Anua vs Simple
Anua and Simple are skincare brands offering gentle cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, niacinamide, and glycerin. The Korean brand features formulations best suited for oily acne-prone skin and dry skin, whereas the British brand suits acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin by respecting delicate barriers. Both brands differ in their founding origins and specific target formulations, with the former utilizing heartleaf for soothing benefits and the latter relying on glycerin for enhanced hydration.
Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..
prnewswire.comkedglobal.comtracxn.comv.daum.net
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 Anua and Simple products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Anua vs Simple products
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Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
A$26.00
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Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner
A$33.00
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Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
A$36.95
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PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
A$36.00
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Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
A$22.00
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Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
A$35.00
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PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
A$33.00
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Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad
A$33.40
People Say
Soothes Redness and Sensitive Skin Often 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”
- “Calms my redness instantly — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
- “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
- “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
Lightweight and Fast-Absorbing Texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
- “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
- “sinks in instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
- “absorbs very quickly — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
Cleansing and Exfoliation Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “Dissolved my sebaceous filaments immediately — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
- “leaves my face soft, smooth, and fresh without dryness — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
- “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
- “Best morning cleanser — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
Miscellaneous Product Traits Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “zero white cast — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
- “no scent — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “Smells like fresh peaches — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
- “love that it's alcohol-free — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
Brightening and Dark Spot Fading Often MentionedNot noted
- “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
- “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
Breakouts and Acne Complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “Gave me tiny bumps on my forehead. — Simple Micellar Water”
- “caused major breakouts — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
- “Gave me tiny red spots — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
- “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
Anua vs Simple routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$19.00
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Hydrating Toner
Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
Morning
A$35.00
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Moisturizer
Heartleaf 70% Intense Calming Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$42.00
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SPF
Bioderma Photoderm Mineral Fluide SPF50+
Morning
A$24.49
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Pre-Cleanser
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$26.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$36.95
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Enzyme Powder
Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder
Once a week
A$27.00
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Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
A$28.48
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Cleanser
Refreshing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$17.90
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Hydrating Toner
Pyunkang Yul Calming Deep Moisture Toner
Morning
A$23.99
-
Moisturizer
Replenishing Rich Moisturiser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$35.50
-
SPF
Bioderma Photoderm Mineral Fluide SPF50+
Morning
A$24.49
-
Pre-Cleanser
Micellar Cleansing Water
Evening · Once a week
A$26.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Beauty of Joseon Propolis + Niacinamide Glow Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$16.95
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Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
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Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
A$28.48
Buy Anua routine · A$238.92 · 85% fit
Buy Simple routine · A$208.81 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit
Anua vs Simple routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
Refreshing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$17.90
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$34.66
-
Moisturizer
Replenishing Rich Moisturiser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$35.50
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
A$27.99
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Pre-Cleanser
Micellar Cleansing Water
Evening · Once a week
A$26.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner
Evening
A$75.95
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Serum or Treatment
Beauty of Joseon Propolis + Niacinamide Glow Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$16.95
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
-
Cleanser
Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$22.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder
Morning · Once a week
A$27.00
-
Moisturizer
Heartleaf 70% Intense Calming Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$42.00
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
A$27.99
-
Pre-Cleanser
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$26.00
-
Cleansing Toner
BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
Evening
A$30.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$36.95
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
Buy Simple routine · A$388.80 · 86% fit
Buy Anua routine · A$330.29 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Anua vs Simple routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Refreshing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$17.90
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$42.00
-
Moisturizer
Replenishing Rich Moisturiser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$35.50
-
Pre-Cleanser
Micellar Cleansing Water
Evening · Once a week
A$26.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
A$29.90
-
Serum or Treatment
Beauty of Joseon Propolis + Niacinamide Glow Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$16.95
-
Enzyme Powder
FANCL Facial Washing Powder
Once a week
A$35.50
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
-
Cleanser
Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$22.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
Morning · Once a week
A$35.00
-
Moisturizer
Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder
Morning · Evening · Once a week
A$27.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
A$26.00
-
Cleansing Toner
BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
Evening
A$30.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
Evening · Once a week
A$36.95
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
A$118.35
Buy Simple routine · A$322.10 · 84% fit
Buy Anua routine · A$295.30 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit
Questions and answers
Anua or Simple: which is better?
Anua and Simple offer equal routine fit levels across all skin types on this page, but Anua stands out for brightening and dark spot fading.
What is the difference between Anua and Simple?
Anua is a South Korean brand founded in 2019 that excels in brightening and dark spot fading with key ingredients like Niacinamide, while Simple is a UK brand founded in 1960 that stands out for soothing redness and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Anua offers great brightening serums and glass skin glow toners, whereas Simple provides gentle and budget-friendly makeup removers. Both brands offer products with no fragrance listed on this page.
Anua or Simple for dry skin?
Both Anua and Simple are a High fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Anua features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps with hydration, while Simple offers value-friendly moisturizers and cleansers.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022
Anua or Simple: which cleanser is better?
Anua offers a wider range of specialized cleansers that target oily and acne-prone skin with High Lovi fit levels, whereas Simple features fewer options with Average fit ratings. Anua's cleansers feature key ingredients like heartleaf and centella asiatica to soothe the skin during cleansing.
Which is more affordable, Anua or Simple?
The products on this page do not list pricing information, so a direct comparison of affordability between Anua and Simple cannot be made.
Which brand has more products that feature fragrance-free formulations?
Both brands feature fragrance-free formulations across all the products on this page.
How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Anua and Simple?
Anua was founded in 2019 in South Korea, whereas Simple has a much longer history, having been founded in 1960 in the United Kingdom. Both brands are currently owned by larger parent companies, with Anua under The Founders Inc. and Simple owned by Unilever PLC.
Which brand does better at soothing redness and sensitive skin?
Simple does better at soothing redness and sensitive skin, while both brands show an equal routine fit for sensitive skin on Lovi.
Anua or Simple for oily skin?
Both Anua and Simple are a High fit for oily skin. Anua is well-known for its brightening serums and lightweight, fast-absorbing toners, whereas Simple is appreciated for its value-friendly moisturizers and gentle makeup removers.
Anua or Simple for sensitive skin?
Both Anua and Simple are a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Simple does better at soothing redness and sensitive skin, while Anua offers more options with key ingredients like niacinamide and panthenol, which helps support the skin barrier.
Anua or Simple for acne-prone skin?
Both Anua and Simple are a High fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Simple does better at soothing redness and sensitive skin, while Anua does better with brightening and dark spot fading.
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Effects of glyceryl glucoside on AQP3 expression, barrier function and hydration of human skin
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Borage Oil Treated with Immobilized Lipase Inhibits Melanogenesis
Moisturizing Effects of Diglycerol Combined with Glycerol on Human Stratum Corneum
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Histometric assessment of the age-related skin response to 2-hydroxy-5-octanoyl benzoic acid
Emulgels powered by coco-glucoside: A stable and effective synbiotics delivery system for skin care
Saccharide isomerate ameliorates cosmetic scalp conditions in a Chinese study population
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-

Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-

Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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