Cetaphil vs Neutrogena:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Cetaphil had more branded searches than Neutrogena among moisturizer brands worldwide. Cetaphil had about 1 million branded searches, while Neutrogena had 935,000. Cetaphil made up 11.1% of all moisturizer brand searches we track, and Neutrogena accounted for 10.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about moisturizer brands, Cetaphil and Neutrogena each appeared in two of the four answers. Cetaphil and Neutrogena were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Cetaphil, about 7% more searches than Neutrogena
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 4 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.
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Top moisturizer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Cetaphil and Neutrogena were each mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Cetaphil and Neutrogena were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either.
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-Posay4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
CeraVe4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers- Cetaphil2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Neutrogena2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Vanicream2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Clinique1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Kiehl's1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Nivea0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Estée Lauder0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Dermalogica0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about moisturizer brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which moisturizer brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best moisturizer brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best moisturizer brand for dry skin?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“face moisturizer”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“moisturizer for dry skin”
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 Cetaphil or Neutrogena more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cetaphil and Neutrogena by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 moisturizer brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Cetaphil, Neutrogena. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | La Roche-Posay | CeraVe | Nivea | Cetaphil | Neutrogena | Estée Lauder | Clinique | Kiehl's | Dermalogica | Vanicream | Drunk Elephant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 18.2% | 18.2% | 10.2% | 10% | 10.3% | 12.1% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 17.4% | 14.2% | 11.1% | 9.5% | 7.9% | 14.2% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 19.7% | 16.1% | 10.5% | 8.8% | 9.5% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 20.8% | 17% | 11.2% | 11.3% | 10% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 22.5% | 18.4% | 10.2% | 10% | 10.4% | 10% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 24.1% | 16.1% | 8.9% | 10.7% | 10.3% | 10.7% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 25% | 16.7% | 9.3% | 11.1% | 10.6% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 5% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 25.8% | 17.2% | 9.3% | 9.4% | 10.9% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 2.3% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.2% | 19% | 10% | 10.4% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 7% | 5.7% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 23% | 18.8% | 12.7% | 10.3% | 9.9% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 22.4% | 18.3% | 11.4% | 10% | 11.7% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 20.4% | 16.7% | 12.4% | 11.1% | 10.4% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
How has the Cetaphil and Neutrogena comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 9 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Cetaphil took it in November 2025, Neutrogena took it in December 2025, Cetaphil took it in January 2026, Neutrogena took it in February 2026, Cetaphil took it in March 2026, Neutrogena took it in May 2026, Cetaphil took it in June 2026, Neutrogena took it in August 2026, Cetaphil took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cetaphil’s share of searches among moisturizer brands worldwide moved from 10% to 11.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Neutrogena’s share of searches among moisturizer brands worldwide moved from 10.3% to 10.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 935K.
How did search popularity change for moisturizer brands worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Nivea overtook Neutrogena to rank 3rd among moisturizer brands worldwide, with 12.4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Cetaphil overtook Neutrogena to rank 4th among moisturizer brands worldwide, with 11.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Neutrogena lost share of searches among moisturizer brands worldwide, from 11.7% to 10.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cetaphil’s and Neutrogena’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.
Cetaphil
1 branded search term
- cetaphil
Neutrogena
4 branded search terms
- neutrogena
- neutrogena facial cleanser
- neutrogena hydro boost
- neutrogena suntan lotion
Other head-to-heads among moisturizer brands
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