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AI VISIBILITY INDEX

Sensitive Skin & Barrier Repair AI Citation Benchmark 2026

CeraVe Leads AI Search For Sensitive Skin

AI answers analyzed
480
CeraVe appearance rate, the category leader
71.9%
Brands named across the study
26
Answers carrying retrieval evidence
99%

How AI engines rank sensitive skin brands

CeraVe and La Roche-Posay dominate Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) visibility for sensitive skin and barrier repair queries. CeraVe appears in 71.9 percent of all 480 AI search answers returned in this study. La Roche-Posay follows at 67.3 percent. These two brands hold a distinct advantage over the rest of the market.

The data shows a clear preference for clinically positioned skincare. AI engines prioritize brands associated with dermatological testing and barrier restoration when answering user questions about rosacea, eczema, and ceramide creams. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies for these brands must account for this clinical bias.

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 appearance leaderboard

The leaderboard reveals a highly concentrated top tier. CeraVe and La Roche-Posay secure the top two positions, appearing in over two thirds of all answers. Vanicream sits alone in third place at 49.6 percent. The appearance rate drops sharply after the top three.

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
CeraVe
71.9%
2
La Roche‑Posay
67.3%
3
Vanicream
49.6%
4
Cetaphil
35.8%
5
Avène
31.3%
6
First Aid Beauty
30.4%
7
Eucerin
28.5%
8
Aveeno
25.4%
9
BIODERMA
24.4%
10
Paula’s Choice
23.5%
11
SkinCeuticals
16.3%
12
Dr. Jart+
15.2%
13
EltaMD
14%
14
Skinfix
11.9%
15
Neutrogena
11%
#BrandNamed inAppearance rate95% intervalAvg position
1CeraVe345/48071.9%67.7%–75.7%2.4
2La Roche‑Posay323/48067.3%63%–71.3%2.5
3Vanicream238/48049.6%45.1%–54%4.2
4Cetaphil172/48035.8%31.7%–40.2%5.1
5Avène150/48031.3%27.3%–35.5%4.2
6First Aid Beauty146/48030.4%26.5%–34.7%7.2
7Eucerin137/48028.5%24.7%–32.7%6.2
8Aveeno122/48025.4%21.7%–29.5%6.2
9BIODERMA117/48024.4%20.7%–28.4%6.7
10Paula’s Choice113/48023.5%20%–27.5%6.6
11SkinCeuticals78/48016.3%13.2%–19.8%5.3
12Dr. Jart+73/48015.2%12.3%–18.7%5.3
13EltaMD67/48014%11.1%–17.3%7.4
14Skinfix57/48011.9%9.3%–15.1%4.9
15Neutrogena53/48011%8.5%–14.2%8.8

The 95 percent confidence interval for CeraVe (67.7 to 75.7 percent) overlaps with the interval for La Roche-Posay (63.0 to 71.3 percent). The difference between the top two brands is within the margin of this sample. Vanicream does not overlap with the leaders or with fourth place Cetaphil.

Brand performance profiles

CeraVe

71.9 percent appearance rate. CeraVe ranks first overall. The brand averages a 2.4 position when mentioned. It performs consistently across Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude, appearing in over 70 percent of answers on each. Gemini is the outlier, naming CeraVe in only 39.2 percent of answers. CeraVe secures a 5.1 percent owned domain citation rate.

La Roche-Posay

67.3 percent appearance rate. La Roche-Posay ranks second and averages a 2.5 position. The brand achieves a massive 92.5 percent appearance rate on ChatGPT and 83.3 percent on Perplexity. Gemini names the brand in only 32.5 percent of answers. La Roche-Posay captures a 5.3 percent owned domain citation rate.

Vanicream

49.6 percent appearance rate. Vanicream takes the third position. It averages a 4.2 mention position. The brand is strong on ChatGPT (69.2 percent) and Perplexity (67.5 percent). It drops to 22.5 percent on Gemini. Vanicream holds a 4.0 percent owned domain citation rate.

Cetaphil

35.8 percent appearance rate. Cetaphil ranks fourth with an average position of 5.1. ChatGPT names the brand most frequently at 56.7 percent. Gemini names it least at 20.0 percent. Cetaphil leads the entire category in owned domain citations with an 8.6 percent rate.

Avène

31.3 percent appearance rate. Avène ranks fifth and averages a 4.2 position. Perplexity favors the brand, naming it in 67.5 percent of answers. Gemini almost entirely ignores it, naming it in just 1.7 percent of answers. Avène achieves zero owned domain citations.

First Aid Beauty

30.4 percent appearance rate. First Aid Beauty ranks sixth. It appears late in the answers with an average position of 7.2. ChatGPT names the brand in 52.5 percent of answers. Claude only names it in 5.0 percent. The brand holds a 1.7 percent owned domain citation rate.

Eucerin

28.5 percent appearance rate. Eucerin ranks seventh with a 6.2 average position. ChatGPT drives most of its visibility at 65.8 percent. Claude names Eucerin in just 1.7 percent of answers. Eucerin has a 0.6 percent owned domain citation rate.

Aveeno

25.4 percent appearance rate. Aveeno ranks eighth. The brand averages a 6.2 mention position. Perplexity and ChatGPT name Aveeno in over 40 percent of answers. Gemini and Claude both name it in under 10 percent. Aveeno secures a 0.8 percent owned domain citation rate.

Where the engines disagree

The four Large Language Model (LLM) engines show massive variance in brand preferences. A high overall appearance rate often masks severe blind spots on individual platforms. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) efforts must account for these technical differences.

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
CeraVe
88.3%
02
La Roche‑Posay
83.3%
03
Vanicream
67.5%
04
Cetaphil
38.3%
05
Avène
67.5%
06
First Aid Beauty
39.2%
07
Eucerin
36.7%
08
Aveeno
44.2%
09
BIODERMA
25.8%
10
Paula’s Choice
26.7%
11
SkinCeuticals
28.3%
12
Dr. Jart+
22.5%
BrandPerplexity (sonar-pro) rateChatGPT (OpenAI) rateGemini (Google) rateClaude (Anthropic) rate
CeraVe88.3%89.2%39.2%70.8%
La Roche‑Posay83.3%92.5%32.5%60.8%
Vanicream67.5%69.2%22.5%39.2%
Cetaphil38.3%56.7%20%28.3%
Avène67.5%20%1.7%35.8%
First Aid Beauty39.2%52.5%25%5%
Eucerin36.7%65.8%10%1.7%
Aveeno44.2%43.3%5.8%8.3%
BIODERMA25.8%44.2%11.7%15.8%
Paula’s Choice26.7%65%2.5%0%
SkinCeuticals28.3%15%13.3%8.3%
Dr. Jart+22.5%23.3%5.8%9.2%

Gemini systematically downgrades traditional clinical skincare brands compared to other engines. CeraVe drops from 89.2 percent on ChatGPT to 39.2 percent on Gemini. La Roche-Posay falls from 92.5 percent on ChatGPT to 32.5 percent on Gemini. Gemini replaces these brands with institutional sources. It names the American Academy of Dermatology in 28.3 percent of its answers.

Claude ignores several mid tier brands entirely. Paula's Choice appears in 65.0 percent of ChatGPT answers. It appears in exactly zero Claude answers. Claude also names First Aid Beauty and Eucerin in fewer than 6 percent of its answers.

Perplexity strongly prefers Avène. Perplexity names the brand in 67.5 percent of its 120 answers. ChatGPT names Avène in only 20.0 percent. Gemini names Avène in just 1.7 percent.

Mapping demand clusters

Brands perform differently based on the specific intent of the user prompt. Answer Engine Marketing (AEM) requires understanding these intent clusters.

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
Primary use case
79.2%
02
Everyday and mainstream choice
91.7%
03
Price and value
79.2%
04
General best-in-category
87.5%
05
Specialist / advanced use
75%
06
Beginners and first purchase
83.3%
07
Where to buy
62.5%
08
Gifting and occasions
75%
09
Specific need or condition
87.5%
10
Comparison and evaluation
70.8%
11
Trust and recommendation
75%
12
Ownership and maker attribution
66.7%
13
Quality and premium tier
62.5%
14
Durability and longevity
75%
15
Emerging and new entrants
43.8%
Demand clusterAnswersLeading brandLeader rateRunners-up
— Other demand —
Primary use case24CeraVe79.2%La Roche‑Posay 75%, Dr. Jart+ 45.8%, First Aid Beauty 41.7%
Everyday and mainstream choice24CeraVe91.7%Vanicream 79.2%, La Roche‑Posay 70.8%, Cetaphil 45.8%
Price and value24CeraVe79.2%La Roche‑Posay 70.8%, Vanicream 58.3%, Cetaphil 50%
General best-in-category24CeraVe87.5%La Roche‑Posay 83.3%, Vanicream 62.5%, First Aid Beauty 54.2%
Specialist / advanced use24CeraVe75%La Roche‑Posay 66.7%, Vanicream 37.5%, Avène 33.3%
Beginners and first purchase24CeraVe83.3%La Roche‑Posay 83.3%, Vanicream 66.7%, Avène 54.2%
Where to buy24CeraVe62.5%La Roche‑Posay 58.3%, Vanicream 41.7%, Eucerin 41.7%
Gifting and occasions24La Roche‑Posay75%CeraVe 70.8%, First Aid Beauty 41.7%, Vanicream 37.5%
Specific need or condition24CeraVe87.5%Vanicream 83.3%, La Roche‑Posay 75%, Cetaphil 62.5%
Comparison and evaluation24CeraVe70.8%La Roche‑Posay 62.5%, Paula’s Choice 50%, Vanicream 37.5%
Trust and recommendation24CeraVe75%La Roche‑Posay 70.8%, Vanicream 66.7%, Eucerin 54.2%
Ownership and maker attribution24CeraVe66.7%La Roche‑Posay 66.7%, Cetaphil 62.5%, Vanicream 54.2%
Quality and premium tier24La Roche‑Posay62.5%CeraVe 54.2%, Vanicream 45.8%, Avène 37.5%
Durability and longevity24CeraVe75%La Roche‑Posay 54.2%, Vanicream 41.7%, First Aid Beauty 37.5%
Emerging and new entrants16AESTURA43.8%Tower 28 Beauty 37.5%, KraveBeauty 37.5%, La Roche‑Posay 25%
— Sensitive Skin —
best ceramide cream for barrier repair8CeraVe62.5%Skinfix 62.5%, SkinCeuticals 37.5%, La Roche‑Posay 25%
best moisturizer for sensitive skin8CeraVe87.5%La Roche‑Posay 62.5%, Vanicream 37.5%, Cetaphil 37.5%
best products for rosacea8SkinCeuticals75%CeraVe 62.5%, La Roche‑Posay 50%, Avène 50%
best fragrance-free skincare products8CeraVe100%La Roche‑Posay 100%, Vanicream 100%, Cetaphil 62.5%
best sunscreen for sensitive skin8CeraVe100%La Roche‑Posay 100%, EltaMD 100%, Vanicream 87.5%
best gentle cleanser for sensitive skin8CeraVe75%La Roche‑Posay 75%, Vanicream 75%, Cetaphil 50%
best products for eczema8CeraVe87.5%Aveeno 87.5%, Vanicream 75%, Eucerin 75%
best moisturizer for compromised skin barrier8CeraVe75%First Aid Beauty 62.5%, La Roche‑Posay 50%, Vanicream 50%
best hypoallergenic skincare brands8CeraVe87.5%La Roche‑Posay 87.5%, Vanicream 75%, BIODERMA 75%
best products for redness and irritation8La Roche‑Posay87.5%SkinCeuticals 75%, CeraVe 50%, Avène 50%
best cica cream for irritated skin8La Roche‑Posay87.5%Dr. Jart+ 75%, Avène 50%, AESTURA 50%
best products for dry sensitive skin8CeraVe87.5%Vanicream 87.5%, Cetaphil 87.5%, La Roche‑Posay 75%
best serum for skin barrier repair8CeraVe37.5%SkinCeuticals 37.5%, La Roche‑Posay 25%, Paula’s Choice 25%
best products for perioral dermatitis8CeraVe75%La Roche‑Posay 75%, Vanicream 37.5%, Cetaphil 37.5%
cetaphil vs cerave for sensitive skin8CeraVe87.5%Cetaphil 87.5%, La Roche‑Posay 75%, Vanicream 62.5%
best calming toner for sensitive skin8La Roche‑Posay50%Paula’s Choice 50%, CeraVe 37.5%, Avène 37.5%

General barrier repair queries favor the largest clinical brands. CeraVe and La Roche-Posay dominate prompts asking for basic sensitive skin routines. Brands like Skinfix and Dr. Jart+ show strength in specific sub categories like ceramide targeted formulations and tiger grass treatments.

Citations and source publishers

Visibility does not equal citation. Some brands are named frequently but never provide the underlying proof. The citation denominator uses the 475 answers with retrieval evidence.

Share of the 475 answers with retrieval evidence that cited a URL on the brand's own website.

Owned-domain citation rate

01
CeraVe
5.1%
02
La Roche‑Posay
5.3%
03
Vanicream
4%
04
Cetaphil
8.6%
05
Avène
0%
06
First Aid Beauty
1.7%
07
Eucerin
0.6%
08
Aveeno
0.8%
09
BIODERMA
2.1%
10
Paula’s Choice
6.5%
11
SkinCeuticals
2.1%
12
Dr. Jart+
1.3%

Cetaphil leads the category in technical retrieval. The brand secures an 8.6 percent owned domain citation rate despite ranking fourth in overall visibility. Paula's Choice also overperforms in retrieval, securing a 6.5 percent citation rate. Avène has a 31.3 percent appearance rate but zero owned domain citations. The AI engines name Avène but do not cite its website.

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

Most-cited publishers

Answer penetration

01
nbcnews.com
52.6%
02
dermapproved.com
42.7%
03
allure.com
25.5%
04
reviewdermatica.com
21.5%
05
skinsort.com
17.5%
06
youtube.com
16.2%
07
ulta.com
16%
08
whowhatwear.com
14.1%
09
healthline.com
13.9%
10
parade.com
11.2%
11
rankandstyle.com
10.9%
12
veriphyskincare.com
10.9%
PublisherAnswers citing itAnswer penetration
nbcnews.com250/47552.6%
dermapproved.com203/47542.7%
allure.com121/47525.5%
reviewdermatica.com102/47521.5%
skinsort.com83/47517.5%
youtube.com77/47516.2%
ulta.com76/47516%
whowhatwear.com67/47514.1%
healthline.com66/47513.9%
parade.com53/47511.2%
rankandstyle.com52/47510.9%
veriphyskincare.com52/47510.9%

A few major publishers control the information layer. NBC News is the most cited source in the category. It appears in 52.6 percent of grounded answers. Dermapproved.com follows closely at 42.7 percent. Allure holds the third position at 25.5 percent. These three publishers sit upstream of most AI recommendations.

Who is winning and who is at risk

The data separates the category into clear winners and brands facing structural visibility risks.

Winning

  • CeraVe: Ranks first with a 71.9 percent appearance rate and a low 2.4 average position.
  • La Roche-Posay: Ranks second with a 67.3 percent appearance rate and achieves over 80 percent visibility on two different engines.
  • Cetaphil: Leads the category in owned domain citations with an 8.6 percent rate.

At risk

  • Avène: Achieves a 31.3 percent appearance rate but zero owned domain citations.
  • Paula's Choice: Highly dependent on ChatGPT (65.0 percent) but completely invisible on Claude (0 percent).
  • Tower 28 Beauty: Struggles to break through the clinical bias, appearing in only 5.6 percent of answers.

Structural findings for the category

The AI search environment for barrier repair is heavily concentrated. The top two brands dominate the category, appearing in the majority of answers. The clinical positioning is an absolute requirement for top tier visibility. Brands without clear dermatological associations struggle to reach a 15 percent appearance rate.

Publisher concentration is extreme. NBC News and Dermapproved.com appear in 52.6 percent and 42.7 percent of grounded answers respectively. AI engines rely heavily on these specific third party verification points to generate skincare recommendations.

What changed in the measurement window

The data reveals a distinct divergence in Gemini's retrieval strategy. Gemini actively substitutes commercial skincare brands with institutional sources like the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Eczema Association. Both organizations appear in 28.3 percent of Gemini answers but register near zero on Perplexity and Claude.

The GEO playbook

Brands in the sensitive skin category must take concrete steps to improve their AI visibility.

Secure mentions on top publishers. AI engines rely on third party validation. Target placements on NBC News and Dermapproved.com. These two sites provide the primary training data for AI recommendations in this category.

Audit Claude visibility gaps. Several mid tier brands are invisible on Claude. Investigate technical blocking or content formatting issues that prevent Anthropic's crawler from processing brand data.

Optimize for technical retrieval. Avène appears frequently but earns zero citations. Audit the brand domain for schema gaps and crawler access issues. Ensure product pages provide direct, extractable answers about ingredients.

Target the Gemini institutional bias. Gemini favors medical authorities. Align product content with specific guidelines published by the American Academy of Dermatology to increase relevance on Google's engine.

Focus on ceramide and eczema intent. The highest volume clusters center on specific barrier ingredients and conditions. Build dedicated page structures that answer technical questions about barrier function.

What this means for the market

This data confirms that clinical positioning dictates AI visibility. The engines treat barrier repair as a medical topic rather than a cosmetic one. They prioritize brands with historical dermatologist endorsements and specific ingredient transparency. Cosmetic brands attempting to enter the barrier repair space face a massive deficit. They must build structural credibility with medical publishers before the LLMs will recommend them.

Methodology

This study measures 60 stratified consumer intent prompts across four AI search engines. Each prompt was queried twice per engine to observe run to run variation. The results reflect these specific prompts on the measurement date. They do not represent all searches in the category.

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, 475 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.

The appearance rate uses the 480 total answers returned as the denominator. The citation rate uses the 475 answers with clear retrieval evidence as the denominator. Brands without measured owned domains are excluded from citation metrics.

Frequently asked questions

Which brand is most visible for barrier repair in AI search?

CeraVe leads the category. It appears in 71.9 percent of the measured AI answers.

Does high visibility guarantee high citations?

No. Avène appears in 31.3 percent of answers but secures zero owned domain citations. The engines name the brand based on third party data but do not link to the brand website.

Why is my brand invisible on certain engines?

Engines use different models and retrieval tools. Paula's Choice appears in 65.0 percent of ChatGPT answers but zero Claude answers. This indicates a crawler limitation or a specific gap in Anthropic's training data.

What is the most important source for AI skincare answers?

NBC News is the primary source. It provides citations for 52.6 percent of all grounded answers in this study.

How does Gemini differ from other engines?

Gemini favors institutional medical authorities. It names the American Academy of Dermatology in 28.3 percent of its answers while suppressing commercial brands.

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
1%
2
Sephora
0.4%
3
Ulta
0.4%
#EntityAppearance rateAnswers95% interval
1Dermstore1%5/4800.4%–2.4%
2Sephora0.4%2/4800.1%–1.5%
3Ulta0.4%2/4800.1%–1.5%

Methodology appendix

#PromptClusterShape
1best moisturizer for sensitive skinneed_1medium
2best products for rosaceaneed_2medium
3best fragrance-free skincare productsneed_3medium
4best ceramide cream for barrier repairneed_4medium
5best gentle cleanser for sensitive skinneed_5medium
6best products for eczemaneed_6medium
7best sunscreen for sensitive skinneed_7medium
8best moisturizer for compromised skin barrierneed_8medium
9best products for redness and irritationneed_9medium
10best hypoallergenic skincare brandsneed_10medium
11best cica cream for irritated skinneed_11medium
12best products for dry sensitive skinneed_12medium
13best serum for skin barrier repairneed_13medium
14best products for perioral dermatitisneed_14medium
15best calming toner for sensitive skinneed_15medium
16cetaphil vs cerave for sensitive skinneed_16medium
17best sensitive skin brandsgeneral_bestshort
18best barrier repair skincaregeneral_bestshort
19Which skincare brands are best for sensitive, compromised skin?general_bestmedium
20everyday sensitive skin brandseverydayshort
21best daily barrier moisturizerseverydayshort
22Which mainstream skincare brands work best for daily sensitive-skin routines?everydaymedium
23affordable barrier repair brandsvalue_priceshort
24best budget sensitive skincarevalue_priceshort
25Which sensitive-skin brands offer the best value for barrier repair?value_pricemedium
26barrier repair routine brandsuse_caseshort
27best brands for damaged barriersuse_caseshort
28Which brands are best for rebuilding a damaged skin barrier?use_casemedium
29sensitive skincare for beginnersbeginnershort
30first barrier repair productsbeginnershort
31Which brands are easiest for beginners starting a sensitive-skin routine?beginnermedium
32where to buy barrier skincareretailshort
33best stores for sensitive skincareretailshort
34Which sensitive-skin brands are safest to buy from authorized retailers?retailmedium
35sensitive skincare gift brandsgiftingshort
36barrier repair giftsgiftingshort
37Which skincare brands make good gifts for someone with sensitive skin?giftingmedium
38best brands for rosaceaspecific_needshort
39eczema-friendly skincare brandsspecific_needshort
40Which skincare brands are best for eczema-prone, easily irritated facial skin?specific_needmedium
41sensitive skincare brand comparisoncomparisonshort
42best ceramide skincare brandscomparisonshort
43Which barrier-repair skincare brands perform best for dryness, redness, and irritation?comparisonmedium
44most trusted sensitive skin brandstrustshort
45dermatologist recommended barrier brandstrustshort
46Which sensitive-skin brands have the strongest dermatologist and clinical support?trustmedium
47who makes sensitive skincareownershipshort
48sensitive skincare parent companiesownershipshort
49Which companies own the leading sensitive-skin and barrier-repair skincare brands?ownershipmedium
50highest quality sensitive skincarepremium_qualityshort
51premium barrier repair brandspremium_qualityshort
52Which sensitive-skin brands are considered highest quality for barrier-supporting formulas?premium_qualitymedium
53long-lasting barrier moisturizersdurabilityshort
54sensitive skincare that lastsdurabilityshort
55Which barrier-repair skincare brands make moisturizers that provide the longest-lasting comfort?durabilitymedium
56clinical barrier repair brandsspecialistshort
57advanced sensitive skin formulasspecialistshort
58Which brands have the best evidence-backed formulas for treating a compromised skin barrier?specialistmedium
59new sensitive skincare brandsemergingshort
60Which newer skincare brands are gaining attention for sensitive skin and barrier repair?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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