Who AI crowns, why it decides, what our page proves against the rival, and the first things to change.
| Question | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Grok | DeepSeek | Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the best face wash for sensitive skin with a damaged skin barrier? | 20% 20% 60% | |||||
| What face wash won't make my skin red or itchy? | 20% 80% | |||||
| What cleanser doesn't leave skin tight? | 60% 40% | |||||
| What's a gentle cleanser for acne-prone sensitive skin? | 40% 20% 40% | |||||
| What's the best face wash for oily skin in hot weather? | 40% 60% | |||||
| What's the best affordable face wash for sensitive skin? | 20% 40% 40% |
State the cleanser type on the page: soap-free, pH, foaming or non-foaming, texture
Today: Not shown
Describe the after-wash feel (residue, tightness, clean feel). Concern the AI raises: Lotion-like film; does not feel clean
Today: Not addressed
Show the full ingredient list on the page
Today: Not shown
Pack or naming differs from what the AI quotes: 236 mL
Today: Differs
State tolerance testing and which skin it suits. Concern the AI raises: Some report breakouts, stinging or tingling
Today: Not addressed
Every question shoppers ask, who each AI puts #1, and the reasons and concerns behind the pick.
71 real reviews, quoted word for word. These are examples, not a survey.
| Question | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Grok | DeepSeek | Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the best face wash for sensitive skin with a damaged skin barrier? | 20% 20% 60% | |||||
| What face wash won't make my skin red or itchy? | 20% 80% | |||||
| What cleanser doesn't leave skin tight? | 60% 40% | |||||
| What's a gentle cleanser for acne-prone sensitive skin? | 40% 20% 40% | |||||
| What's the best face wash for oily skin in hot weather? | 40% 60% | |||||
| What's the best affordable face wash for sensitive skin? | 20% 40% 40% |
Why AIs pick it: Best balance of formula, value and availability: a very mild base, humectants and skin-identical lipids that avoid stripping the barrier further.
Shoppers' concerns: A minority report breakouts, stinging or congestion; lotion-like film and not feeling properly clean, especially for oilier skin. · Filmy residue; weak on SPF; heavy in humid Queensland summers; a minority break out.
Why AIs pick it: Exactly the right type of product: creamy, low-lather and built around sensitive skin.
Shoppers' concerns: A cluster of negative reviews on an Australian review site after the reformulation: burning, redness, irritation, texture and weak cleansing. Recent Asian reviews also call it weak and slippery. · Residue; "doesn't clean"; feels like moisturiser; congesting for some; irritation from older SLS batches or rubbing.
Why AIs pick it: Outstanding value and availability, with plenty of emollients to offset drying; a more sophisticated formula than its packaging suggests.
Shoppers' concerns: Too gentle to remove makeup; slightly tacky if not lathered and rinsed well; some dislike the smell or texture. · Light foam may not feel deep-cleansing; lacks ceramides or niacinamide; some want a more refined texture.
Why AIs pick it: Remarkable simplicity for anyone who says everything makes their face red; can be rinsed or wiped off without water. Recent reviews mention less soreness and redness.
Shoppers' concerns: Milky texture can feel as if skin is not fully clean; not for oily skin or foam lovers; heavy makeup needs another step; isolated burning and redness reports. · Film; people buy it expecting foam and hate it.
Why AIs pick it: Cleans without chasing the "squeaky clean" feel that signals over-cleansing; the large review base adds confidence.
Shoppers' concerns: Too lotion-like, slippery or not cleansing enough for some; a minority of sensitive users report stinging or breakouts. · Residue; rare breakouts from the creamy base.
Why AIs pick it: Left out of the top five despite being one of the world's best-known sensitive-skin cleansers: the redness and itching signal was too strong to ignore for this question.
Shoppers' concerns: Repeated post-reformulation complaints of burning, redness, itching and irritation. · Film; "didn't clean"; occasional itch from rubbing it in.
Why AIs pick it: Extremely strong for this need; avoids the foam and "squeaky clean" feel linked to over-stripping; the huge review base supports the comfort story. Would move to #1 for extremely dry skin.
Shoppers' concerns: The opposite of tightness: a lotion-like or filmy finish, and a sense that sunscreen or oil has not been removed properly. · Doesn't remove sunscreen well; heavy in humid climates; film.
Why AIs pick it: The product shoppers would most expect to answer this question; accessible and usually comfortable.
Shoppers' concerns: Since the reformulation, some users, including previously loyal ones, report the new formula leaves them dry and tight. · Can leave a slight film; not "squeaky clean" enough for heavy waterproof makeup.
Why AIs pick it: Cream-lather that cleans while preserving lipids and pH, preventing tightness.
Shoppers' concerns: Higher price than supermarket alternatives. · Most expensive per mL of the La Roche-Posay cleansers; some prefer Caring Wash; cream may not suit very oily skin.
Why AIs pick it: For sensitive skin that is genuinely greasy by midday with clogged pores, it may beat Bioderma thanks to stronger oil removal.
Shoppers' concerns: Too drying or irritating for some sensitive, acne-prone users; some say it appears to worsen breakouts. · Won't clear acne by itself.
Why AIs pick it: The most exactly targeted formula: removes oil without over-drying and leaves acne treatment to other products, which suits sensitive skin better than a 2% salicylic acid wash.
Shoppers' concerns: Small review base; contains diazolidinyl urea, a preservative the AI questioned for a sensitive-skin product.
Why AIs pick it: Can help some blemishes, but a strong acne active in the cleanser is not the first answer for sensitive skin.
Shoppers' concerns: Burning and irritation are prominent negatives. · Not strong enough for cystic acne; can sting an open barrier.
Why AIs pick it: The best balance of oil removal, daily tolerance, sunscreen and grime removal, price and availability: a proper gel-to-foam wash that is more barrier-conscious than "squeaky clean" cleansers.
Shoppers' concerns: Some oily-but-dehydrated or sensitive users report tightness, dryness, irritation or breakouts; may not remove stubborn sunscreen or makeup in one cleanse. · Less targeted for very oily skin.
Why AIs pick it: Could be #1 for someone whose whole face is greasy by lunchtime in summer; strong Australian review volume.
Shoppers' concerns: Fragrance, and over-drying or stripping when skin is not extremely oily. · Can be too much in air-conditioned winter; sensitive users flush.
Why AIs pick it: Deserves more attention than its packaging gets; built for oily and acne-prone skin while staying suitable for sensitive skin.
Shoppers' concerns: Some oily-skin shoppers find QV foaming cleansers too gentle; small independent review footprint. · None given.
Why AIs pick it: On ingredients alone it could be #2 or #3.
Shoppers' concerns: Repeated reports since the reformulation of burning, redness, itching and irritation. · Film; formula confusion.
Why AIs pick it: Combines a very low price, proper facial cleansing and a genuinely sensitive-skin formula; the lipid system is more sophisticated than the packaging suggests.
Shoppers' concerns: Under-cleansing rather than irritation: too mild for heavy makeup or sunscreen, little lather, a slight film; some question the SLES. · SLES; old-fashioned cream.
Why AIs pick it: The surprise of the answer: one of the most reassuring cheap cleansers in Australia for dry, reactive skin; could be #1 on today's sale price alone.
Shoppers' concerns: Extremely mild: may not feel clean after heavier sunscreen, foundation or a sweaty day; lotion-like rather than a face wash. · Higher price per millilitre than bulk supermarket cleansers such as Cetaphil or QV.
Which brands the AIs crown, how much they agree, and the sources they lean on to decide.
| Shopper question | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Grok | DeepSeek | L'Oréal #1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
What's the best face wash for sensitive skin with a damaged skin barrier? Overall | 40% | |||||
What face wash won't make my skin red or itchy? Irritation | 0% | |||||
What cleanser doesn't leave skin tight? Dryness | 60% | |||||
What's a gentle cleanser for acne-prone sensitive skin? Breakouts | 60% | |||||
What's the best face wash for oily skin in hot weather? Oil control | 100% | |||||
What's the best affordable face wash for sensitive skin? Value | 20% |
Every captured product page, scored for how much of what AI looks for it shows — by answer style.
What each page proves, who each AI crowns for every question, and where the rival proves more.
| Question | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Grok | DeepSeek | Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the best face wash for sensitive skin with a damaged skin barrier? | 20% 20% 60% | |||||
| What face wash won't make my skin red or itchy? | 20% 80% | |||||
| What cleanser doesn't leave skin tight? | 60% 40% | |||||
| What's a gentle cleanser for acne-prone sensitive skin? | 40% 20% 40% | |||||
| What's the best face wash for oily skin in hot weather? | 40% 60% | |||||
| What's the best affordable face wash for sensitive skin? | 20% 40% 40% |
Page scores average every captured retailer page in Australia: all CeraVe products on 19 pages, all Cetaphil products on 11. The two charts below score only what each product page shows. AI also draws on reviews, press and retailer listings, so a hero can win answers while its own page proves less than the rival's. That gap is what to fix.