This article was originally published in the Sun Care Trend Report. Receive your copy here
Sun care is basking in the glow of the biggest makeover it has probably ever seen.
The biggest shift is this: Sunscreen is now a trending beauty product.
From format to formula, brands have blended sun protection with beauty product sophistication, creating hybrid multifunctional products that infuse sunscreen with skin care ingredients and make-up benefits, in formats that are more appealing to apply, reapply and use on the go.
Textures have had a particular glow up, with brands creating sunscreens that not only have an elevated feel, but leave an invisible finish on all skin tones, creating a more inclusive product offer.
Ava Chandler-Matthews, co-founder of Ultra Violette, the best selling premium brand in the UK during first quarter of 2025, according to Circana data, tells Cosmetics Business: “Sunscreen has come a long way over the past three to five years, and it has really evolved into its own beauty category.
“Where SPF was once seen as purely functional, developed solely to prevent skin cancer, there is now an expectation that it will also look and feel good as part of a daily skin care routine.”
“The SPF space is evolving rapidly,” agrees Dr. Sophie Shotter, Brand Ambassador of skin care brand Murad, “not just in product innovation but in how consumers use, think about, and demand sun protection.”
Dr. Shotter notes that factors such as informed, ingredient literate consumers, who are climate change aware and realise that UV levels are higher year-round play a role, while the population is also ageing and people are investing in long term prevention.
“Amongst younger consumers there is a cultural shift from correction to prevention,” she notes.
This is highlighted by new data from Circana, which found that while 65% of European consumers of all ages like to buy beauty products containing SPF, amongst millennials this figure rises to 78%.
“There is a real focus among young consumers to protect their skin,” says Mathilde Lion, Director of Beauty, Europe, at Circana.
The shift links to consumers consciously trying to live better for longer, and Emily Hood, Consultant at Euromonitor International says that in the UK, longevity and health planning have been big topics.
“The use of sun protection in the UK has increased, with many consumers who historically only wore sun protection on holiday, now using it habitually,” she explains.
In the UK, the evolution is moving to the next stage, says Hood: “This behavioural change that started with Gen Z and millennials is now expanding to older demographics.
“Sun care has continued to be a high growth category driven primarily by increased consumer awareness of the impacts of long term sun exposure.”
Today’s consumers – starting from the very youngest – are looking for advanced formulations that cater to their heightened awareness of skin health, longevity and sustainability, as well as how they can benefit their beauty regimes.
The trends in this new Cosmetics Business report reveal how brands are striving to meet their needs.
Trends will be revealed in detail throughout June exclusively to subscribers, so don't miss out and subscribe.
Trend 1: Gen Alpha: The new face of SPF
Gen Alpha’s beauty debut landed almost like a surprise drop.
The bold and sudden entry of this cohort – born between 2010 and 2024 – revealed to the beauty industry a new group of engaged, enthusiastic shoppers with unique needs and a growing appetite for personal care.
The demographic has not only captured the attention of beauty brands, it has driven a rise in launches of new, dedicated Gen Alpha brands.
Sun care specifically, is a category ripe with opportunity, as brands are focusing efforts on skin barrier protection and competing to be the leading authorities on SPF for beauty’s newest cohort.
Trend 2: Invisible sunscreen
How do brands make their customers feel good? In sun care, this is a question that is driving development possibly more than any other.
If the experience of using the product on the skin feels and looks good, then brands are solving a problem that has been bugging sun care consumers for years.
Sticky, heavy formulas that leave a white cast are banished to the past. Today’s most desirable sun care brands are launching formulas that are 'invisible' and weightless on the skin – and scrapping those that aren't.
Trend 3: SPF Lip oils
Lip oils have become the hybrid heroes of many consumers’ beauty routines, with brands from Dior to Rare Beauty blending skin care and make-up to create a high-shine look that continues to trend in 2025.
But the next wave of innovation is seeing a third pillar of benefits move in to the trusty lip oil format – sun protection.
As the summer months move in, SPF lip oils are poised for a boom as consumers seek out new formats that can not only protect their lips during hot weather, but can provide a hint of colour and a glossy finish – all packaged in a trending and luxurious format.
Trend 4: Tinted sunscreens
A flurry of new launches and a wider range of shades are boosting the appeal of tinted sunscreens as more consumers incorporate SPF into their daily routines.
The category has experienced significant growth, with demand rising 86.9% year-over-year across platforms, according to data intelligence platform Spate.
“Tinted SPF is no longer a niche – it is becoming a staple and one of the fastest-growing SPF categories,” Akshay Talati, Chief Innovation Officer at Supergoop! tells Cosmetics Business.
“Consumers want to simplify their routines with products that protect, perfect, and perform all in one.”
Trend 5: Reef safe sun care
Whether it’s biodegradable formulas or plastic free-packaging, sustainability is now an expectation for consumers when purchasing beauty products.
In sun care, shoppers have historically been slower to apply the same approach, yet recent data from Trendalytics reveals that year-on-year searches for ‘reef safe SPF’ have risen by 86% since 2024, reflecting an increasing interest from consumers for eco-friendly formulations.
“Consumers grow more environmentally conscious and ingredient-savvy and retailers and brands are responding in kind: the number of SPF products labelled ‘reef safe’ on the market has increased by 150% over the past year,” reveals Michael Appler, Director at Trendalytics.
“Average weekly TikTok views for videos featuring reef safe SPF have skyrocketed 335% over the last year.”