Evergreen monthly benchmark — May 17
Skincare
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · May 17 selected · 9 snapshots
Key takeaway
For a 30-year-old woman skincare buyer, AI recommendations consolidate around five brands - La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, EltaMD, The Ordinary, and Beauty of Joseon - regardless of which model she asks. Brands outside that core need either drugstore distribution plus derm cosign (RoC, Neutrogena, Vanicream) or a single hero ingredient story (SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, Aestura ATOBARRIER) to break through.
Mention Frequency Trend
Brands ordered by mention count in each run. Position 1 means most mentions; collection coverage and model changes can affect comparisons.
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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 7 but is outside the displayed comparison. Mention frequency and response rank measure different things.
| Agent | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | La Roche-Posay | CeraVe | Paulas Choice |
| Claude | No brands recorded | ||
| Gemini | SkinCeuticals | Paulas Choice | La Roche-Posay |
| Perplexity | La Roche-Posay | The Ordinary | COSRX |
EltaMD·7 mentions, outside the displayed comparison | |||
What This Means
- ChatGPT defaulted to a clean Western drugstore stack (CeraVe, La Roche-Posay, The Ordinary, RoC, Olay) and only introduced Japanese SKUs (Canmake, Melano CC) under the price-constrained prompt.
- Gemini leaned hardest into prestige and K-beauty hybrids (SkinCeuticals, SK-II, Aestura, Then I Met You, Medik8).
- Perplexity surfaced the broadest K-beauty mix (COSRX, Beauty of Joseon, Aestura, Skin1004, Isntree, Heimish).
- Claude refused to give a brand ranking on P3 and on P1/P2 gave the tightest derm-consensus list (EltaMD, Beauty of Joseon, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, Vanicream, Differin).
Findings and Limitations
- Mid-price US indie brands (Versed, Bubble, Youth To The People, Drunk Elephant) are nearly absent.
- Tretinoin or prescription retinoid pathway brands beyond Differin are missing.
- Dermatologist-office brands (Skinbetter, ZO, Obagi) do not appear.
- Sustainable or refillable positioning is unmentioned.
- Tinted SPF is barely covered despite being a major 30s buyer concern.
Recurring themes in the answers
- Dermatologist-cosign positioning, ceramide or niacinamide formulation, drugstore or mid-price accessibility, multi-product line breadth (cleanser + moisturizer + SPF), and a clear hero SKU (Anthelios, UV Clear, Hydrating Cleanser, C E Ferulic) are the recurring traits of top-ranked brands.
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 am a 30-year-old woman looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
ChatGPT P1: starter routine - CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (or Foaming for oily), The Ordinary Daily Set vitamin C, CeraVe moisturizer, La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF50+, gentle retinol at night.
Claude · Prompt 1Usable answer
I am a 30-year-old woman looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
Claude P1: framework-first answer. Sunscreen daily (EltaMD UV Clear, Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun, La Roche-Posay Anthelios). Retinoid (Differin adapalene 0.1% OTC). Gentle cleanser (CeraVe Hydrating, Vanicream, La Roche-Posay Toleriane). Moisturizer with ceramides (CeraVe in the Tub, Vanicream, La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair).
Gemini · Prompt 1Usable answer
I am a 30-year-old woman looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
Gemini P1: Core Four. AM cleanser La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ or CeraVe Hydrating. Vitamin C SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic or Timeless Vitamin C+E Ferulic. SPF EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 or La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk SPF 50. PM cleansing balm Then I Met You Living or Elemis Pro-Collagen. Retinoid SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 or Medik8 Crystal Retinal or The Ordinary Multi-Peptide. Moisturizer Aestura ATOBARRIER 365 or Dieux Instant Angel. Exfoliant Paulas Choice 2% BHA.
Perplexity · Prompt 1Usable answer
I am a 30-year-old woman looking for the best skincare products. What would you recommend?
Perplexity P1: mostly generic ingredient-led routine. Named brands: Cetaphil gentle gel-to-foam cleanser example, EltaMD as SPF example. Rest is ingredient categories not branded.
ChatGPT · Prompt 2Usable answer
I am a 30-year-old woman looking for skincare products under $50 each for everyday use. What are my best options?
ChatGPT P2: Rank 1 CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, Rank 2 Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF50+, Rank 3 CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion, Rank 4 The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc, Rank 5 Melano CC Deep Day Care UV Emulsion.
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