Heartleaf Skincare: What It Is and How It Is Listed

Heartleaf skincare uses ingredients from Houttuynia cordata, a plant of the lizard’s-tail family (Saururaceae) known in Korea as eoseongcho (어성초).

On an INCI list the basic extract is Houttuynia Cordata Extract, while the standard Korean ingredient name has been 약모밀추출물 since 2017, and different plant parts carry different INCI names. This guide explains what the ingredient is, how it appears on labels and what a buyer should check. It does not make benefit claims.

Step 1: Know the plant behind heartleaf skincare

The Korean name eoseongcho (魚腥草) refers to the fishy smell of the crushed leaves; botanically the plant is Houttuynia cordata, sometimes sold in English as heartleaf or fish mint. The EU CosIng database defines Houttuynia Cordata Extract¹ as an extract of the herb Houttuynia cordata, Saururaceae.

In Korean skincare it appears across many formats, including toners, ampoules, pads and cleansers. Whatever the format, it is a cosmetic ingredient and the product is an ordinary cosmetic under Korean law.

Step 2: Learn the Korean label name

According to the Korea Cosmetic Association dictionary entry for 약모밀추출물, the ingredient’s former Korean name was 어성초추출물 (eoseongcho extract); it was renamed 약모밀추출물 on 10 October 2017. The English name is Houttuynia Cordata Extract, the CAS number 164288-50-0, and the stated purpose is skin-conditioning agent (other).

That is why a product marketed as “eoseongcho” or “heartleaf” may show 약모밀추출물 on its Korean ingredient list. Knowing these are the same ingredient avoids confusion when you prepare local listings or registration documents.

Step 3: Check which plant part was used

Different parts and preparations of the plant have their own names:

Swipe sideways to see the whole table.

CosIng functions record the role an ingredient plays in a formula, as declared by suppliers; they are not proof of an effect on skin. “Antioxidant”, for example, can mean protecting the product itself from oxidation, and should not be used as evidence for a skin claim.

None of the four entries above has an EU annex restriction linked to it in CosIng, which means the EU Cosmetics Regulation sets no specific maximum concentration or warning for them.

That does not remove the general duty for every product to be safe and assessed, and other markets keep their own ingredient lists, so check your destination’s rules as well. For registration files, copy the exact INCI name from the supplier’s specification rather than from marketing material.

Many products also advertise a heartleaf percentage. Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety revised its guideline so that extract content is stated without the diluting solvent, according to a November 2023 Medical Daily report. If you repeat a percentage in your listing, ask for the supporting data.

Step 4: Keep marketing within cosmetic rules

Korea’s Cosmetics Act⁵, Article 13, prohibits labels or ads that could be mistaken for a medicine or that make a non-functional product look like a functional cosmetic.

Because eoseongcho is traditionally known as a medicinal herb, copy can easily drift towards herbal-remedy language. Article 14 requires factual claims to be substantiated, so build local listings around verifiable facts: plant, ingredient name and format.

Step 5: What importers should check

• Korean and English ingredient lists: is the heartleaf ingredient the whole-plant extract or a flower/leaf/stem extract?
• Percentage claims: confirm whether any stated content excludes the diluting solvent.
• Shipping by format: leak-proof packing for toners and ampoules; seal checks for pad jars and pouches.
• Local advertising rules: check how your market treats herbal imagery in cosmetics advertising.

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See also: Anua heartleaf toner wholesale