Simple and darrow are two trusted skincare lines celebrated for their soothing, dermatologically tested compositions. The British brand Simple, founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011, is beloved for gentle moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners featuring niacinamide and glycerin, which suit acne-prone and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the dermatological brand darrow is deeply loved for gentle cleansers that suit sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin best. While both brands champion gentle daily care, the former integrates targeted ingredients to restore hydration and reduce hyperpigmentation, whereas the latter focuses on rigorously tested formulas that help restore natural skin balance.
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 darrow products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Simple is the better choice on this page, as its products on this page generally offer higher fit levels across most skin types compared to darrow. Simple also features key ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin, which help support skin health.
Simple features a variety of products on this page with High to Average Lovi fit levels across skin types, whereas darrow offers only the Actine cleanser with Low to Caution fit levels for most skin types. Simple products contain key ingredients like Niacinamide and Glycerin, which help hydrate the skin and reduce pigmentation.
Simple offers better-fitting cleansers for most skin types, with its Refreshing Facial Wash receiving Average ratings for sensitive and acne-prone skin, while darrow Actine rates as Low for those types. Reviewers note that Simple cleansers are gentle and effective.
Which is more affordable, Simple or darrow?
Simple features lightweight, value-friendly moisturizers among the products on this page, whereas darrow does not offer comparable affordability information here.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Simple or darrow?
Simple features products on this page with a High Lovi fit for acne-prone skin, such as Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner, whereas darrow's Actine cleanser has only an Average fit for acne-prone skin. However, reviewers often note that Simple products may cause breakouts or irritations.
Which brand has been owned by Unilever PLC for a longer time, Simple or Darrow?
Simple has been owned by Unilever PLC since 2011, while Darrow is owned by Pierre Fabre and has no record of Unilever ownership.
Do any products from Simple or Darrow contain added fragrance in their ingredients?
No, every product on this page from both Simple and darrow lists no fragrance in its ingredients.
How does the Lovi fit level for oily skin compare between Simple's and Darrow's cleansers?
Simple's cleansers achieve an Average Lovi fit level for oily skin, whereas Darrow's Actine cleanser similarly has an Average Lovi fit level for oily skin.
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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.
