Brand Comparison

Anua vs Beauty of Joseon

A head-to-head comparison of two popular K-beauty brands. Which one is right for your skin?

Our Pick

Beauty of Joseon

Higher editor rating (9 vs 8.5)

Anua Beauty of Joseon

Rating8.5/109/10

Price RangeBudget ($)Budget ($)

Founded20202014

OriginSeoul, South KoreaSouth Korea

Products1919

Best ForSensitive, Combo, Oily, Acne-ProneCombo, Oily, Sensitive, Dry

PhilosophyClean, minimal formulations built around heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata) as a core soothing and anti-inflammatory ingredient.Hanbang (traditional Korean herbal medicine) meets modern cosmetic science. Heritage ingredients like rice, ginseng, and propolis in contemporary formulations.

Anua

Anua exploded onto the K-beauty scene with the Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner, and the hype is largely warranted. The brand does one thing exceptionally well: gentle, soothing products for reactive skin at budget prices. The heartleaf focus gives the range a clear identity, and the formulations are genuinely clean without the usual 'clean beauty' price markup. Still a young brand, so the range is narrow, but what exists is strong.

Pros

✓ Heartleaf 77% Toner is a best-in-class soothing toner
✓ Genuinely affordable for the quality
✓ Clean, minimal ingredient lists

Cons

✗ Very young brand with a limited track record
✗ Heavily reliant on one hero ingredient
✗ Availability outside Korea can be inconsistent

Beauty of Joseon

Beauty of Joseon has quietly become one of the most impressive value propositions in K-beauty. Their Relief Sun is arguably the best budget sunscreen globally, and the Glow Serum delivers genuine results at a price that undercuts competitors by half. The hanbang angle could be gimmicky, but they back it with solid formulation science.

Pros