In May 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 and CeraVe continue to lead the overall rankings. These brands have held onto the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, for the third straight month. Each month, they have been the only brands to have an overall brand mention rate at 20% or above.

Dior has entered the top three brands for the first time since we began tracking this data in March. The luxury brand’s mention rate increased slightly, from 12% in April to 13% in May, but that was enough to give an edge on the rest of the top 10, most of which had brand mention rates in the low double digits.

Legacy brands make up the majority of the overall rankings. Eight brands featured in the top 10 have been in the market for more than 50 years. CereVe and E.l.f. Cosmetics are the only two brands in the top 10 that were established in the last 25 years.

Disrupter celebrity-led brands lead in face makeup and lip makeup. Rare Beauty was founded in 2020 by Selena Gomez and holds the top brand mention rate in the face makeup category. And Fenty Beauty, founded by Rihanna in 2017, had the top brand mention rate in lip makeup.

The overall rankings only changed slightly from the previous month. Dior managed to jump two spots despite only improving its brand mention rate by a single percentage point. Skin and haircare brand Aveeno dropped to No. 11 in May and was replaced by E.l.f. Cosmetics.

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.

Click here to learn more about how the AI Visibility Index can help your brand.