thin feel
- Emulsifies and rinses with water
- Scented with bergamot, geranium and rose oils
- Contains limonene and linalool, common fragrance allergens
Anua Heartleaf Mild: the shortest list, no added fragrance
Short-list cleansing oil with no added fragrance.
Anua Mild is a different formula from the original, not just an unscented version. It has twelve ingredients: light esters (ethylhexyl stearate, cetyl ethylhexanoate, triethylhexanoin), caprylic/capric triglyceride, isododecane, the same two emulsifiers as the original, sunflower oil, vitamin E and heartleaf extract.
There’s no added fragrance. It does contain a small amount of rosemary leaf oil, so it isn’t completely scent-free, but it’s the least scented of the three by a wide margin.
With one plant oil instead of six, it’s the better Anua for oily, breakout-prone or sensitive skin.
- No added fragrance
- Twelve ingredients, the shortest list here
- Only one plant oil
- Light texture
- Contains a little rosemary oil
- Usually costs more than SKIN1004
- Less cushioned than the original on dry skin
| Richer, scented Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil | VS | Lightest, budget SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil |
|---|---|---|
Ethylhexyl palmitate + 6 plant oils | Base |
Ethylhexyl stearate, cetyl ethylhexanoate + 3 plant oils |
Sorbeth-30 tetraoleate, sorbitan sesquioleate | Emulsifiers |
Sorbeth-30 tetraoleate |
Added fragrance | Scent |
Bergamot, geranium and rose oils |
Heartleaf (low in the list) | Featured extract |
Centella |
Richer, more slip | Feel |
Light, thin |
Higher | Relative cost |
Lower |
| Details | Details |
Neither headline oil is a good fit. Anua’s original lists fragrance, and SKIN1004 uses an essential-oil blend. Buy Anua Mild instead: no added fragrance and a twelve-ingredient list.
Which cleansing oil should you buy?
Choose SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil if you want the best value and like a scented cleanser. It’s the lightest of the three and usually costs much less.
Choose Anua Heartleaf Pore Cleansing Oil Mild if your skin is sensitive, oily or breakout-prone. It has no added fragrance, one plant oil and the shortest ingredient list.
Choose Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil if your skin is normal to dry and you want a richer, more cushioned cleanse. Skip it if fragrance bothers you.
