E45, Nivea, Simple Top UK Brand Recommendation Study
E45, Nivea, and Simple are the UK's most recommended beauty brands by customers, according to YouGov data. The skin care brands achieved positive recommendation scores above 76% in a survey of current users.
E45, Nivea, and Simple are the UK's most recommended beauty brands by their own customers. The finding comes from YouGov UK's 2026 Most Recommended Brands report, which measured the willingness of current users to endorse a brand to others.
Skin care dominated the top of the list. E45 led with a positive recommendation score of 84.3%. Nivea followed at 77.7%, and Unilever's Simple brand scored 76.6%. The research was based on responses collected from July 2025 to July 2026.
Top Recommended Beauty and Personal Care Brands
The full ranking of beauty and personal care brands in the top ten shows closely grouped scores. YouGov's report highlights the strength of established mass-market names in securing customer loyalty.
| Brand | Category | Positive Recommend Score |
|---|---|---|
| E45 | Skin Care | 84.3% |
| Nivea | Skin Care | 77.7% |
| Simple | Skin Care | 76.6% |
| Liz Earle | Skin Care | 75.6% |
| Sanex | Skin Care | 75.6% |
| Dove | Skin Care | 75.5% |
| Clarins for Men | Skin Care | 75.4% |
| Vaseline | Skin Care | 74.6% |
| Mitchum | Deodorant | 73.7% |
| Dettol | Personal Care | 73.5% |
The Power of Customer Experience
The report also provided broader context on how British consumers share brand experiences. An estimated 70% of Brits had shared an experience with a brand in the three months prior to the study. Of those sharing, 55% of experiences were positive, 36% were neutral, and 21% were negative.
Positive word-of-mouth travels in different ways. The data shows 45% of people shared positive experiences privately in conversations. Meanwhile, 29% left a review or rating, and 13% posted publicly on social media. Negative feedback followed a different path. Only 3% of people posted negative experiences on social media, while twice as many (7%) contacted brands directly.
Sarah Hutchinson, Group Account Director at YouGov, commented on the findings. "Strong brands are not built on visibility alone," she said in the report. "They earn trust by consistently delivering products, services and experiences that customers are willing to endorse."
Simple Noted as Most Improved
Beyond the overall ranking, Simple received special recognition. The skin care brand was named the second most improved brand in a separate ranking that included companies from all industries. Simple's positive recommendation score rose from 70.5% the previous year to its current 76.6%.
The study shows that in the beauty sector, consistent performance drives advocacy. Effective brands turn customers into vocal supporters.
