Kiehl's vs Neutrogena:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kiehl's had more branded searches than Neutrogena among skincare brands in the United States. Kiehl's had about 165,000 branded searches, while Neutrogena had 90,500. Kiehl's made up 7.3% of all skincare brand searches we track, and Neutrogena accounted for 4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about skincare brands, neither Kiehl's nor Neutrogena appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Kiehl's, about 82% more searches than Neutrogena
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top skincare brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Kiehl's nor Neutrogena showed up in any of the five 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.
The Ordinary4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
La Roche-Posay3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
CeraVe3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Cetaphil2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Paula's Choice2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Clinique1 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
Tatcha1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Aesop0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Neutrogena0 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 use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best skincare brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is a good skincare routine for dry skin?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“skincare”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“skin care products”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 26, 2026.
Is Kiehl's or Neutrogena more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kiehl's and Neutrogena by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 skincare brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Kiehl's, Neutrogena. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | La Roche-Posay | Aesop | CeraVe | Clinique | The Ordinary | Kiehl's | Summer Fridays | SkinCeuticals | Cetaphil | Paula's Choice | Laneige | Neutrogena | Byoma | Glow Recipe | Tatcha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 12.2% | 12.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 12.2% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 3% | 3.7% | 3.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 9.2% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 9.2% | 16.8% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 4.1% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 4.1% | 4.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 12.4% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 18.5% | 4.5% | 3% | 3.7% | 6.8% | 3% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 3% |
| Jan 2026 | 15.4% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 14.9% | 10% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 5.5% | 12.2% | 5.5% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 3% |
| Mar 2026 | 13.7% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 11.2% | 6.2% | 4.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Apr 2026 | 15.4% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 10.3% | 5.7% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| May 2026 | 16% | 10.7% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 3.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 17.2% | 7.7% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 17.9% | 6.6% | 9.8% | 8% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 16% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 10.7% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 2.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 16.3% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
How has the Kiehl's and Neutrogena comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Neutrogena took it in August 2026, Kiehl's took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kiehl's’ share of searches among skincare brands in the United States moved from 5.5% to 7.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 165K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Neutrogena’s share of searches among skincare brands in the United States moved from 4.5% to 4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 90.5K.
How did search popularity change for United States skincare brands in September 2026?
5 changes
In September 2026, Aesop overtook Neutrogena to rank 2nd among skincare brands in the United States, with 10.9% of the searches.
In September 2026, Kiehl's overtook Neutrogena to rank 6th among skincare brands in the United States, with 7.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Summer Fridays overtook Neutrogena and SkinCeuticals to rank 7th among skincare brands in the United States, with 7.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Laneige overtook Neutrogena and Byoma to rank 11th among skincare brands in the United States, with 4% of the searches.
In September 2026, Neutrogena lost share of searches among skincare brands in the United States, from 10.7% to 4%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kiehl'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.
Kiehl's
1 branded search term
- kiehls
Neutrogena
1 branded search term
- neutrogena
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