Simple and FANCL are two established skincare lines offering gentle daily formulations for various complexions. The British brand is known for moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners featuring niacinamide and glycerin , which suit acne-prone and oily skin best. Conversely, the Japanese brand is loved for thoughtful makeup removers and gentle exfoliants crafted from pure formulas that suit sensitive, dry, and normal skin types. While both provide reliable solutions, they differ in their foundational ingredients and their ideal skin types.
Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.
en.wikipedia.org sec.gov prnewswire.com simple.co.uk
FANCL is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by Kirin Holdings Company, Limited since 2024.
fancl.jp en.wikipedia.org pitchbook.com
This page compares some of the most popular Simple and FANCL products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app .
Popular Simple vs FANCL products
Questions and answers
Simple or FANCL: which is better?
FANCL achieves superior fit levels for dry sensitive skin with its Mild Cleansing Oil and Facial Washing Powder, whereas Simple offers products on this page with average to high fits depending on the specific skin type. Glycerin helps provide moisturization across Simple formulations, which can assist in maintaining hydration.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What is the difference between Simple and FANCL?
Simple offers a wide range of budget-friendly cleansers, toners, and moisturizers featuring niacinamide and glycerin, whereas FANCL provides specialized items like cleansing oil and washing powder with superior fit levels for dry and sensitive skin. Both brands are fragrance-free.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which is more affordable, Simple or FANCL?
Simple offers lightweight, value-friendly moisturizers, making the products on this page a more budget-conscious choice compared to FANCL.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Simple or FANCL?
Simple may cause breakouts or irritations according to reviewers, whereas FANCL products on this page do not have this feedback.
Which brand has been around longer and where were they founded?
Simple has been around longer, having been founded in the United Kingdom in 1960, while FANCL was founded in Japan in 1980.
Do any of the products from either Simple or FANCL contain fragrance?
Every product on this page from both Simple and FANCL lists no fragrance in its ingredients.
Which company currently owns the FANCL brand?
Kirin Holdings Company, Limited currently owns the FANCL brand.
2 more questions
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Niacinamide · The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002 Mechanistic Basis and Clinical Evidence for the Applications of Nicotinamide (Niacinamide) to Control Skin Aging and Pigmentation
Niacinamide · Antioxidants, 2021 Topical use of dexpanthenol in skin disorders
Panthenol, Panthenol vitamin b5 · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002 Anti-aging and brightening effects of a topical treatment containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract: A split-face, randomized controlled trial
Tocopherol, Tocopherol vitamin e · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020 Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Chamomilla recutita flower extract matricaria flower extract · International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2016 25 more studies
Effect of a topical antioxidant serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid after Q-switched 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser for treatment of environment-induced skin pigmentation
Tocopherol, Tocopherol vitamin e · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020 The 24-hour skin hydration and barrier function effects of a hyaluronic 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract moisturizing fluid: an intra-subject, randomized, assessor-blinded study
Glycerin · Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017 Randomized controlled study for the anti-aging effect of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide after laser therapy
Niacinamide · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021 A new topical panthenol-containing emollient: Results from two randomized controlled studies assessing its skin moisturization and barrier restoration potential, and the effect on skin microflora
Panthenol, Panthenol vitamin b5 · The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017 Senomorphic activity of a combination of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid: correlation with clinical improvement of skin aging
Niacinamide · Scientific Reports, 2024 Stable Ozonides with Vitamin E Acetate versus Corticosteroid in the Treatment of Lichen Sclerosus in Foreskin: Evaluation of Effects on Inflammation
Tocopheryl acetate vitamin e, Tocopheryl acetate · Urologia Internationalis, 2019 Efficacy of a topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol for pain and inflammation control after third molar surgery: A randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial
Allantoin · Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020 High molecular compounds (polysaccharides and proanthocyanidins) from Hamamelis virginiana bark: influence on human skin keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation and influence on irritated skin
Witch hazel leaf water · Phytochemistry, 2001 Comparison of clinical efficacies of sodium ascorbyl phosphate, retinol and their combination in acne treatment
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate · International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2009 Efficacy and Tolerability of Topical Nicotinamide Plus Antibacterial Adhesive Agents and Zinc-Pyrrolidone Carboxylic Acid Versus Placebo as an Adjuvant Treatment for Moderate Acne Vulgaris in Indonesia: A Multicenter, Double-blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Zinc pca · The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020 Whitening effect of alpha-bisabolol in Asian women subjects
Bisabolol · International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2010 Assessment of Combined Ascorbyl Palmitate (AP) and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) on Facial Skin Sebum Control in Female Healthy Volunteers
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate · Drug Research, 2017 Understanding Solar Skin Elastosis-Cause and Treatment
Witch hazel leaf water · Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018 Borage Oil Treated with Immobilized Lipase Inhibits Melanogenesis
Borago officinalis seed oil · Lipids, 2020 Effect of seasonal and geographical differences on skin and effect of treatment with an osmoprotectant: Sorbitol
Sorbitol · Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2013 Influence of vitamin E acetate on stratum corneum hydration
Tocopheryl acetate vitamin e, Tocopheryl acetate · Arzneimittel-Forschung, 1998 Why is sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) mild to the skin barrier? - An in vitro investigation based on the relative sizes of the SCI micelles and the skin aqueous pores
Sodium cocoyl isethionate · Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007 Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of a Panthenol-Enriched Mask for Skin Barrier Recovery After Facial Laser Treatment: Results of a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study
Panthenol, Panthenol vitamin b5 · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025 Modulation of skin pigmentation by the tetrapeptide PKEK: in vitro and in vivo evidence for skin whitening effects
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate · Experimental Dermatology, 2012 Nanostructured Lipid Carrier Based Gel Containing α-Tocopherol and α-Tocopheryl Acetate for Synergistic Cutaneous Antiaging Efficacy
Tocopheryl acetate · Scientific Reports, 2025 Safety assessment on comedogenicity of dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate in Asian subjects: A double-blind randomized controlled trial
Tocopheryl acetate vitamin e, Tocopheryl acetate · Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021 Impact of dermal emulsions containing diacyl phospholipids, mono acyl phospholipids, sodium lauryl ether sulfate and polysorbate 80 in combination with UVA irradiation on human skin physiology in vivo: A pilot study
Sodium laureth sulfate · International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2026 A novel facial moisturizer containing Saccharide isomerate accelerates skin barrier restoration following intense pulsed light treatment: a randomized split-face study
Saccharide isomerate · The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2025 Efficacy and safety of combination cream of stimu-tex AS™ (spent grain wax, Argania Spinosa Kernel oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea butter) extract), and saccharide isomerate after fractional CO2 laser procedure: split-face, double blinded, randomized controlled trial
Saccharide isomerate · Lasers in Medical Science, 2025 Saccharide isomerate ameliorates cosmetic scalp conditions in a Chinese study population
Saccharide isomerate · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023 Show fewer
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
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
Aishani Shah, MD
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
Asya Zubkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
Hanna Kurets, MD
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
