Simple vs FRE
Simple and FRE are two distinctive skincare options known for their thoughtful compositions and gentle care. Simple is a British brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011, celebrated for its gentle moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners featuring niacinamide and glycerin. Meanwhile, the second brand is widely loved for its targeted product types, nourishing formulas, and Argan Oil. Both brands suit acne-prone skin best, though they differ as the British line also addresses oily, dark-spot, and mature concerns through specialized items like the Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner and Micellar Cleansing Water, whereas the other focuses on balancing and supporting the complexion.
Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.
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This page compares some of the most popular Simple and FRE products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Questions and answers
Simple or FRE: which is better?
Simple is the better choice on this page, as its products on this page fit acne-prone, oily, and oily acne-prone skin best and contain key ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin. Glycerin helps improve skin hydration, while niacinamide may help reduce skin pigmentation.
What is the difference between Simple and FRE?
Simple offers a broad range of fragrance-free products on this page featuring niacinamide and glycerin, achieving a High fit for sensitive skin with items like its Soothing Facial Toner. In contrast, FRE features a single argan oil product on this page with a High fit for dry sensitive skin.
Which is more affordable, Simple or FRE?
Simple offers lightweight and value-friendly moisturizers on this page, whereas FRE features an argan oil product with less pricing variety mentioned. Glycerin helps improve skin hydration across products.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Simple or FRE?
Simple offers products on this page with a Lovi fit level of Average for acne-prone skin, while FRE has fewer options reviewed for acne. Niacinamide helps improve skin appearance, though reviewers note that some Simple products may cause breakouts or irritations.
How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Simple and FRE compare?
Simple was founded in 1960 in the United Kingdom and has been owned by Unilever PLC since 2011, whereas FRE was founded in 2016 and is independently owned.
Which brand offers more product options on the comparison page?
Simple offers more product options on this page, featuring a wide variety of cleansers, moisturizers, and makeup removers compared to FRE's single product offering.
How does the Lovi fit level for dry skin compare between Simple's and FRE's products?
Simple products on this page have an average Lovi fit for dry skin, while FRE's Argan Oil also has an average Lovi fit for dry skin.
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
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
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.
