Evergreen monthly benchmark — Apr 27
Skincare
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · Apr 27 selected · 9 snapshots
Key takeaway
The skincare category remains a CeraVe/La Roche-Posay duopoly at the foundation tier, with The Ordinary and EltaMD locked in as universal secondary picks. Premium recommendations split sharply by model: Claude prefers Asian imports (Beauty of Joseon, Biore), ChatGPT pushes legacy commerce brands (Lancome, RoC, L'Oreal), Gemini favors emerging clean brands (Naturium, Skinfix), and Perplexity surfaces clinical/luxury (SkinMedica, Tatcha, Drunk Elephant). This is the most brand-fragmented category at the secondary tier — meaning targeted optimization for specific AI surfaces is highly viable for challengers.
Mention Frequency Trend
Brands ordered by mention count in each run. Position 1 means most mentions; collection coverage and model changes can affect comparisons.
Scroll sideways to see all dates and labels.
Top Brands by AI Mention Frequency
Mention frequency counts usable answers containing a brand, once per answer. Unranked and critical mentions count as visibility. Recommendation ranks are shown separately below.
Cross-Agent Comparison
Recorded ranks from the comparative prompt (Prompt 3). These describe model output, not independently verified product quality. Historical parsing conventions may differ.
3/4 models with recorded ranks
EltaMD has a mention count of 6 but is outside the displayed comparison. Mention frequency and response rank measure different things.
| Agent | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | CeraVe | La Roche-Posay | The Ordinary |
| Claude | No brands recorded | ||
| Gemini | SkinCeuticals | La Roche-Posay | Paula's Choice |
| Perplexity | SkinCeuticals | La Roche-Posay | CeraVe |
EltaMD·6 mentions, outside the displayed comparison | |||
What This Means
- ChatGPT is the most commerce-formatted with explicit prices and ratings, uniquely surfacing Lancome, RoC, L'Oreal, Remedy Skin, Bubble, Peach & Lily, and Byoma that no other model recommends.
- Claude is the most opinionated, calling out Korean/Japanese sunscreens (Beauty of Joseon, Biore, Round Lab) as dramatically better than US options and explicitly skipping eye creams and peptide marketing — and Claude P3 declined to rank brands at all, calling it "the wrong frame." Gemini introduces lifestyle/desk-job framing (blue light protection, tech neck, office air) and surfaces Skinfix, Farmacy, Kiehl's, Sephora Collection, Mario Badescu, and Aveeno that don't appear elsewhere.
- Perplexity is the most conservative and consistently surfaces Vanicream, Eucerin, SkinMedica, Tatcha, Drunk Elephant, Versed, Cocokind, Aesop, and Philosophy in its rankings.
Findings and Limitations
- Korean/Japanese imports (Beauty of Joseon, Biore, Round Lab) only appear in Claude.
- Maelove appears only in Claude and Gemini.
- Naturium only appears in Claude.
- Differin only appears in Claude and Perplexity.
- Lancome, RoC, L'Oreal, Remedy Skin, Bubble, Peach & Lily, Byoma only appear in ChatGPT.
- Skinfix, Farmacy, Kiehl's, Sephora Collection only appear in Gemini.
- Vanicream, Eucerin, SkinMedica, Tatcha, Drunk Elephant, Versed, Cocokind, Aesop, Philosophy primarily appear in Perplexity.
- Major brands like Olay, Estée Lauder, Murad, Glow Recipe, and Sunday Riley are largely absent from this run.
Recurring themes in the answers
- All 4 models emphasize sunscreen as the single highest-ROI skincare product.
Inspect the captured answers
Saved response text is model output. Product and health claims are unverified. Tables and cards may be transcribed as text; source labels can remain. Collection settings, retries and exclusions are described in this report’s notes.
ChatGPT · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 29-year-old woman living in the USA, working a desk job and trying to build a solid skincare routine. I'm looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
Top picks: 1. e.l.f. Wake The e.l.f. Up! Skincare Kit $20 best overall starter kit. 2. L'Oreal Revitalift Triple Power SPF 30 $23.80 best budget anti-aging. 3. RoC Multi Correxion Vitamin C Serum $28.49 best brightening. 4. Lancome Renergie Triple Serum Retinol $62.05 premium retinol. 5. Remedy Skin 3-Step Kit $19.99 simple drugstore-friendly.
Claude · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 29-year-old woman living in the USA, working a desk job and trying to build a solid skincare routine. I'm looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
Top picks: Cleanser CeraVe Hydrating or La Roche-Posay Toleriane $15. Vitamin C Maelove Glow Maker $30 or SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic $170. Moisturizer CeraVe PM or La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair $15-20. Sunscreen Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun, Round Lab Birch Juice, Biore UV Aqua Rich under $20 or EltaMD UV Clear US-available. Retinoid Differin adapalene $15 OTC or Curology/Agency telehealth tretinoin $20-30/mo. Skip eye creams, peptide pitches, brand systems.
Gemini · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 29-year-old woman living in the USA, working a desk job and trying to build a solid skincare routine. I'm looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
Morning: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser or Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic gold standard or Maelove Glow Maker budget. EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 with niacinamide blue light protection. Evening: Farmacy Green Clean balm. Kiehl's Micro-Dose Retinol or The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2%. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair or Skinfix Barrier+. Brand recommendations: SkinCeuticals/SkinMedica science. The Ordinary/CeraVe budget. La Roche-Posay/Vanicream sensitive. Tatcha/Drunk Elephant luxury.
Perplexity · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 29-year-old woman living in the USA, working a desk job and trying to build a solid skincare routine. I'm looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
Frequently Asked Questions