Simple and VR are distinctive skincare lines that cater to diverse complexions through thoughtful, specialized formulations. The British brand is known for gentle moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners enriched with niacinamide and glycerin, which suit acne-prone and oily skin best, whereas VR is deeply appreciated for the sensory pleasure of its moisturizers and considered design that suits combination, sensitive, and dry skin best. Both collections address particular needs with targeted products, but Simple relies on foundational hydration and barrier support while the latter continually refines its offerings for evolving daily routines.
Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.
This page compares some of the most popular Simple and VR products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Simple offers a much wider range of products on this page and achieves higher Lovi fit levels for sensitive and mature skin than VR, while Glycerin helps maintain skin hydration across Simple formulations. Niacinamide also may help reduce skin pigmentation.
Simple offers a broad range of everyday products like gentle makeup removers and lightweight moisturizers with High to Average Lovi fit across many skin types, while VR features a single PDRN cream with High fit for sensitive skin and Low fit for oily skin. Both brands provide fragrance-free formulas, but Simple uses key ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin to support hydration.
Simple offers more moisturizer options on this page, including the Hydrating Light Moisturiser, Replenishing Rich Moisturiser, and Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream, all achieving an Average fit across skin types, whereas VR features only the PDRN CREAM, which has a High fit for sensitive skin but a Low fit for oily skin. Glycerin helps provide hydration in the products on this page.
Simple offers value-friendly moisturizers, while VR does not feature price or value mentions on this page.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Simple or VR?
VR has no product reviews or feedback on breakouts on this page, whereas reviewers often note that Simple causes breakouts or irritations.
Which brand offers a larger variety of cleansers and moisturizers, Simple or VR?
Simple offers a larger variety of cleansers and moisturizers on this page, whereas VR only features a single moisturizer. Glycerin helps provide hydration in these products.
Do both Simple and VR skincare products contain added fragrances?
No, every product from both Simple and VR on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.
Which brand was founded earlier and is owned by a major corporation, Simple or VR?
Simple was founded earlier in 1960 in the United Kingdom and has been owned by Unilever PLC since 2011, whereas VR was founded in 2018 and is independently owned.
5-ceramide complex · Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2026
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.
