Kiehl's vs Vanicream:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kiehl's had more branded searches than Vanicream among face cleanser brands worldwide. Kiehl's had about 550,000 branded searches, while Vanicream had 201,000. Kiehl's made up 5% of all face cleanser brand searches we track, and Vanicream accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about face cleanser brands, Vanicream appeared in four of the five answers and Kiehl's in none.
Who do people search for more?
Kiehl's, about 3 searches for every 1 for Vanicream
Who does AI mention more?
Vanicream, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Kiehl's in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Vanicream, the only one of the two named
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Top face cleanser brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Vanicream was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Kiehl's 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.
La Roche-Posay5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
CeraVe5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Cetaphil4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Vanicream4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Neutrogena3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
The Ordinary0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Garnier0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Beauty of Joseon0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Eucerin0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Kiehl's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about face cleanser brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which face cleanser brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best face cleanser brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best face cleanser brand for daily skincare?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best face cleanser”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“gentle face cleanser”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Kiehl's or Vanicream more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kiehl's and Vanicream by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 face cleanser brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Kiehl's, Vanicream. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | La Roche-Posay | CeraVe | The Ordinary | Cetaphil | Neutrogena | Garnier | Beauty of Joseon | Eucerin | Bioderma | Kiehl's | Medik8 | COSRX | SKIN1004 | Vanicream | Aveeno |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 16.5% | 16.5% | 9% | 9% | 9.3% | 7.2% | 5% | 6.1% | 5% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 16.1% | 13.2% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 7.3% | 5% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 8.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 18.6% | 15.2% | 10.1% | 8.3% | 9% | 5.4% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 6.8% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 18% | 14.7% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 8.7% | 5.2% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 19.7% | 16.1% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 9.1% | 5.7% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.5% | 13.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 8.8% | 6% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 5% | 5% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 20.3% | 13.6% | 11.1% | 9% | 8.6% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 21.3% | 14.2% | 9.5% | 7.8% | 9% | 6.2% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 18.8% | 15.3% | 10.2% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 7.1% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 19.2% | 15.7% | 10.4% | 8.6% | 8.2% | 7.3% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 18.6% | 15.2% | 10.1% | 8.3% | 9.8% | 7.1% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 16.8% | 13.7% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 8.6% | 6.9% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 5% | 5% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
How has the Kiehl's and Vanicream comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kiehl's was ahead of Vanicream in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kiehl's’ share of searches among face cleanser brands worldwide moved from 6.1% to 5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 673K to 550K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vanicream’s share of searches among face cleanser brands worldwide moved from 1.5% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 201K.
How did search popularity change for face cleanser brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kiehl's’ and Vanicream’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.
Other head-to-heads among face cleanser brands
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