Kiehl's vs Simple:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Simple had more branded searches than Kiehl's among face cleanser brands worldwide. Simple had about 1.3 million branded searches, while Kiehl's had 21,500. Simple made up 26.9% of all face cleanser brand searches we track, and Kiehl's accounted for 0.43%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about face cleanser brands, Simple appeared in two of the five answers and Kiehl's in none.
Who do people search for more?
Simple, about 63 searches for every 1 for Kiehl's
Who does AI mention more?
Simple, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Kiehl's in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Simple, the only one of the two named
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Top face cleanser brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Simple was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Kiehl's did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
CeraVe5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
La Roche-Posay5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Cetaphil4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Vanicream4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Neutrogena3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Simple2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Garnier0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bioderma0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
COSRX0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Kiehl's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about face cleanser brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which face cleanser brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best face cleanser brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best face cleanser brand for daily skincare?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best face cleanser”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“gentle face cleanser”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Kiehl's or Simple more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kiehl's and Simple by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 16 face cleanser brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Simple, Kiehl's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Cetaphil | Simple | CeraVe | Garnier | La Roche-Posay | Bioderma | Neutrogena | Vanicream | COSRX | Aveeno | Eucerin | Beauty of Joseon | Kiehl's | The Ordinary | SKIN1004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 33.2% | 17.6% | 19.3% | 7.2% | 8% | 6.3% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 1.2% | 0.71% | 0.46% | 0.38% | 0.77% | 0.58% | 0.22% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.8% | 18.8% | 19.6% | 6.3% | 7.6% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.73% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.78% | 0.62% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.2% | 18.4% | 20.1% | 6.2% | 7.4% | 6.6% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.74% | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0.86% | 0.61% | 0.27% |
| Feb 2026 | 33.3% | 19.1% | 18.5% | 6.4% | 7.6% | 6.8% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 1.2% | 0.62% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.55% | 0.24% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.3% | 21.7% | 20.1% | 7.3% | 7.1% | 7.4% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.69% | 0.64% | 0.41% | 0.63% | 0.52% | 0.22% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.3% | 21.4% | 20.7% | 7.2% | 7% | 6.2% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 0.57% | 0.55% | 0.4% | 0.54% | 0.47% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 28.3% | 22.4% | 20% | 7.5% | 6.6% | 6.9% | 2.6% | 1.3% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.63% | 0.42% | 0.54% | 0.49% | 0.26% |
| Jun 2026 | 27.9% | 24.9% | 19.4% | 8.3% | 6% | 6.2% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 1% | 0.54% | 0.54% | 0.38% | 0.49% | 0.4% | 0.25% |
| Jul 2026 | 29.3% | 23.3% | 19.3% | 7.8% | 6.8% | 6.2% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 0.97% | 0.5% | 0.62% | 0.43% | 0.46% | 0.45% | 0.24% |
| Aug 2026 | 29% | 23% | 19.1% | 7.7% | 6.8% | 6.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 0.66% | 0.43% | 0.55% | 0.45% | 0.23% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.8% | 27.5% | 16.7% | 7.5% | 6.6% | 6% | 2.2% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.59% | 0.6% | 0.42% | 0.54% | 0.44% | 0.23% |
| Oct 2026 | 30.2% | 26.9% | 15.6% | 7.4% | 6.4% | 6% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 0.92% | 0.58% | 0.58% | 0.45% | 0.43% | 0.39% | 0.21% |
Kiehl's sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “kiehls cleanser”.
How has branded search for Kiehl's and Simple changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Simple was ahead of Kiehl's in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Kiehl's’ share of searches among face cleanser brands worldwide moved from 0.77% to 0.43%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 26.3K to 21.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Simple’s share of searches among face cleanser brands worldwide moved from 17.6% to 26.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 602K to 1.3M.
How did search popularity change for face cleanser brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Simple lost share of searches among face cleanser brands worldwide, from 27.5% to 26.9%.
In October 2026, Kiehl's fell from 12th to 13th among face cleanser brands worldwide.
How are Kiehl's’ and Simple’s branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kiehl's’ and Simple’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among face cleanser brands
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