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ECF Skin Barrier Cream Toner$23.52BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
Anua's BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner is a toner (150ml), built around Salicylic Acid for a Korean-market formula, positioned as the step right after cleansing, before essence or serum.
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150ml
$13.99 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Congested skinUneven textureDry skinCompromised barrier
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Salicylic Acid in an exfoliating tonerRoutines that want Salicylic Acid and Tocopherol in one stepFilling the exfoliating toner step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Salicylic Acid exfoliating toner sold on Korean shelves
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- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
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How it works
The BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner is a 150ml exfoliating toner, used in the evening, after cleansing, on dry skin rather than damp. The exfoliant it is built around is Salicylic Acid, named fourth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Tocopherol, Ceramide NP and Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, so the exfoliant is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Salicylic Acid stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the exfoliating toner format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the exfoliating toner Anua sells in Korea, Salicylic Acid and all.
Key benefits
- Salicylic Acid, the exfoliant this exfoliating toner is built around
- Tocopherol on the same list, an antioxidant
- Ceramide NP on the same list, a barrier lipid
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract and Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract on the same list, plant extracts
- Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract and Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract further down the same list
- Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract and Pueraria Lobata Root Extract further down the same list
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
34
Ingredients declared
No fragrance
on the list
Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
Where does this exfoliating toner go in my routine?
In the evening, after cleansing, on dry skin rather than damp. Anything thinner than an exfoliating toner goes on before it, and anything richer goes on after. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Salicylic Acid and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market exfoliating toner or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Salicylic Acid and all. We match this exfoliating toner to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.
What else is on the list besides Salicylic Acid?
Tocopherol, Ceramide NP and Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract. The order they are printed in on this exfoliating toner's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Salicylic Acid sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract and Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (34): Water, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Salicylic Acid, C12-14 Pareth-12, Octyldodeceth-16, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Butylene Glycol, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredient list read from incidecoder.com on 30 August 2026.
32 of 34 explained
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Salicylic Acid exfoliant
- Salicylic Acid is a BHA, and the only common exfoliant that is oil soluble, so it can work inside a pore rather than only on the surface. It loosens the dead cells that block pores and is used for the look of congested, oily skin.
- C12-14 Pareth-12 emulsifier
- C12-14 Pareth-12 is a solubiliser that keeps oils and fragrance in solution so a clear formula stays clear.
- Octyldodeceth-16 emulsifier
- An ethoxylated branched fatty alcohol. It emulsifies and also gives a formula a soft, cushioned slip.
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Extract plant extract
- Tea Tree Leaf Extract is the water-based extract rather than the essential oil, so it is far milder and much less aromatic. It is used in formulas for blemish-prone skin.
- Pentylene Glycol humectant
- Pentylene Glycol hydrates and, like the other longer-chain glycols, makes a formula less hospitable to microbes so the preservative system can be lighter. It also improves how evenly a product spreads.
- Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract plant extract
- Willow Bark Extract carries salicin, the plant compound salicylic acid is related to. The two are not interchangeable: willow bark is a mild clarifying extract, not a BHA exfoliant at the levels used in cosmetics.
- Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract plant extract
- Evening Primrose Flower Extract is used as a conditioning plant extract. The seed oil of the same plant is the better known part, and it is a different ingredient.
- Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract plant extract
- Ulmus Davidiana is Japanese elm, whose inner bark yields a naturally slippery mucilage. Korean formulas use the root extract for that cushioned feel and for the look of reactive skin.
- Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract plant extract
- Pinus Palustris is longleaf pine. Its needle extract carries plant antioxidants and appears in Korean formulas alongside other conifer extracts.
20 more explained
- Pueraria Lobata Root Extract plant extract
- Pueraria Lobata is kudzu. Its root extract carries isoflavones, plant compounds structurally similar to oestrogen, and Korean formulas use it for the look of thinning, less resilient skin.
- Centella Asiatica Extract plant extract
- Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.
- Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract plant extract
- Fig Fruit Extract carries fruit sugars, mild acids and a protein-digesting enzyme. It is used as a hydrating extract with a light smoothing effect.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
- Sodium Citrate pH adjuster
- Sodium Citrate is the salt of citric acid, used as a buffer: it holds a formula at a steady pH rather than pushing it in one direction. It is also a mild chelator.
- Citric Acid pH adjuster
- Citric Acid is used in tiny amounts to bring a formula to the pH its actives need, not as an exfoliant at that level. It is an AHA, so at much higher concentrations it can also exfoliate.
- Xanthan Gum thickener
- Xanthan Gum is a polysaccharide made by fermenting sugar. It thickens a watery formula into a gel and holds the whole thing in suspension so nothing separates. Too much of it and a serum turns stringy, which is why it appears in fractions of a percent.
- Disodium EDTA chelator
- EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
- Tocopherol antioxidant
- Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
- Ceramide NP barrier lipid
- Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate humectant
- Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid joined to a silicon-based group. It hydrates and leaves a smoother, silkier finish than hyaluronic acid alone.
- Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate humectant
- Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
- Potassium Hyaluronate humectant
- Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.
- Hyaluronic Acid humectant
- Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer humectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
- Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate humectant
- Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate carries a positive charge, and skin carries a slight negative one, so it is attracted to the surface and stays through rinsing. It is the hyaluronic used where a formula gets washed off.
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate humectant
- Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809640735271
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 150ml
- Category
- Toner / Exfoliating Toner
- Actives
- Centella Asiatica, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tea Tree
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
How to use
- PM only, after cleansing, two or three nights a week to start. Evening because salicylic acid leaves skin more sun sensitive.
- Soak a cotton pad and sweep it over the oilier areas, staying off the eye area. Do not press and hold it in one place: a saturated pad parked on thin skin is where irritation starts.
- Do not rinse it off, and give it a minute to dry down before the next step. Going straight in with a serum dilutes the acid across the face.
- Follow with a moisturizer every time, and with sunscreen the next morning. Build toward nightly only once two or three nights a week feels like nothing.
Worth knowing
- Patch test this exfoliating toner on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Salicylic Acid on the list.
- Citric Acid and Salicylic Acid on this list makes this exfoliating toner an exfoliating step, so do not stack it with another one on the same night.
Reviews
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Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
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Anua, Korean-market original
Built around Salicylic Acid, named on this product's own ingredient list, sourced as the authentic Korean-market formula.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
Anua uses a holographic QR seal that only the HiddenTag app can read. Install HiddenTag from your phone’s app store and scan the seal on the box. A camera app alone will not resolve it.
Source: Anua packaging, HiddenTag scheme
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
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