Kiehl's vs Vanicream:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kiehl's had more branded searches than Vanicream among skincare brands worldwide. Kiehl's had about 550,000 branded searches, while Vanicream had 201,000. Kiehl's made up 4% of all skincare brand searches we track, and Vanicream accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about skincare brands, Vanicream appeared in three 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 3 of 5 answers, Kiehl's in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Vanicream, the only one of the two named
Follow Kiehl's vs Vanicream and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
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. 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.
CeraVe1st
La Roche-Posay2nd
The Ordinary3rd- Vanicream4th
Paula's Choice5th- Avène6th
Cetaphil7th
SkinCeuticals8th
COSRX9th- +4 more
- Kiehl's–
- +2 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
- Kiehl's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 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 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 22 skincare 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 | Cetaphil | CeraVe | La Roche-Posay | The Ordinary | Neutrogena | Beauty of Joseon | Clinique | Bioderma | Kiehl's | Laneige | SkinCeuticals | Paula's Choice | Medik8 | COSRX | Avène | Vanicream |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
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 skincare brands worldwide moved from 4.6% to 4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 673K to 550K.
- 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
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 skincare brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.