Simple vs FRE
Simple and FRE are two distinctive skincare collections known for their gentle, effective compositions. Simple is a British brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011, offering moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners that incorporate niacinamide and glycerin. FRE is celebrated for its targeted product types, including Argan Oil. Both brands suit acne-prone skin best, though they differ as the first also suits oily skin through formulations where niacinamide reduces hyperpigmentation and improves aging signs, while glycerin improves skin hydration and barrier function.
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 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 for the products on this page, as it offers a wide selection of cleansers, makeup removers, and moisturizers with High to Average Lovi fit levels across most skin types. In comparison, FRE features only a single Argan Oil product on this page with lower fit levels for oily and combination skin.
What is the difference between Simple and FRE?
Simple features a variety of products on this page with High to Average Lovi fit levels across skin types, whereas FRE includes just one product, Argan Oil, with High to Low fit levels. The products on this page from Simple contain niacinamide and glycerin, which help with skin hydration and pigmentation. Argan oil helps improve skin hydration.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002
Which is more affordable, Simple or FRE?
Simple offers more affordable options, known for its value-friendly moisturizers, whereas the products on this page for FRE consist solely of a single Argan Oil product.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Simple or FRE?
Simple offers lightweight moisturizers and gentle makeup removers, but reviewers note that the products on this page sometimes cause breakouts or irritations.
How do the founding years and company ownerships of Simple and FRE compare?
Simple was founded in the United Kingdom in 1960 and has been owned by Unilever PLC since 2011, whereas FRE was founded in 2016 and remains independently owned.
Which brand offers a greater variety of products with high Lovi fit levels for sensitive skin?
Simple offers a greater variety of products with high Lovi fit levels for sensitive skin, including micellar waters and a soothing facial toner. In contrast, FRE features only an argan oil on this page, which has an average fit level for sensitive skin.
What key ingredients are found across the products of Simple and FRE?
Simple features key ingredients such as niacinamide and glycerin across its products, which help support skin health. Niacinamide helps control pigmentation and skin aging, while glycerin helps improve skin hydration. FRE does not report key ingredients across its products on this page.
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.
