Skincare in the US: which brands ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode recommend

We asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode 12 questions that US consumers ask about skincare: exfoliants for blackheads, niacinamide and vitamin C serums, retinol, barrier repair, sunscreen for oily skin. The answers name few brands each, and they split the market in two: ingredient-led brands for actives, dermatologist-recommended brands for sensitive skin and SPF.

Ingredient-led brands own the actives

Paula's Choice is the brand named most, in 13 of the 36 answers, ahead of Naturium (8) and The Ordinary (6). On exfoliation, acne and actives (niacinamide, retinol, vitamin C, eye cream), 20 of the 21 answers name an ingredient-led brand. The models do not agree on which one: on the retinol and vitamin C questions, ChatGPT and Google AI Mode name Paula's Choice, while Gemini names SkinCeuticals, Drunk Elephant or Sunday Riley. On the leave-on exfoliant for blackheads, Paula's Choice's best-known category, ChatGPT names The Ordinary and Naturium.

1. Paula's Choice13 · 36%
2. Naturium8 · 22%
3. The Ordinary6 · 17%
4. SkinCeuticals2 · 6%
5. Sunday Riley1 · 3%
6. The Inkey List1 · 3%
7. Drunk Elephant1 · 3%

Dermatologist brands own sensitive skin and sunscreen

CeraVe is named in 11 answers, La Roche-Posay in 8, EltaMD in 5. On barrier repair, sensitive and reactive skin, and daily sunscreen, the answers turn to them: only 2 of the 15 answers on these themes name an ingredient-led brand. EltaMD is named in all three answers about a moisturizer with SPF for breakout-prone skin, and Vanicream with La Roche-Posay in all three about gentle cleansing.

1. CeraVe11 · 31%
2. La Roche-Posay8 · 22%
3. EltaMD5 · 14%
4. Vanicream4 · 11%
5. Skinfix4 · 11%

ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, October 22, 2026. One answer can name several dermatologist-recommended brands.

Each model has its favourites

Paula's Choice is in 6 of Google AI Mode's answers and 2 of Gemini's. CeraVe is in 6 of Gemini's and 1 of Google AI Mode's. The Ordinary is named by ChatGPT 4 times and never by Google AI Mode. Gemini also names the most premium brands: SkinCeuticals, Sunday Riley and Drunk Elephant come up only in its answers.

Retailers and dermatologists are the sources

The answers cite 63 different websites. Retailers lead: ulta.com is cited in 10 answers, sephora.com in 8, walmart.com in 5. The American Academy of Dermatology (aad.org) is cited in 9, and scientific papers (doi.org) in 3. Brand sites come after: paulaschoice.com in 6 answers, cerave.com in 4. Beauty media such as Allure and Glamour complete the list.

Ingredient-led brand websiteDermatologist brand websiteOther website

1. ulta.com10 · 28%
2. aad.org9 · 25%
3. sephora.com8 · 22%
4. paulaschoice.com6 · 17%
5. walmart.com5 · 14%
6. allure.com4 · 11%
7. cerave.com4 · 11%
8. doi.org3 · 8%
9. forbes.com3 · 8%
10. glamour.com3 · 8%

What this means for skincare brands

• Each brand is filed under a need. Actives go to ingredient-led brands, sensitive skin and SPF to dermatologist brands. A brand that wants to be named on another need has to be described on it, with its products and evidence.
• Retailer product pages carry the recommendations. Ulta and Sephora are cited more than any brand site. A brand's reviews, descriptions and ratings on those pages feed what AI says about it.
• Clinical evidence is read. Dermatology sources and published studies are cited. Claims backed by studies, and explained in plain words, are the kind of content the answers quote.
• A hero product is not enough. A category a brand is famous for can still go to a competitor in one model's answer. Visibility has to be checked question by question and model by model.

Method

12 questions in English, written as US consumers would ask them, from the range of one of the brands tracked (Paula's Choice). Each question was asked once to ChatGPT (gpt-6, with web search), Gemini (Flash-Lite) and Google AI Mode, from the US, on October 22, 2026: 36 answers. We counted the answers naming each of 12 tracked brands (names and common spellings), their position among the tracked names of the answer, and the websites cited.

This is a snapshot: three models, one day and 12 questions. AI answers vary from one session to the next, so a difference of one or two answers between two brands is not significant. Brands we did not track, such as Neutrogena or Supergoop!, are not counted.