Seasonal weekly benchmark — May 19
Sunscreen
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · May 19 selected · 8 snapshots
Key takeaway
For an active 32-year-old anti-aging buyer, AI recommendations consolidate around two brands - La Roche-Posay and EltaMD - across every model and every prompt. The cross-model consensus is also that this buyer needs TWO sunscreens (face + body), which is unusual cross-category and represents a structural sales opportunity. EltaMD UV Clear owns the face-anti-aging slot and EltaMD UV Sport owns the active-body slot.
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
| Agent | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | La Roche-Posay | EltaMD | Neutrogena |
| Claude | EltaMD | — | Pavise |
| Gemini | EltaMD | La Roche-Posay | Colorescience |
| Perplexity | EltaMD | Supergoop | La Roche-Posay |
What This Means
- ChatGPT defaulted to the broadest brand surface - 7 brands in P2 alone (Sun Bum, Coppertone, CeraVe, Banana Boat).
- Claude is the only model to recommend Beauty of Joseon as a top pick, leaning Korean-skincare.
- Claude is also the most explicit about the SPF 30 vs SPF 50 distinction not mattering as much as reapplication.
- Gemini surfaces the broadest set of premium/niche brands (Thinksport, Colorescience, SolRX, Murad, Shiseido SynchroShield, Caudalie equivalent).
- Perplexity is the most clinical and the only one to surface ISDIN, Caudalie, and Dr.
- Murad and Pavise are single-model picks (ChatGPT and Claude respectively).
Findings and Limitations
- Australian/SPF-50+ mineral brands beyond Blue Lizard and Thinksport (Ultra Violette, We Are Feel Good Inc, Naked Sundays) are absent despite category momentum.
- Reef-safe positioning brands (Stream2Sea, Raw Elements, All Good) do not surface.
- Tinted SPF beyond Supergoop and CeraVe (ILIA, Saie, Tower 28 SunnyDays) are missing.
- Sport-specific sunscreen brands beyond EltaMD UV Sport (Headhunter, SolRX-deep, RawElements Sport) do not register strongly.
- Spray sunscreens are underrepresented despite reapplication being the most-cited problem.
Recurring themes in the answers
- Broad-spectrum SPF 50, 80-minute water resistance, no eye-sting formulation, zinc oxide or hybrid mineral filtration, niacinamide for anti-aging, and a hero SKU (Anthelios Melt-In Milk, UV Sport, UV Clear) are the recurring traits.
- The 2-product wardrobe (face + body) is the cross-model consensus framework.
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 32-year-old woman living in the US who is active and outdoorsy - I run, hike, and go to the beach regularly. I care about skin health and anti-aging. I am looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
ChatGPT P1: 1 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Pro Sport SPF 50+ best overall, 2 Murad City Skin Age Defense SPF 50 PA++++ anti-aging, 3 Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral for mineral preference, 4 Kao Biore UV Athrhythm for sweaty workouts, 5 Supergoop Protec Daily SPF Tint for outdoor glow.
Claude · Prompt 1Usable answer
I am a 32-year-old woman living in the US who is active and outdoorsy - I run, hike, and go to the beach regularly. I care about skin health and anti-aging. I am looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Claude P1: Top pick Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ (~$18). Active: EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50 (~$28), Supergoop Play Everyday SPF 50 (~$22-44). Face: Beauty of Joseon daily, EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 if acne-prone (~$41), La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In SPF 60 for beach (~$36).
Gemini · Prompt 1Usable answer
I am a 32-year-old woman living in the US who is active and outdoorsy - I run, hike, and go to the beach regularly. I care about skin health and anti-aging. I am looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Gemini P1: Endurance: 1 EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50, 2 Shiseido Expert Sun Protector SPF 50+. Beach: 3 La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk SPF 60, 4 Thinksport SPF 50+. Daily: 5 Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40, 6 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Correct SPF 70. Reapplication: Colorescience Brush-On Shield SPF 50, Coola lip SPF.
Perplexity · Prompt 1Usable answer
I am a 32-year-old woman living in the US who is active and outdoorsy - I run, hike, and go to the beach regularly. I care about skin health and anti-aging. I am looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Perplexity P1: Face: 1 EltaMD UV AOX/UV Clear SPF 46-50, 2 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Correct SPF 70. Body: 3 Banana Boat Light as Air SPF 50, 4 La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV-Mune/UV-Sport SPF 50. Spray: 5 Hawaiian Tropic Everyday Active SPF 30-50.
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