Anua vs Simple
Anua and Simple are skincare brands offering diverse formulations built around beneficial ingredients like hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, niacinamide, and glycerin. The Korean brand features moisturizers, toners, serums, and cleansers that suit dry skin and oily acne-prone skin best, while the British brand is beloved for gentle moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners well-suited for acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots. Both manufacturers utilize niacinamide to decrease hyperpigmentation, though the former incorporates hyaluronic acid for wrinkle reduction and the latter relies on glycerin to improve barrier function.
Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..
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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 Anua and Simple products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Anua vs Simple products
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Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
£18.00
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Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner
£17.00
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Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
£19.79
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PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum
£28.40
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Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
£13.00
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Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
£19.00
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PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
£20.00
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Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad
£18.00
People Say
Soothes Redness and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “Does not cause any form of irritation on the skin which I love. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
- “The only cleanser that doesn't turn my face red. — Simple Micellar Water”
- “no artificial perfume — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
- “Calms my redness instantly — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
- “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
- “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
Lightweight and Fast-Absorbing Texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
- “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
- “sinks in instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
- “absorbs very quickly — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
Cleansing and Exfoliation Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “Dissolved my sebaceous filaments immediately — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
- “leaves my face soft, smooth, and fresh without dryness — Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder”
- “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
- “Best morning cleanser — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
Miscellaneous Product Traits Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “zero white cast — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
- “no scent — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “Smells like fresh peaches — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
- “love that it's alcohol-free — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
Brightening and Dark Spot Fading Often MentionedNot noted
- “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
- “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
- “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
Breakouts and Acne Complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “Gave me tiny bumps on my forehead. — Simple Micellar Water”
- “caused major breakouts — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
- “Gave me tiny red spots — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
- “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
Anua vs Simple routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£14.00
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Hydrating Toner
Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
Morning
£19.00
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Moisturizer
Heartleaf 70% Intense Calming Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£29.40
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SPF
Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream
Morning
£22.90
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Pre-Cleanser
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
£18.00
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Serum or Treatment
Green Lemon Vita C Blemish Serum
Evening · Once a week
£34.80
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Nourishing Mask
Heartleaf 77% Soothing Sheet Mask
Once a week
£21.00
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Cleanser
Refreshing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£4.28
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Hydrating Toner
Dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner
Morning
£11.49
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Moisturizer
Replenishing Rich Moisturiser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£2.74
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SPF
Torriden DIVE-IN Mild Sunscreen
Morning
£22.00
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Pre-Cleanser
Micellar Cleansing Water
Evening · Once a week
£19.48
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Serum or Treatment
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
Evening · Once a week
£59.74
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Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
£17.00
Buy Anua routine · £101.40 · 85% fit
Buy Simple routine · £136.73 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit
Anua vs Simple routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
Refreshing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£4.28
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Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
£13.98
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Moisturizer
Replenishing Rich Moisturiser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£2.74
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SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
£11.29
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Pre-Cleanser
Micellar Cleansing Water
Evening · Once a week
£19.48
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Cleansing Toner
Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner
Evening
£29.00
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Serum or Treatment
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
Evening · Once a week
£59.74
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Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
£19.00
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Cleansing Mask
Dr. Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask
Once a week
£61.99
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Cleanser
Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£13.00
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Hydrating Toner
Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder
Morning · Once a week
£16.00
-
Moisturizer
Heartleaf 70% Intense Calming Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£29.40
-
SPF
Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream
Morning
£22.90
-
Pre-Cleanser
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
£18.00
-
Cleansing Toner
BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
Evening
£18.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
Evening · Once a week
£19.79
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Cleansing Mask
Dr. Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask
Once a week
£61.99
Buy Simple routine · £221.50 · 87% fit
Buy Anua routine · £176.18 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit
Anua vs Simple routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Refreshing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£4.28
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Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
£30.37
-
Moisturizer
Replenishing Rich Moisturiser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£2.74
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Pre-Cleanser
Micellar Cleansing Water
Evening · Once a week
£19.48
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Cleansing Toner
REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic
Evening
£30.99
-
Serum or Treatment
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
Evening · Once a week
£59.74
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Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
£19.00
-
Cleansing Mask
VT Cosmetics Cica Purifying Mask
Once a week
£19.00
-
Cleanser
Heartleaf Quercetin Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£13.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner
Morning · Once a week
£19.00
-
Moisturizer
Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder
Morning · Evening · Once a week
£16.00
-
SPF
Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream
Morning
£22.90
-
Pre-Cleanser
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
£18.00
-
Cleansing Toner
BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner
Evening
£18.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
Evening · Once a week
£19.79
-
Cleansing Mask
VT Cosmetics Cica Purifying Mask
Once a week
£19.00
Buy Simple routine · £185.60 · 85% fit
Buy Anua routine · £122.79 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Questions and answers
Anua or Simple: which is better?
Both Anua and Simple are great options, as Lovi rates their overall routines equally high across all skin types. Anua does better for brightening and dark spot fading, while Simple performs better for soothing redness and sensitive skin.
What is the difference between Anua and Simple?
Anua is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 that excels in brightening and dark spot fading, whereas Simple is a British brand founded in 1960 that performs better at soothing redness and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page for Anua frequently feature brightening serums, while Simple products are often praised as value-friendly moisturizers and sensitive-skin-friendly makeup removers.
Anua or Simple for dry skin?
Both Anua and Simple are a High fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Anua features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides, which help support skin hydration.
Anua or Simple: which cleanser is better?
Anua offers a wider range of specialized cleansers that target various concerns like acne and dark spots, whereas Simple focuses mainly on gentle, basic cleansing with products like its Refreshing Facial Wash. Reviewers indicate that Anua performs better in cleansing and exfoliation categories compared to Simple.
Which is more affordable, Anua or Simple?
Simple offers more affordable, value-friendly moisturizers on this page compared to Anua. However, neither brand explicitly lists pricing information in its page facts.
Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Anua or Simple?
Both Anua and Simple have an equal number of fragrance-free products, as every product on this page for both brands lists no fragrance in its ingredients.
How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Anua and Simple?
Anua was founded in 2019 in South Korea, while Simple was founded much earlier in 1960 in the United Kingdom. Both brands are currently owned by larger parent companies, with Anua under The Founders Inc. and Simple owned by Unilever PLC.
Which brand performs better for brightening and dark spot fading according to review themes?
Anua performs better for brightening and dark spot fading.
Anua or Simple for oily skin?
Both Anua and Simple are a great match for oily skin, as Lovi rates both brands as having a High routine fit for this skin type. Review themes indicate that the products on this page for Anua excel in miscellaneous traits and brightening, while Simple is noted for soothing redness and sensitive skin.
Anua or Simple for sensitive skin?
Both Anua and Simple are a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Anua does better for brightening and dark spot fading, while Simple does better for soothing redness and sensitive skin.
Anua or Simple for acne-prone skin?
Both Anua and Simple have an equal routine fit level for acne-prone skin on Lovi. Anua stands out on this page for offering brightening serums and targeted treatments with ingredients like niacinamide, which helps control pigmentation.
Research behind their key ingredients
The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Effects of glyceryl glucoside on AQP3 expression, barrier function and hydration of human skin
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Borage Oil Treated with Immobilized Lipase Inhibits Melanogenesis
Moisturizing Effects of Diglycerol Combined with Glycerol on Human Stratum Corneum
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Histometric assessment of the age-related skin response to 2-hydroxy-5-octanoyl benzoic acid
Emulgels powered by coco-glucoside: A stable and effective synbiotics delivery system for skin care
Saccharide isomerate ameliorates cosmetic scalp conditions in a Chinese study population
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
-

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?
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