Clinique vs Kiehl's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kiehl's had more branded searches than Clinique among moisturizer brands in New Zealand. Kiehl's had about 2,540 branded searches, while Clinique had 1,900. Kiehl's made up 4.1% of all moisturizer brand searches we track, and Clinique accounted for 3.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about moisturizer brands, Clinique and Kiehl's each appeared in one of the five answers. Clinique and Kiehl's were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Kiehl's, about 34% more searches than Clinique
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 1 of 5 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 two Google AI Overviews, Clinique was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Kiehl's was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Clinique and Kiehl's 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 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
CeraVe4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Cetaphil3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Kiehl's1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Clinique1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Estée Lauder0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Dermalogica0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Drunk Elephant0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about moisturizer brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which moisturizer brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best moisturizer brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best moisturizer brand in New Zealand for daily skincare?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best moisturizer”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“face moisturizer for dry skin”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Clinique or Kiehl's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Clinique and Kiehl's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight moisturizer brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Kiehl's, Clinique. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | La Roche-Posay | CeraVe | Cetaphil | Estée Lauder | Kiehl's | Dermalogica | Clinique | Drunk Elephant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32% | 22.6% | 20.2% | 7.9% | 7.4% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.2% | 19.5% | 17.6% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 5.4% | 3.9% | 1.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.5% | 23.1% | 18.7% | 9% | 7% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 31.5% | 27.5% | 19.4% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 1.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.6% | 28% | 18.8% | 7.5% | 4.5% | 5% | 3.7% | 1.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.7% | 29.1% | 19% | 8.8% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 3.5% | 1.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 30% | 30.4% | 18.5% | 8.1% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 2.7% | 1.6% |
| May 2026 | 26.6% | 32% | 19.4% | 7.3% | 5.5% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.2% | 36.7% | 18.7% | 6.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 26.1% | 34.5% | 20.6% | 6.3% | 4.5% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 27.4% | 30.5% | 20.5% | 7% | 6.3% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 1.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.4% | 25% | 21.3% | 8.2% | 4.1% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.2% |
How has the Clinique and Kiehl's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kiehl's was ahead of Clinique in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Clinique’s share of searches among moisturizer brands in New Zealand moved from 3.2% to 3.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.6K to 1.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kiehl's’ share of searches among moisturizer brands in New Zealand moved from 7.4% to 4.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.8K to 2.5K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand moisturizer brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Kiehl's lost share of searches among moisturizer brands in New Zealand, from 6.3% to 4.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Clinique in New Zealand rose 18.8% over 12 measured months, from 1.6K to 1.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Clinique’s and Kiehl'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.
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