With a historic heatwave plaguing the Korean peninsula since mid-July, killing at least 29 people and hospitalising 2,300 others with heat-related illnesses, it is little surprise that sun care product sales have been booming in South Korea.
And while traditional sun protection products, such as parasols and straw hats, have sold well – July sales up 83% and 37% year-on-year, respectively, according to local e-commerce website Auction – a novel personal care product whose sales have also soared is sun sticks: sun protection formulas that are applied to the skin like a stick deodorant.
These products have become particularly popular in South Korea and their makers are starting to eye export sales.
Demand for sun sticks in South Korea was boosted by a hot summer in 2018, but the convenient format’s success is also due to use on the golf course
Sun sticks in figures
According to market researcher