EltaMD vs Nivea:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nivea had more branded searches than EltaMD among sunscreen brands worldwide. Nivea had about 783,000 branded searches, while EltaMD had 60,500. Nivea made up 18.1% of all sunscreen brand searches we track, and EltaMD accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sunscreen brands, EltaMD appeared in two of the four answers and Nivea in none.
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Top sunscreen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, EltaMD was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Nivea did not appear in any of the four 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-Posay4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Neutrogena3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Blue Lizard3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
EltaMD2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Supergoop!1 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
Ultra Violette0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Banana Boat0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Bondi Sands0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Sun Bum0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about sunscreen brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sunscreen brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sunscreen brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best sunscreen brand for daily sun protection?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best sunscreen”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“face sunscreen”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
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 21, 2026.
Is EltaMD or Nivea more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for EltaMD and Nivea by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 13 sunscreen brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Nivea, EltaMD. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | La Roche-Posay | Neutrogena | Nivea | Ultra Violette | Banana Boat | Supergoop! | Bondi Sands | Sun Bum | EltaMD | Blue Lizard | Naked Sundays | Vacation | COOLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.4% | 22.3% | 15.7% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.5% | 1.4% | 0.23% | 0.85% | 0.39% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.4% | 19.9% | 17.1% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 2.9% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.17% | 1% | 0.42% | 0.12% |
| Dec 2025 | 47.9% | 21.6% | 14.7% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.21% | 0.72% | 0.38% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 46.1% | 20.8% | 16.6% | 3.3% | 4% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.3% | 0.59% | 0.39% | 0.14% |
| Feb 2026 | 48.6% | 20.9% | 14.9% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 0.32% | 0.47% | 0.48% | 0.19% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.6% | 19.2% | 12.1% | 3.9% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.72% | 0.56% | 0.76% | 0.28% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.7% | 18.8% | 11.9% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 2.7% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.86% | 0.64% | 0.89% | 0.27% |
| May 2026 | 45.8% | 18.1% | 11.5% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 5.4% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.67% | 1.1% | 0.32% |
| Jun 2026 | 41.8% | 17.1% | 12.3% | 6% | 4.2% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 0.83% | 1.2% | 0.44% |
| Jul 2026 | 42.1% | 16.7% | 17.5% | 5% | 4% | 4.3% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 0.65% | 1% | 0.36% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.9% | 21.2% | 15.8% | 4.5% | 4% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 0.97% | 0.62% | 0.7% | 0.21% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.3% | 19.9% | 18.1% | 6.5% | 3.3% | 2.9% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.63% | 0.59% | 0.51% | 0.13% |
How has the EltaMD and Nivea comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nivea was ahead of EltaMD in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, EltaMD’s share of searches among sunscreen brands worldwide held steady at 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nivea’s share of searches among sunscreen brands worldwide moved from 15.7% to 18.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 660K to 783K.
How did search popularity change for sunscreen brands worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Nivea gained share of searches among sunscreen brands worldwide, from 15.8% to 18.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using EltaMD’s and Nivea’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 sunscreen brands
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