In June 2000, Smith and Nephew divested its consumer products division; a management buyout, led by CEO Geoff Percy and Finance Director Peter Hatherly, for £140m resulted in the formation of Accantia, owner of the Simple brand.

Following an unsolicited approach, the board of Accantia sold the company to Duke Street Capital for £225m.

Simple Health & Beauty Group Limited was bought by the US company Alberto-Culver for £240 million in December 2009.

Alberto-Culver was purchased by the Anglo-Dutch multinational consumer goods company Unilever in September 2010, and Simple was formally taken over around six months later.

It was created by Colin Underhay (art director) and Alex Pearl (copywriter) and directed by Len Fulford, while Lord David Dundas wrote the piano score in the style of Erik Satie, and Joanna Lumley provided the voice over.