Seasonal weekly benchmark — Apr 29
Sunscreen
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · Apr 29 selected · 8 snapshots
Key takeaway
The active/outdoor sunscreen category has a clearer top tier than the broader sunscreen category — EltaMD, La Roche-Posay, and Neutrogena dominate cross-model recommendations. Banana Boat, Coppertone, Sun Bum, and Supergoop hold the value/lifestyle middle. Premium specialist brands (SolRX, Shiseido, Badger, Blue Lizard, Bare Republic) have meaningful single-model presence but fragmented cross-model authority. Hawaiian Tropic is climbing into ChatGPT/Perplexity for budget-spray applications.
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.
Dropped this week
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.
4/4 models with recorded ranks
Banana Boat 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 | La Roche-Posay | Supergoop | Coppertone |
| Claude | EltaMD | Neutrogena | Badger |
| Gemini | EltaMD | Supergoop | SolRX |
| Perplexity | Neutrogena | La Roche-Posay | Supergoop |
Banana Boat·6 mentions, outside the displayed comparison | |||
What This Means
- ChatGPT is the most commerce-formatted with prices and ratings, and uniquely leads with La Roche-Posay over EltaMD as the #1 sport pick — divergent from Claude and Gemini's EltaMD-first framing.
- Claude is the most opinionated, recommending an explicit two-bottle Neutrogena Ultra Sheer + EltaMD setup as the canonical answer and uniquely surfacing Badger SPF 40 Sport Mineral as the reef-safe choice.
- Gemini introduces niche/specialist brands (SolRX, Shiseido, Bioré, Blue Lizard, Bare Republic) that don't appear in other models, plus a "sunscreen wardrobe by activity" framing.
- Perplexity is the most consolidated and uniquely surfaces Trader Joe's, Cetaphil, and Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby as budget face picks.
Findings and Limitations
- SolRX only appears in Gemini and Perplexity — strong sport/endurance brand absent from ChatGPT and Claude.
- Shiseido only appears in Gemini.
- Biore only appears in Gemini.
- Blue Lizard only appears in Gemini and Perplexity.
- Bare Republic only appears in Perplexity.
- Trader Joes, Cetaphil only appear in Perplexity.
- Badger only appears in Claude.
- Thinksport only appears in ChatGPT and Gemini.
- eos only appears in Claude.
- Major brands like Coola, ISDIN, Australian Gold, Alba Botanica, Aveeno, and Neutrogena Beach Defense are largely absent from this run.
Recurring themes in the answers
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 32-year-old active woman living in the USA who loves outdoor activities like hiking, running, and beach days. I'm looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Top picks: EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50 $32 best overall sport. La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Pro Sport SPF 50 $32.99 high-endurance breathable. Thinksport Clear Zinc SPF 50 $15.49 mineral clean ingredients. Hawaiian Tropic Everyday Active SPF 50 $10.97 affordable lightweight. Sun Bum Original SPF 50 $17.49 beach-friendly easy application.
Claude · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 32-year-old active woman living in the USA who loves outdoor activities like hiking, running, and beach days. I'm looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Two-product system: Face EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50 dermatologist favorite hybrid formula 80-min water-resistant no white cast. Body Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 60-70 80-min water resistance oxybenzone removed. Beach: same Neutrogena or upgrade to mineral zinc reef-safe (Hawaii/Florida Keys ban oxybenzone). Lips: any SPF 30 lip balm.
Gemini · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 32-year-old active woman living in the USA who loves outdoor activities like hiking, running, and beach days. I'm looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Sunscreen wardrobe by activity: Running/Hiking SolRX Sport Zinc Stick SPF 50 cult athlete favorite physical blocker, La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Pro-Sport SPF 50 derm favorite dry-touch. Beach Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 60+ SynchroShield gold standard, Thinksport Mineral SPF 50+ reef-safe non-toxic. Everyday Supergoop Play Everyday SPF 50 chemical lemon/rosemary 80-min, Banana Boat Light As Air SPF 50 2026 best value.
Perplexity · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 32-year-old active woman living in the USA who loves outdoor activities like hiking, running, and beach days. I'm looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Top picks: EltaMD Sport SPF 50 face/body active outdoor sensitive. La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 60 active outdoor sensitive skin. Coppertone Sport budget sweat-heavy. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer body budget popular sweat-heavy. Two-product setup: face lightweight non-greasy SPF 50 + body sport lotion 80-min water-resistant.
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