In April 2026, we analyzed more than 5,200 ChatGPT responses across nine personal care and beauty categories to compile the AI Visibility Index. This index tracks how often brands are mentioned, how they rank against competitors, and how those rankings have shifted since the previous month.

La Roche-Posay was the most recommended brand in personal care and beauty for the second month in a row. The skincare brand’s mention rate decreased slightly from 22% in March to 21% in April, but it still held a narrow lead over CeraVe, which had a 20% brand mention rate.

Maybelline was the only brand to capture the top mention rate in two categories. The brand had the top mention rate in both eye makeup and lip makeup. In lip makeup, ChatGPT recommended Maybelline in 51% of queries, versus 36% for runner-up Dior. That 15-percentage-point gap is the widest margin of any top-ranked brand at the category level.

Legacy brands dominated the overall list. Many of the most frequently mentioned brands, like La Roche-Posay and Neutrogena, have been around for generations. On the category level, legacy brands were most prevalent in body care and facial care, while beauty categories tended to feature more disrupters.

Disrupter brands performed best in the face makeup category. Three out of the top five brands are relative newcomers: e.l.f. (founded 2004), Fenty Beauty (founded 2017), and Rare Beauty (founded 2020).

The overall rankings only changed slightly from month to month. L'Oréal Paris and Maybelline swapped positions to No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Aveeno moved up from No. 14 to No. 10, which moved Fenty Beauty off the leaderboard.

About our AI Visibility Index

A quarter of US internet users will use genAI for shopping-related tasks in 2026, per our forecast. This shift is putting pressure on brands to optimize their GEO strategies and effectively build trust in the era of AI.

Our AI Visibility Index is based on a structured analysis of ChatGPT responses. Each query used standardized prompts (e.g., “best body lotion” or “shampoo for damaged hair”) and varied by product type, attributes, consumer needs, target audience, and price tier to reflect a representative range of real-world consumer questions. Prompts are developed through an analysis of our extensive primary research on personal care and beauty shoppers.

Want a closer look at the AI Visibility Index? EMARKETER PRO subscribers will soon be able to access in-depth reports featuring further category breakouts, data cuts, and analysis.

To learn more about how the AI Visibility Index can help your brand, contact Rob Rubin at [email protected]