Murad are kicking off 2025 with an amazing collection of skincare goodness; the Heartleaf Collection. After 14 years of writing about beauty, with a very specific interest in skincare, I think I’ve developed a bit of a sixth sense when it comes to new launches; as soon as I heard about this collection, I had a feeling it was going to be a winner.
The main ingredient in the range is Heartleaf (sometimes known as Houttuynia cordata) which is kind of like the new Centella asiatica, as it’s incredibly soothing and healing, providing a good variety of benefits that are great for all skin types, particularly those that are sensitive, reactive and acne-prone. There are four products in the line so far – three for the face and one for the body – so let’s take a closer look at them all, kicking off with the cleansers:
The Heartleaf Soothing Face Cleanser (£29 here) for either sensitive skin types, or those who have managed to compromise their skin barrier and need something that is incredible gentle that will effectively cleanse without stripping the skin and causing additional issues. The formula is a lightweight, non-foaming gel containing a beautiful mix of ceramides and heartleaf that work together to gentle hydrate. My skin is not sensitive enough to warrant such a gentle daily cleanser, but I will be keeping it in my kit for use after treatments such as peels and microneedling.
I was fully expecting to not like the Heartleaf Soothing Body Cleansing Wash (£26 here) as I expected to be in a similar vein to the aforementioned face cleanser; a non-foaming, lightweight gel, which is great for the face, but hard work for the body as I personally find the lack of suds a pain to work with and I never feel like I’ve really got myself clean. Thankfully, this body wash is a beauty – it does foam, ever-so-slightly, in fact just enough to provide that clean feeling whilst also giving skin a real boost of hydration without any greasiness: definitely the biggest surprise of the bunch for me, plus you get a good 250ml of product, so it’ll last.
I love that Murad have included an active in the routine, in the shape of the Heartleaf Gentle Resurfacing Serum (£65 here) as it feels like such a bold move to include an acid in a routine aimed at very sensitive skin types, but all skins benefit from a light exfoliation and this serum has been designed to provide exactly that. The active is an encapsulated and microdosed Glycolic Acid which is housed in a host of goodies (mostly ceramides, microalgae and the beloved heartleaf) and designed to provide a balance of extremely gentle exfoliation as well as soothing and hydrating. I used this twice and is very gentle, but it also gave me a few whiteheads which I think is due to the fact that Propanediol is high up on the ingredients list; this is a really good ingredient that most skin types would be fine with (and even my skin can include it in smaller doses) so if you suffer the same struggles then you might want to avoid this, but if you don’t then I highly recommend checking out.
Saving the best ’til last, the absolute perfection that is the Heartleaf Calming Cream Moisturiser (£63 here) which is annoyingly expensive, but also worth every penny if you have tricky skin like mine, that needs a good hit of hydration without causing breakouts, which is usually such a battle as the rich moisturisers that do provide enough hydration often cause breakouts, but the ones that don’t cause breakouts are usually not hydrating enough. Enter, Murad; this is a deeply soothing and hydrating formula that leaves my skin feeling more balanced than I think it ever has. It straddles a gel and a cream (let’s say either a rich gel or a light cream) and feels gorgeous on the skin, plays very well with other skincare and really is the Goldilocks of moisturisers; it’s just right. I have used it every single day since I received it and I’m already panicking about it running out!
*Find the full Murad Heartleaf Collection here*
Disclosure: unpaid ad – PR Samples
