Medicube vs Sulwhasoo:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Medicube had more branded searches than Sulwhasoo among Korean skincare brands in Australia. Medicube had about 60,500 branded searches, while Sulwhasoo had 5,400. Medicube made up 39.9% of all Korean skincare brand searches we track, and Sulwhasoo accounted for 3.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about Korean skincare brands, Medicube appeared in three of the five answers and Sulwhasoo in none.
Who do people search for more?
Medicube, about 11 searches for every 1 for Sulwhasoo
Who does AI mention more?
Medicube, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Sulwhasoo in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Medicube, the only one of the two named
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Top Korean skincare brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Medicube was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Sulwhasoo did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Beauty of Joseon5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
SKIN10045 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
COSRX4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Medicube3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Round Lab3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Anua2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Laneige2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Dr. Jart+1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Innisfree0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Sulwhasoo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about Korean skincare brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which Korean skincare brand should I try?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best Korean skincare brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best Korean sunscreen?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“korean skincare”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“k beauty”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Medicube or Sulwhasoo more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Medicube and Sulwhasoo by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 Korean skincare brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Medicube, Sulwhasoo. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Medicube | Beauty of Joseon | Anua | Laneige | Innisfree | COSRX | Torriden | SKIN1004 | Sulwhasoo | Dr. Jart+ | Some By Mi | Round Lab |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 22.3% | 18.3% | 6.7% | 18.3% | 8.2% | 5.4% | 3% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 25.1% | 16.8% | 6.1% | 20.5% | 9.2% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 6.1% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 24.7% | 16.5% | 7.4% | 20.2% | 9% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 29% | 19.4% | 7.1% | 15.9% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 3.1% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.5% | 16.7% | 7.5% | 16.7% | 6.1% | 5% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.8% | 15.2% | 8.3% | 15.2% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% | 2.4% | 3% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 31.8% | 17.4% | 7.8% | 11.6% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.3% |
| May 2026 | 40.6% | 14.9% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 3% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.2% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 45.1% | 13.5% | 7.4% | 9% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 4% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.98% |
| Aug 2026 | 44.8% | 13.4% | 7.3% | 9% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.9% | 14.6% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
How has the Medicube and Sulwhasoo comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Medicube was ahead of Sulwhasoo in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Medicube’s share of searches among Korean skincare brands in Australia moved from 22.3% to 39.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sulwhasoo’s share of searches among Korean skincare brands in Australia moved from 5.4% to 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 5.4K.
How did search popularity change for Australia Korean skincare brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Medicube lost share of searches among Korean skincare brands in Australia, from 44.8% to 39.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Sulwhasoo in Australia fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 5.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Medicube’s and Sulwhasoo’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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