Seasonal weekly benchmark — Jul 23
Sunscreen
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · Jul 23 selected · 8 snapshots
Key takeaway
For a health-conscious active woman, AI sunscreen discovery rewards clean-filter credibility plus proven sport performance, and Supergoop is the most-mentioned brand in the category - present in all four engines - anchoring the clean daily-wear position. But every engine tells the buyer to mix brands rather than trust one, so the winnable unit is a category slot (the daily-face slot or the sport-body slot) held consistently across all four engines, not brand-wide presence in a single answer. The decisive movement is the clean-ingredient bar hardening into a gate, alongside a persistent aspirational-versus-practical split that hands premium brands the ranking and mass-market brands the actual purchase recommendation.
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.
Most Mentioned = most answers mentioning a brandTied #1 = tied for most mentionsTop 3 across models = a recorded top-three rank in multiple comparisonsRanked #1 in [Model] = first in that comparative answerUnranked mentions = visibility without an inferred rank
1Neutrogena—10/12
2Supergoop▲ 38/12
3Sun Bum▲ 37/12
4Blue Lizard▼ 26/12
4EltaMD▲ 46/12
Dropped this week
elfwas #8
Trader Joeswas #10
Aveenowas #11
Biorewas #12
Coloresciencewas #15
Differinwas #17
Hawaiian Tropicwas #19
Innisfreewas #20
ISDINwas #21
Muradwas #22
SolRXwas #23
Summer Fridayswas #24
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
Neutrogena has a mention count of 10 but is outside the displayed comparison.Sun Bum 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 | Blue Lizard | La Roche-Posay | Thinksport |
| Claude | Supergoop | La Roche-Posay | EltaMD |
| Gemini | MDSolarSciences | Supergoop | EltaMD |
| Perplexity | La Roche-Posay | EltaMD | Supergoop |
Neutrogena·10 mentions, outside the displayed comparisonSun Bum·7 mentions, outside the displayed comparison | |||
What This Means
- All four engines anchor on the same five-brand clean core but diverge sharply in tail and emphasis.
- ChatGPT is the broadest commerce surface, price-tagging a dozen-plus SKUs across budget, mid, and premium tiers and running the longest explicit ranking (ten brands, surfacing Thinksport, Badger, Eucerin, and Vacation that others omit).
- Claude leans skincare-forward and dermatologist-framed, uniquely elevating Cetaphil as a value mineral pick and pairing every recommendation with a specific standout product.
- Gemini is the most attribute-structured, building a scored comparison table and uniquely championing MDSolarSciences and COOLA - a clinician brand and an organic brand that appear in no other engine.
- Perplexity is the most source-attributed, citing Wirecutter and EWG by name, and is the only engine to surface Sky and Sol, a DTC sport-mineral brand holding a single-engine beachhead.
- The category's central fault line is aspirational versus practical: engines rank premium clean brands at the top of open queries, then pivot to mass-market Neutrogena, Banana Boat, and Blue Lizard the moment a budget is named - the same rank-versus-recommend split the tracker documented in protein powder and running shoes.
- Top-slot ownership splits four ways and no brand is unanimous.
- Supergoop takes the number-one position in two engines, Claude and Gemini, and it earns the Claude slot on consistency rather than luck - it places first in all three Claude prompts.
- ChatGPT and Perplexity each hand their top slot to a brand no other engine ranks first: EltaMD for ChatGPT and Sky and Sol, a DTC sport-mineral newcomer, for Perplexity, each on a single first-place mention.
- The more telling pattern sits one row down.
- La Roche-Posay is the only brand inside three of the four top threes and it wins none of them, while Neutrogena leads the entire category on total mentions with ten and still takes no top slot anywhere.
- Breadth of presence and ownership of the top position are separate currencies in this category, and the brands winning one are largely not the brands winning the other - which is why mention count belongs next to rank in any honest reading of this table.
Findings and Limitations
- The two-product split every engine recommends - daily face plus sport body - is assembled from two different brands in nearly every answer; no brand cleanly owns both jobs, an open positioning for a range that credibly spans them.
- The mineral-purist lane (EWG-style, non-nano zinc, reef-safe) is crowded with small single-engine players (Thinksport, Badger, MDSolarSciences, COOLA, Sky and Sol) but has no dominant, widely available cross-engine leader - the clearest slot-capture target in the category.
- Tinted mineral for active women who want light coverage without makeup was named only sparingly (Australian Gold), an underserved sub-niche.
- And the budget tier stays fragmented: mass-market brands win the under-25-dollar prompts on price and availability, not on any owned attribute, leaving room for a value brand to claim a clean-and-affordable position no incumbent holds.
Recurring themes in the answers
- Every engine converged on identical buying logic for an active, health-conscious woman: broad-spectrum SPF 50, 80-minute water and sweat resistance, a no-sting formula for running, and clean filters framed as the default - oxybenzone-free, frequently reef-safe, with mineral zinc oxide treated as the safest lane.
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 35-year-old health-conscious woman who enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and running, looking for the best sunscreen. What would you recommend?
Great question - for someone who's active outdoors and health-conscious, sunscreen needs to check several boxes: broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, sweat and water resistance, a formula that won't irritate or clog pores, and ideally something that layers well under makeup or moisturizer for daily use. Here's what I'd recommend: Top pick EltaMD UV Sport Broad-Spectrum SPF 50 This is the one I'd start with. Why it stands out: - Dermatologist-favorite brand with transparent zinc oxide - Water-resistant up to 80 minutes - ideal for long runs and hikes - Won't sting your eyes when you sweat - Fragrance-free and non-comedogenic - Works well on face and body It strikes the best balance between sport-grade protection and skin-friendly ingredients. Also excellent choices: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk SPF 60 A French pharmacy classic. Lightweight, absorbs fast, broad-spectrum, and great for full-body application before a long hike. Oxybenzone-free. Neutrogena Sport Active Defense SPF 70 Spray If you prefer spray-on convenience for arms and legs during outdoor activity. Sweat-resistant, quick-drying, affordable, and widely available. Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ Best if you want a fully mineral (zinc oxide + titanium dioxide) formula. Reef-safe, no chemical filters, and the smart bottle cap turns blue in UV light to remind you to apply. Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 Best for daily face use - invisible, primer-like finish, oil-free. Great under makeup. Not quite sport-grade water resistance, so pair it with a body sunscreen on big outdoor days. Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ A premium pick if you want the most advanced UV technology. SynchroShield technology actually gets stronger with heat and water. Excellent for intense outdoor sessions, but pricier. What to think about: For daily commutes/errands: Supergoop! Unseen or EltaMD UV Daily - lightweight, invisible, easy to reapply. For hiking and trail running: EltaMD UV Sport or Shiseido - sport-grade, sweat-proof, long-lasting. For sensitive skin: Blue Lizard Sensitive or EltaMD - mineral-based, fragrance-free. For budget-friendly: Neutrogena Sport Active Defense - effective and under $15. Quick tips: - Apply 15 minutes before sun exposure - Use about a nickel-sized amount for your face, a shot glass worth for your body - Reapply every 2 hours, or immediately after heavy sweating or swimming - Don't forget ears, back of neck, and tops of feet on hikes
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sunscreen brands appear most often?▾
Neutrogena appeared in 10 of 12 answers. This snapshot includes 12 usable answers from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity. Mentions include comparisons and criticism.
Which brands rank first in the sunscreen comparison answers?▾
ChatGPT: Blue Lizard; Claude: Supergoop; Gemini: MDSolarSciences; Perplexity: La Roche-Posay
Why do models give different sunscreen answers?▾
All four engines anchor on the same five-brand clean core but diverge sharply in tail and emphasis. ChatGPT is the broadest commerce surface, price-tagging a dozen-plus SKUs across budget, mid, and premium tiers and running the longest explicit ranking (ten brands, surfacing Thinksport, Badger, Eucerin, and Vacation that others omit). Claude leans skincare-forward and dermatologist-framed, uniquely elevating Cetaphil as a value mineral pick and pairing every recommendation with a specific standout product. Gemini is the most attribute-structured, building a scored comparison table and uniquely championing MDSolarSciences and COOLA - a clinician brand and an organic brand that appear in no other engine. Perplexity is the most source-attributed, citing Wirecutter and EWG by name, and is the only engine to surface Sky and Sol, a DTC sport-mineral brand holding a single-engine beachhead. The category's central fault line is aspirational versus practical: engines rank premium clean brands at the top of open queries, then pivot to mass-market Neutrogena, Banana Boat, and Blue Lizard the moment a budget is named - the same rank-versus-recommend split the tracker documented in protein powder and running shoes. Top-slot ownership splits four ways and no brand is unanimous. Supergoop takes the number-one position in two engines, Claude and Gemini, and it earns the Claude slot on consistency rather than luck - it places first in all three Claude prompts. ChatGPT and Perplexity each hand their top slot to a brand no other engine ranks first: EltaMD for ChatGPT and Sky and Sol, a DTC sport-mineral newcomer, for Perplexity, each on a single first-place mention. The more telling pattern sits one row down. La Roche-Posay is the only brand inside three of the four top threes and it wins none of them, while Neutrogena leads the entire category on total mentions with ten and still takes no top slot anywhere. Breadth of presence and ownership of the top position are separate currencies in this category, and the brands winning one are largely not the brands winning the other - which is why mention count belongs next to rank in any honest reading of this table.