Drunk Elephant vs Vanicream:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Vanicream had more branded searches than Drunk Elephant among skincare brands worldwide. Vanicream had about 201,000 branded searches, while Drunk Elephant had 110,000. Vanicream made up 1.4% of all skincare brand searches we track, and Drunk Elephant accounted for 0.79%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about skincare brands, Vanicream appeared in three of the five answers and Drunk Elephant in one. Vanicream was mentioned before Drunk Elephant in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Vanicream, about 83% more searches than Drunk Elephant
Who does AI mention more?
Vanicream, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Drunk Elephant in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Vanicream, named ahead of Drunk Elephant in 3 of 4 answers
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Top skincare brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Vanicream was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Drunk Elephant was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Vanicream was listed before Drunk Elephant in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
CeraVe1st
La Roche-Posay2nd
The Ordinary3rd- Vanicream4th
Paula's Choice5th- Avène6th
Cetaphil7th
SkinCeuticals8th
Drunk Elephant9th
COSRX10th- +7 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- CeraVe5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- La Roche-Posay5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- The Ordinary3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Vanicream3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Paula's Choice2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Avène2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Cetaphil1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- SkinCeuticals1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- COSRX1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Drunk Elephant1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about skincare brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which skincare brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best skincare brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best skincare brand for sensitive skin?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“skincare brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“skin care for sensitive 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 Drunk Elephant or Vanicream more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Drunk Elephant and Vanicream by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 22 skincare brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Vanicream, Drunk Elephant. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Cetaphil | CeraVe | La Roche-Posay | The Ordinary | Neutrogena | Beauty of Joseon | Clinique | Bioderma | Kiehl's | Laneige | SkinCeuticals | Paula's Choice | Medik8 | COSRX | Avène | Vanicream | Drunk Elephant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 14.2% | 15.5% | 12.5% | 8.3% | 7% | 3.7% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 12.7% | 12.5% | 11.9% | 11.2% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 6.5% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 2% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 13.2% | 14.4% | 13.6% | 8.9% | 6.6% | 4.1% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 5% | 5% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 14.3% | 14.3% | 13.4% | 8.9% | 6.5% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 14% | 15.3% | 15% | 8.3% | 7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 3.6% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 12.9% | 13.8% | 16.2% | 8.8% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.97% |
| Apr 2026 | 13% | 14% | 16.3% | 10.5% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.98% |
| May 2026 | 12.2% | 14.3% | 17% | 9% | 7.2% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1% | 0.84% |
| Jun 2026 | 13.3% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 9.7% | 6.7% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.92% |
| Jul 2026 | 14.3% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 9.7% | 6.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.75% |
| Aug 2026 | 13.7% | 15.1% | 14.7% | 9.3% | 7.7% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3% | 3% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 2% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.89% |
| Sep 2026 | 14.7% | 13.8% | 13.2% | 10.2% | 6.7% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4% | 4% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.79% |
How has the Drunk Elephant and Vanicream comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Vanicream took it in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Drunk Elephant’s share of searches among skincare brands worldwide moved from 1.4% to 0.79%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 201K to 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vanicream’s share of searches among skincare brands worldwide moved from 1.1% to 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 201K.
How did search popularity change for skincare brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Drunk Elephant fell from 19th to 20th among skincare brands worldwide.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Vanicream worldwide rose 21.8% over 12 measured months, from 165K to 201K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Drunk Elephant’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.
Drunk Elephant
1 branded search term
- drunk elephant
Vanicream
1 branded search term
- vanicream
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