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AI VISIBILITY INDEX

Anti-Aging & Retinoids AI Citation Benchmark 2026

SkinCeuticals Leads Anti-Aging AI Search Visibility

AI answers analyzed
480
SkinCeuticals appearance rate, the category leader
49.8%
Brands named across the study
25
Answers carrying retrieval evidence
99.6%

SkinCeuticals and La Roche-Posay Lead AI Search Visibility for Retinoids

In the anti-aging and retinoid skincare category, SkinCeuticals secures the highest visibility across major generative AI engines. The brand appears in 49.8% of all returned answers. La Roche-Posay follows closely with a 44.4% appearance rate. The data reveals a concentrated leaderboard where clinical and dermatologist-backed brands dominate the top positions.

Generative AI engines rely heavily on established lifestyle and beauty publishers to ground their recommendations. Forbes, Today, and Allure serve as the most frequent sources for retinoid queries. The divergence between engines is notable: ChatGPT surfaces brands at a much higher frequency than Gemini or Claude.

This report is one of five skin-concern segments in the 5W Skincare AI Visibility Index 2026, which ranks clinical skincare brands across 1,920 AI answers.

The AI Search Leaderboard

The leaderboard shows a distinct advantage for brands with clinical positioning. SkinCeuticals and La Roche-Posay maintain the top two spots. RoC, CeraVe, and Paula's Choice round out the top five.

Appearance rate is the share of the 480 returned AI answers in which each brand was named.

AI visibility leaderboard

Appearance rate — top 15

1
SkinCeuticals
49.8%
2
La Roche‑Posay
44.4%
3
RoC
38.1%
4
CeraVe
36.7%
5
Paula’s Choice
35.4%
6
The Ordinary
32.1%
7
Neutrogena
31.3%
8
Olay
28.5%
9
Medik8
28.5%
10
SkinMedica
19.4%
11
L’Oréal
12.3%
12
Drunk Elephant
9.6%
13
Estée Lauder
9.6%
14
Paula's Choice
8.3%
15
SkinBetter Science
8.3%
#BrandNamed inAppearance rate95% intervalAvg position
1SkinCeuticals239/48049.8%45.3%–54.2%2.7
2La Roche‑Posay213/48044.4%40%–48.8%4.2
3RoC183/48038.1%33.9%–42.5%6.1
4CeraVe176/48036.7%32.5%–41.1%4.8
5Paula’s Choice170/48035.4%31.3%–39.8%4.5
6The Ordinary154/48032.1%28.1%–36.4%5.9
7Neutrogena150/48031.3%27.3%–35.5%6.4
8Olay137/48028.5%24.7%–32.7%6.8
9Medik8137/48028.5%24.7%–32.7%3.9
10SkinMedica93/48019.4%16.1%–23.1%4.1
11L’Oréal59/48012.3%9.7%–15.5%5.6
12Drunk Elephant46/4809.6%7.3%–12.5%8.1
13Estée Lauder46/4809.6%7.3%–12.5%4.7
14Paula's Choice40/4808.3%6.2%–11.1%5
15SkinBetter Science40/4808.3%6.2%–11.1%3.9

The 95% confidence intervals indicate tight competition at the top. The interval for SkinCeuticals (45.3% to 54.2%) overlaps with La Roche-Posay (40% to 48.8%). This overlap means the difference between the top two brands is within the margin of this sample. RoC (33.9% to 42.5%) and CeraVe (32.5% to 41.1%) also share overlapping intervals, indicating parity in their overall visibility.

Findings

49.8%

SkinCeuticals

49.8% appearance rate (interval: 45.3% to 54.2%). SkinCeuticals ranks first overall, driven by an 81.7% appearance rate on ChatGPT and a 51.7% rate on Perplexity. The brand maintains an 8.2% owned-domain citation rate and an average first mention position of 2.7. Gemini names the brand in only 25.8% of its answers.

44.4%

La Roche-Posay

44.4% appearance rate (interval: 40% to 48.8%). Ranking second, the brand shows strong performance on ChatGPT (76.7%) and Perplexity (52.5%). Its owned-domain citation rate sits at 3.3%. Like the category leader, it sees lower visibility on Gemini (14.2%). Its average first mention position is 4.2.

38.1%

RoC

38.1% appearance rate (interval: 33.9% to 42.5%). RoC captures the third position with a 70.8% appearance rate on ChatGPT. Its owned-domain citation rate is 4.6%, and it appears at an average position of 6.1. Claude names the brand in only 19.2% of its answers.

36.7%

CeraVe

36.7% appearance rate (interval: 32.5% to 41.1%). CeraVe ranks fourth, achieving a 55.8% appearance rate on ChatGPT and 42.5% on Perplexity. The brand maintains a 3.1% owned-domain citation rate and an average first mention position of 4.8.

35.4%

Paula’s Choice

35.4% appearance rate (interval: 31.3% to 39.8%). Ranking fifth, the brand achieves a 75% appearance rate on ChatGPT and 56.7% on Perplexity. It secures a high owned-domain citation rate of 10%. Claude does not name this specific entity variation in any answers.

32.1%

The Ordinary

32.1% appearance rate (interval: 28.1% to 36.4%). The Ordinary ranks sixth, driven by a 68.3% rate on ChatGPT. Its owned-domain citation rate is 3.1%, and its average position is 5.9. Gemini names the brand in just 8.3% of answers.

31.3%

Neutrogena

31.3% appearance rate (interval: 27.3% to 35.5%). Neutrogena ranks seventh with a 65% appearance rate on ChatGPT. The brand has a 3.6% owned-domain citation rate and an average position of 6.4. Claude names it in only 9.2% of answers.

28.5%

Olay

28.5% appearance rate (interval: 24.7% to 32.7%). Ranking eighth, Olay achieves a 54.2% appearance rate on ChatGPT and 37.5% on Perplexity. Its owned-domain citation rate is low at 1.5%. Gemini and Claude both name the brand in under 15% of their answers.

Where the engines disagree

The generative engines show stark differences in how often they name specific brands. ChatGPT consistently returns a higher volume of brand mentions across the board, while Gemini and Claude are far more conservative.

Each cell uses that engine's own answer count as its denominator, so engines can be compared row by row.

Appearance rate by engine

Perplexity (sonar-pro) rate

01
SkinCeuticals
51.7%
02
La Roche‑Posay
52.5%
03
RoC
38.3%
04
CeraVe
42.5%
05
Paula’s Choice
56.7%
06
The Ordinary
30%
07
Neutrogena
40%
08
Olay
37.5%
09
Medik8
55.8%
10
SkinMedica
39.2%
11
L’Oréal
42.5%
12
Drunk Elephant
11.7%
BrandPerplexity (sonar-pro) rateChatGPT (OpenAI) rateGemini (Google) rateClaude (Anthropic) rate
SkinCeuticals51.7%81.7%25.8%40%
La Roche‑Posay52.5%76.7%14.2%34.2%
RoC38.3%70.8%24.2%19.2%
CeraVe42.5%55.8%15.8%32.5%
Paula’s Choice56.7%75%10%0%
The Ordinary30%68.3%8.3%21.7%
Neutrogena40%65%10.8%9.2%
Olay37.5%54.2%13.3%9.2%
Medik855.8%22.5%11.7%24.2%
SkinMedica39.2%16.7%9.2%12.5%
L’Oréal42.5%6.7%0%0%
Drunk Elephant11.7%14.2%4.2%8.3%

SkinCeuticals appears in 81.7% of ChatGPT answers but only 25.8% of Gemini answers. Medik8 shows a highly unusual pattern: it appears in 55.8% of Perplexity answers but only 22.5% of ChatGPT answers and 11.7% of Gemini answers. Avène is named in 18.3% of Perplexity answers but receives zero mentions from Gemini. These gaps reflect differences in engine system design and retrieval sources rather than a uniform measure of visibility.

Demand clusters

Brand visibility varies based on the specific consumer intent presented to the engine.

The same answers regrouped by the demand cluster each prompt was sampled for; cluster rates use that cluster's own answer count.

Leaders by demand cluster

Leader rate

01
Ownership and maker attribution
50%
02
Quality and premium tier
75%
03
Trust and recommendation
66.7%
04
Price and value
62.5%
05
General best-in-category
70.8%
06
Primary use case
66.7%
07
Everyday and mainstream choice
66.7%
08
Beginners and first purchase
79.2%
09
Gifting and occasions
45.8%
10
Where to buy
54.2%
11
Specific need or condition
62.5%
12
Comparison and evaluation
54.2%
13
Durability and longevity
45.8%
14
Specialist / advanced use
70.8%
15
Emerging and new entrants
56.3%
Demand clusterAnswersLeading brandLeader rateRunners-up
— Other demand —
Ownership and maker attribution24SkinCeuticals50%La Roche‑Posay 50%, Paula’s Choice 45.8%, Neutrogena 41.7%
Quality and premium tier24SkinCeuticals75%Medik8 41.7%, La Roche‑Posay 33.3%, Estée Lauder 33.3%
Trust and recommendation24La Roche‑Posay66.7%SkinCeuticals 62.5%, RoC 45.8%, CeraVe 41.7%
Price and value24RoC62.5%The Ordinary 62.5%, CeraVe 58.3%, Neutrogena 58.3%
General best-in-category24SkinCeuticals70.8%La Roche‑Posay 70.8%, RoC 41.7%, Paula’s Choice 41.7%
Primary use case24SkinCeuticals66.7%RoC 50%, Olay 45.8%, SkinMedica 41.7%
Everyday and mainstream choice24RoC66.7%CeraVe 62.5%, Neutrogena 62.5%, La Roche‑Posay 58.3%
Beginners and first purchase24CeraVe79.2%The Ordinary 75%, Medik8 58.3%, La Roche‑Posay 45.8%
Gifting and occasions24SkinCeuticals45.8%Estée Lauder 41.7%, Paula’s Choice 37.5%, La Roche‑Posay 33.3%
Where to buy24SkinCeuticals54.2%RoC 45.8%, La Roche‑Posay 41.7%, CeraVe 37.5%
Specific need or condition24La Roche‑Posay62.5%CeraVe 62.5%, SkinCeuticals 54.2%, The Ordinary 45.8%
Comparison and evaluation24SkinCeuticals54.2%La Roche‑Posay 50%, RoC 50%, Paula’s Choice 50%
Durability and longevity24RoC45.8%Paula’s Choice 45.8%, SkinCeuticals 37.5%, Olay 33.3%
Specialist / advanced use24SkinCeuticals70.8%Medik8 58.3%, SkinMedica 45.8%, La Roche‑Posay 41.7%
Emerging and new entrants16Medik856.3%The Inkey List 31.3%, The Ordinary 18.8%, Naturium 18.8%
— Anti-Aging —
best retinol for beginners8CeraVe75%The Ordinary 62.5%, RoC 50%, Neutrogena 50%
best retinol serum for wrinkles8La Roche‑Posay87.5%SkinCeuticals 62.5%, Paula’s Choice 62.5%, Neutrogena 62.5%
tretinoin vs retinol which is better8La Roche‑Posay37.5%SkinCeuticals 25%, RoC 25%, CeraVe 25%
best anti-aging serum for 30s8SkinCeuticals87.5%CeraVe 75%, La Roche‑Posay 62.5%, RoC 50%
best anti-aging serum for 40s8SkinCeuticals62.5%RoC 50%, La Roche‑Posay 37.5%, The Ordinary 25%
best over the counter retinol cream8SkinCeuticals75%CeraVe 62.5%, RoC 50%, Paula’s Choice 50%
best peptide serum for firming skin8SkinCeuticals62.5%The Ordinary 37.5%, Drunk Elephant 37.5%, Paula’s Choice 25%
best night cream for fine lines8Neutrogena75%RoC 62.5%, CeraVe 50%, SkinCeuticals 37.5%
how to start using retinol without irritation8CeraVe62.5%La Roche‑Posay 50%, RoC 50%, Paula’s Choice 50%
best neck cream for sagging skin8SkinMedica87.5%Revision Skincare 87.5%, RoC 62.5%, Alastin Skincare 62.5%
best retinol for sensitive skin8La Roche‑Posay75%CeraVe 62.5%, The Ordinary 62.5%, Medik8 62.5%
best eye cream for wrinkles8SkinCeuticals75%SkinBetter Science 62.5%, Neutrogena 50%, La Roche‑Posay 37.5%
best anti-aging moisturizer with SPF8CeraVe75%La Roche‑Posay 62.5%, Olay 50%, SkinCeuticals 37.5%
bakuchiol vs retinol8Paula’s Choice50%Medik8 50%, The Ordinary 37.5%, Sunday Riley 25%
best vitamin A serum for anti-aging8La Roche‑Posay62.5%CeraVe 62.5%, The Ordinary 62.5%, Medik8 62.5%
best collagen-boosting skincare products8SkinCeuticals50%Olay 37.5%, Paula’s Choice 25%, The Ordinary 25%

The cluster chart groups queries by their underlying intent. Brands that lead in general anti-aging queries often differ from those that lead in specific ingredient queries like retinol or peptides. SkinCeuticals and La Roche-Posay maintain strong visibility across multiple intent types, while niche brands may only appear for highly specific formulations.

Citations and sources

Generative engines rely on specific publishers to substantiate their recommendations. Eligible brands also compete to have their own domains cited as authoritative sources.

Share of the 478 answers with retrieval evidence that cited a URL on the brand's own website.

Owned-domain citation rate

01
SkinCeuticals
8.2%
02
La Roche‑Posay
3.3%
03
RoC
4.6%
04
CeraVe
3.1%
05
Paula’s Choice
10%
06
The Ordinary
3.1%
07
Neutrogena
3.6%
08
Olay
1.5%
09
Medik8
4.8%
10
SkinMedica
0.2%
11
L’Oréal
0.6%
12
Drunk Elephant
0.4%

Paula's Choice achieves an impressive 10% owned-domain citation rate, and SkinCeuticals secures 8.2%. Most other top brands hover between 1% and 4%. This indicates that while brands appear frequently in the text, engines rarely link directly to their product pages as the primary source of truth.

Publishers cited as evidence, counted once per answer rather than once per link.

Most-cited publishers

Answer penetration

01
forbes.com
38.7%
02
today.com
29.1%
03
allure.com
28.2%
04
vogue.com
23.8%
05
youtube.com
22%
06
whowhatwear.com
21.1%
07
dermondemand.com
18.8%
08
aol.com
17.2%
09
dermapproved.com
16.9%
10
nytimes.com
16.3%
11
everydayhealth.com
15.9%
12
nbcnews.com
15.7%
PublisherAnswers citing itAnswer penetration
forbes.com185/47838.7%
today.com139/47829.1%
allure.com135/47828.2%
vogue.com114/47823.8%
youtube.com105/47822%
whowhatwear.com101/47821.1%
dermondemand.com90/47818.8%
aol.com82/47817.2%
dermapproved.com81/47816.9%
nytimes.com78/47816.3%
everydayhealth.com76/47815.9%
nbcnews.com75/47815.7%

Forbes leads all third-party sources, appearing in 38.7% of grounded answers. Today follows at 29.1%, and Allure at 28.2%. The high reliance on general lifestyle and beauty publications shows that engines prioritize mainstream editorial coverage over specialized dermatological journals for these consumer queries.

Who is winning and who is at risk

The data separates the category into clear winners and brands facing visibility challenges based on their measured rates.

Winners

  • SkinCeuticals: Leads the category with a 49.8% appearance rate and strong consistency across ChatGPT and Perplexity.
  • La Roche-Posay: Secures the second position with a 44.4% appearance rate and strong average placement (4.2).
  • Paula's Choice: Achieves a category-leading 10% owned-domain citation rate.

At Risk

  • SkinMedica: Despite a 19.4% overall appearance rate, it achieves only a 0.2% owned-domain citation rate.
  • L'Oréal: The corporate brand appears in 12.3% of answers overall but receives zero mentions from both Gemini and Claude.
  • Drunk Elephant: Appears in only 9.6% of answers and suffers from low repeat consistency (21.1%).

Structural findings

The anti-aging category shows high concentration at the top. The top two brands dominate visibility, while a long tail of brands struggles to surpass a 15% appearance rate. The engines rely heavily on a small set of publishers, with the top three sources appearing in over 28% of all answers. Owned-domain citations remain low across the category, suggesting that engines treat brand sites as commercial rather than informational.

What changed for this category in the measurement window

The data highlights a clear volume divergence between engines, with ChatGPT surfacing far more brands per answer than Gemini or Claude.

The GEO playbook

Brands in the retinoid space must adapt to how AI engines source and display information.

  • Target the top publishers: Engines rely heavily on Forbes, Today, and Allure. Brands must secure independent coverage on these specific domains to increase retrieval likelihood. Success is measured by tracking citation sources in future runs.
  • Optimize for ChatGPT volume: ChatGPT surfaces the most brands. Brands should ensure their product data is structured and widely available to capture this higher-volume engine. Success is measured by appearance share on ChatGPT.
  • Improve owned-domain authority: Most brands have owned-domain citation rates below 4%. Brands need to publish informational content, not just product pages, to earn direct citations. Success is measured by an increase in owned_domain_citation_rate_pct.
  • Address Gemini blind spots: Many top brands see steep drop-offs on Gemini. Brands must investigate Google Search grounding requirements to improve visibility here. Success is measured by an improved appearance share on Gemini.
  • Bridge the Perplexity gap: Brands like Medik8 perform well on Perplexity but struggle elsewhere. Brands must ensure their PR efforts span both real-time web news and static training data. Success is measured by cross_engine_consistency_pct.

What this means for brands in the category

The findings indicate that clinical authority translates directly to AI visibility. Brands that have invested in dermatologist endorsements and clear ingredient messaging (like SkinCeuticals and La Roche-Posay) perform best. The heavy reliance on lifestyle publishers means that traditional public relations remains a primary driver of generative engine visibility. Brands cannot rely solely on their own websites; they must be recommended by the third-party sources the engines trust most.

Methodology and integrity

This report analyzes 60 consumer-intent prompts measured twice across four engines: Perplexity (sonar-pro), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), and Claude (Anthropic). The engines attempted and returned 480 answers, with 478 containing retrieval evidence. Appearance rates use the 480 returned answers as the denominator, while citation metrics use the 478 answers with retrieval evidence. The 95% confidence intervals indicate the margin of error for these specific prompts and models.

How this study was measured

  • Sampling frame fixed first: 60 prompts allocated across the demand clusters before anything was asked.
  • Same questions put to every engine: Perplexity (sonar-pro), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Claude (Anthropic), 2 trial(s) each.
  • 480 answers returned of 480 attempted, 478 with retrieval evidence.
  • Product lines rolled up to parent brands using a registry fixed before scoring.
  • Appearance rate reported with a 95% Wilson interval; citation metrics counted only on answers with evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Which brand has the highest visibility in AI search for retinoids?

SkinCeuticals leads the category, appearing in 49.8% of all returned answers.

Do AI engines link directly to skincare brands?

Direct citations are rare. Paula's Choice achieves the highest owned-domain citation rate at 10%, while most top brands sit between 1% and 5%.

Which engine mentions the most brands?

ChatGPT returns the highest volume of brand mentions. For example, it names SkinCeuticals in 81.7% of its answers, compared to Gemini at 25.8%.

What sources do AI engines trust for anti-aging queries?

The engines rely primarily on mainstream publishers. Forbes is cited in 38.7% of answers, followed by Today (29.1%) and Allure (28.2%).

Are consumer brands visible alongside clinical brands?

Yes. Brands like RoC (38.1%), CeraVe (36.7%), and Neutrogena (31.3%) maintain strong visibility, competing directly with clinical leader SkinCeuticals.

Charts and data tables

These are not brands in the category, so they are measured the same way but kept out of the brand leaderboard.

Aggregators and comparison sites, tracked separately

Appearance rate — top 3

1
Dermstore
2.7%
2
Sephora
0.4%
3
Ulta
0.2%
#EntityAppearance rateAnswers95% interval
1Dermstore2.7%13/4801.6%–4.6%
2Sephora0.4%2/4800.1%–1.5%
3Ulta0.2%1/4800%–1.2%

Methodology appendix

#PromptClusterShape
1best retinol for beginnersneed_1medium
2best retinol serum for wrinklesneed_2medium
3tretinoin vs retinol which is betterneed_3medium
4best anti-aging serum for 30sneed_4medium
5best anti-aging serum for 40sneed_5medium
6best over the counter retinol creamneed_6medium
7best peptide serum for firming skinneed_7medium
8best night cream for fine linesneed_8medium
9how to start using retinol without irritationneed_9medium
10best retinol for sensitive skinneed_10medium
11best eye cream for wrinklesneed_11medium
12best vitamin A serum for anti-agingneed_12medium
13best neck cream for sagging skinneed_13medium
14bakuchiol vs retinolneed_14medium
15best anti-aging moisturizer with SPFneed_15medium
16best collagen-boosting skincare productsneed_16medium
17best retinol brandsgeneral_bestshort
18best anti-aging skincare brandsgeneral_bestshort
19Which brands make the best anti-aging retinoid treatments?general_bestmedium
20best everyday retinol brandseverydayshort
21best drugstore anti-aging brandseverydayshort
22Which mainstream brands are best for everyday retinoid skincare?everydaymedium
23best affordable retinol brandsvalue_priceshort
24best value anti-aging brandsvalue_priceshort
25Which retinoid brands offer the best value for money?value_pricemedium
26best retinol for wrinklesuse_caseshort
27best firming skincare brandsuse_caseshort
28Which brands work best for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles?use_caselong
29best beginner retinol brandsbeginnershort
30retinol brands for beginnersbeginnershort
31Which brands make the easiest first retinoid products to start with?beginnerlong
32where to buy retinolretailshort
33best places for anti-aging skincareretailmedium
34Which retinoid brands are safest to buy from authorized retailers online?retaillong
35anti-aging skincare gift brandsgiftingshort
36best retinol giftsgiftingshort
37Which anti-aging skincare brands make the best gifts for milestone birthdays?giftinglong
38retinol for sensitive skin brandsspecific_needmedium
39best retinol for mature skinspecific_needmedium
40Which brands offer retinoids that minimize irritation for dry, sensitive skin?specific_needlong
41best retinol brand comparisoncomparisonmedium
42retinol brands comparedcomparisonshort
43Which anti-aging brands have the strongest clinical evidence for retinoid results?comparisonlong
44most trusted retinol brandstrustmedium
45dermatologist recommended anti-aging brandstrustmedium
46Which retinoid skincare brands do dermatologists recommend most often, and why?trustlong
47who makes leading retinol brandsownershipmedium
48retinol brand parent companiesownershipmedium
49Which companies own the most widely recommended anti-aging skincare brands?ownershiplong
50best premium retinol brandspremium_qualitymedium
51highest quality anti-aging brandspremium_qualitymedium
52Which premium skincare brands have the best-formulated retinoid and peptide treatments?premium_qualitylong
53retinol shelf life brandsdurabilitymedium
54long lasting anti-aging formulasdurabilitymedium
55Which retinoid brands use packaging that best preserves formula potency over time?durabilitylong
56advanced retinoid skincare brandsspecialistmedium
57clinical strength anti-aging brandsspecialistmedium
58Which brands offer advanced retinoid treatments with transparent ingredient concentrations?specialistlong
59new retinoid skincare brandsemergingmedium
60Which newer anti-aging brands are gaining attention for next-generation retinoid formulas?emerginglong

More from the Skincare AI Visibility Index

The full cross-concern ranking is in the Skincare AI Visibility Index 2026. The other concern reports:

Related AI visibility research

Brands acting on these findings can work with our skincare PR team, our beauty PR practice, our beauty marketing agency group and our dermatology and aesthetics marketing specialists.

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