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COSRX vs Simple

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

COSRX and Simple are distinct skincare lines, with the former being a Korean brand founded in 2013 and the latter a British brand established in 1960. The first brand is beloved for its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, masks, and more, using hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, while Simple is deeply loved for its gentle moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners incorporating niacinamide and glycerin. Both brands suit oily skin and acne-prone skin best, as their active components balance excess oil and soothe irritation. They differ in their specific offerings, as the Korean brand features standout solutions like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser, Full Fit Propolis Synergy Toner, and Centella Water Alcohol-Free Toner, whereas the British brand provides the Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner and Micellar Cleansing Water.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

en.wikipedia.orgsec.govprnewswire.comsimple.co.uk

This page compares some of the most popular COSRX and Simple products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs Simple products

People Say

COSRXSimple
  • Soothing and Gentle Care Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Does not cause any form of irritation on the skin which I love. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “The only cleanser that doesn't turn my face red. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “no artificial perfume — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
  • Texture and Glow Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs practically immediately — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “sinks in instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
    • “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Value and Convenience Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “great value for money — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
    • “super affordable — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “No need to rinse... perfect for traveling or lazy nights. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “fine mist spray — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
  • Acne and Pore Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Drying or Insufficient Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “need to apply multiple layers — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
  • Unpleasant Texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Feels slimy on skin — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “Still feeling a little bit of a film on my skin. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “feels like a film — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
  • Formulation and Performance Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “weird smell — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “pH is 9 — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “runs with sweat — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “Did not remove my mascara very well at all. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Packaging and Size Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Worried about the snap top bottle leaking when travelling. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “The cap broke off immediately. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “hard to get last bit out — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”

COSRX vs Simple routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · AED 408.70 · 83% fitBuy Simple routine · AED 455.14 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs Simple routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · AED 581.27 · 91% fitBuy Simple routine · AED 790.31 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Simple routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · AED 475.50 · 89% fitBuy Simple routine · AED 644.67 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Simple: which is better?

COSRX is better for acne and pore control as well as texture and glow, whereas Simple does better for soothing and gentle care as well as value and convenience. COSRX has a Superior routine fit for oily, sensitive, acne-prone, and oily acne-prone skin, while Simple offers a High routine fit for all skin types on this page.

What is the difference between COSRX and Simple?

COSRX outperforms Simple for acne and pore control, offering superior Lovi fit levels for oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin types. Simple provides value-friendly, gentle makeup removers and moisturizers with entirely fragrance-free formulations on this page.

COSRX or Simple for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Simple offer a High routine fit level for dry skin. The products on this page provide options like the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence from COSRX and the Replenishing Rich Moisturiser from Simple.

COSRX or Simple: which cleanser is better?

COSRX is better for acne and pore control, offering cleansers with higher Lovi fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin than Simple. Simple offers gentle, sensitive-skin-friendly cleansers and makeup removers, but reviewers note that it struggles with heavy makeup.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Simple?

Simple does better for value and convenience among the products on this page, offering value-friendly moisturizers. Reviewers mention that Simple provides value-friendly moisturizers, while COSRX products sometimes have small bottle size or quantity issues.

COSRX or Simple for reducing dark spots?

Both COSRX and Simple offer equal Lovi routine fit for skin with dark spots. COSRX features specific serums and toners like The Niacinamide 15 Serum and Full Fit Propolis Synergy Toner that help target pigmentation, while Simple relies on niacinamide across its formulations.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand has more fragrance-free options, COSRX or Simple?

Simple has fragrance-free options across all the products on this page, whereas COSRX includes fragrance in one of its options.

COSRX or Simple for oily skin?

COSRX has a Superior Lovi fit level for oily skin, whereas Simple has a High fit level. The products on this page for oily skin may also benefit from ingredients like niacinamide, which helps control pigmentation and skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

COSRX or Simple: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX offers moisturizers with a Superior Lovi fit level for dry and sensitive skin types, such as the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, while Simple moisturizers generally have an Average Lovi fit level across skin types. COSRX moisturizers may provide better deep hydration and moisturization using key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

COSRX or Simple for sensitive skin?

COSRX is the better choice for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its fit as Superior while Simple only achieves High. The products on this page from COSRX provide gentle and non-irritating care that helps soothe the skin.

COSRX or Simple for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its fit as Superior while Simple only achieves an Average fit. COSRX also excels specifically in acne and pore control compared to Simple.

COSRX or Simple for combination skin?

COSRX is well-suited for combination skin, offering products on this page with a Lovi fit level of High. Simple is also a strong match, featuring products on this page that similarly achieve a High fit level for this skin type.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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