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D2C Skincare · IndiaHead-to-head · 16 Jun

D2C Skincare · India · AI search head-to-head

Forest Essentials vs Minimalist in AI search

As of 16 June 2026, Minimalist is recommended more often than Forest Essentials for d2c skincare in India: Minimalist appears in 68.2% of AI answers versus Forest Essentials's 14.1%, a 54.1 percentage point gap across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Mode.

Forest Essentials

14.1% · rank #5

Minimalist

68.2% · rank #1

D2C Skincare · 16 June 2026

Forest Essentials vs Minimalist: side-by-side AI citation metrics

How ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Mode treat Forest Essentials and Minimalist for d2c skincare buyer questions in India, as of 16 June 2026.

Forest Essentials vs Minimalist: side-by-side AI citation metrics
MetricOverall citation shareForest Essentials14.1%Minimalist68.2%
MetricOverall rankForest Essentials#5Minimalist#1
MetricChatGPT shareForest Essentials4%Minimalist69%
MetricGemini shareForest Essentials20%Minimalist80%
MetricGoogle AI Mode shareForest Essentials18%Minimalist56%
MetricDay-over-day changeForest Essentials+2.8%Minimalist+0.9%
MetricPositive sentimentForest Essentials26%Minimalist53%

Per-engine verdict

ChatGPT

Minimalist leads

Forest Essentials 4% · Minimalist 69%

Gemini

Minimalist leads

Forest Essentials 20% · Minimalist 80%

AI Mode

Minimalist leads

Forest Essentials 18% · Minimalist 56%

Common questions

Who appears more in AI search for d2c skincare in India, Forest Essentials or Minimalist?

Minimalist, with 68.2% citation share versus Forest Essentials's 14.1% as of 16 June 2026.

Does ChatGPT recommend Forest Essentials or Minimalist more?

ChatGPT cites Minimalist more often for d2c skincare queries (Forest Essentials 4% vs Minimalist 69%).

Is Forest Essentials gaining or losing ground against Minimalist in AI answers?

Over the CITE Index tracking window, Forest Essentials moved from 16.7% to 14.1% citation share and Minimalist moved from 73.3% to 68.2%.

How is this Forest Essentials vs Minimalist comparison measured?

Cite Solutions runs 50 unaided buyer prompts for d2c skincare every night against ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Mode, then measures how often each brand is named. This page reflects the reading from 16 June 2026.

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Source: The CITE Index · India, reading of 16 June 2026. See the full D2C Skincare dashboard →CC BY 4.0