Almost half of consumers in the UK (45%) do not apply SPF on a daily basis.
This and other findings have been revealed in a 365 Days of SPF report from beauty retailer Face the Future.
The online skin care player highlighted findings from an independent YouGov survey of 2,081 people, commissioned in January 2025, which are now being used to fuel its ‘365 Days of SPF’ campaign.
This aims to share education on daily SPF usage.
365 Days of SPF also reveals that more UK consumers prioritise moisturiser (32%) over the use of sunscreen (23%) as the most important step in their skin care routine.
Moreover, only 55% of those surveyed were aware that UVA rays are the leading cause of premature skin ageing, with only 20% strongly agreeing.
The report found that multifunctional skin care products, which include SPF within a skin care product, or make-up, is the number one way to encourage the daily use of protection.
“Many people in the UK favour wearing SPF daily if it is in their skin care or make-up products, to create multifunctional use,” commented Kimberley Medd, Head of Clinic at Face the Future.
“There are many sophisticated multi-purpose skin care products out there, but what is key is picking products that will have sufficient sun protection within, meaning no less than SPF 30, and ensuring that it is broad-spectrum.”
UK consumers’ primary requirement for sun protection is affordability, with 56% saying products should be cost-effective.
So it stands to reason that 70% also feel tax should be removed from sun protection products.
Other factors include formula consistency, which 40% deem important, while 32% would like anti-ageing benefits, and 22% look for anti-pigmentation benefits.
“While skin cancer is rightly still the number one reason to wear SPF, there are a multitude of protective benefits to wearing sunscreen that go beyond sunburn,” said Medd.
“This includes minimising and protecting the skin from hyperpigmentation, sunspots, fine lines and wrinkles, accelerated collagen depletion, drier skin from no barrier protection and maintaining an even skin tone.”
When it comes to general ‘SPF intelligence’, 365 Days of SPF uncovered that friends and family hold more sway than brands, or even medical professionals.
A total of 17% of respondents said they learned more about SPF from beauty brands than from retailers (13%) and social media (8%).
However, the majority (20%) said they had learned about sun care from family (25%) and friends (20%).
These demographics were more influential than GPs at 14%.
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