Science-led brands gain visibility in AI search engines

According to the Beauty AI Visibility Index 2026, published by US communications agency 5W, skincare brands with a dermatologist-led or science-based positioning are gaining prominence in recommendations generated by leading AI search engines, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Based on 100 prompts submitted during the first half of 2026, the index ranks Drunk Elephant first (26% citation share), followed by La Roche-Posay (24%) and SkinCeuticals (22%). Citation share refers to the percentage of prompts in which a brand appears among the first recommendations generated by these platforms.

The study also highlights the growing visibility of K-Beauty brands such as Beauty of Joseon and Glow Recipe, while the fragrance category continues to be dominated by luxury houses including Dior, Tom Ford, Chanel and Maison Francis Kurkdjian. According to the authors, AI search engines give greater prominence to content supported by scientific publications, dermatologist recommendations and authoritative editorial sources. This trend reflects the emergence of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), an approach aimed at improving brand visibility in AI-generated responses. Although the index is based on a proprietary methodology and cannot be considered representative of the overall behaviour of large language models, it nevertheless highlights the growing importance of AI search as a new channel for beauty brand discovery.