2025
9
UK Suncare Market Report 2025
2025-12-18T16:02:15+00:00
REP8DF49FCA_5CEC_4017_A251_BB4619C0DDDA
2995
189826
[{"name":"Suncare","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/beauty-personal-care\/skincare\/suncare"},{"name":"Market Intelligence Reports","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/report-type\/market-intelligence-reports"},{"name":"UK","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/markets\/uk-market-research"}]
Report
en_GB
In the UK, 59% of sun protection users report wearing sunscreen most days, showing it has become integrated into daily beauty/grooming regimens. There are opportunities to further promote this habit…
UK
Suncare
simple

UK Suncare Market Report 2025

"The suncare category has seen massive growth but can see further success by leaning into sensorial trends and meeting the unmet needs of select consumer groups."

Georgia Stafford, Beauty & Personal Care Analyst

Georgia Stafford, Beauty & Personal Care Analyst

UK Suncare Industry – Trends and Insights

  • In the UK, 59% of sun protection users report wearing sunscreen most days, showing it has become integrated into daily beauty/grooming regimens. There are opportunities to further promote this habit by proving the suitability of lightweight, no-white-cast formulas for consumers with oily skin and darker skintones.
  • The ISO’s new approval of faster, potentially more affordable, SPF testing can accelerate new product development timelines. This could see a speedier release of trend-led suncare products and more limited edition or seasonal launches. This could allow suncare brands to better engage with sensorial trends to offer new scents based on popular fragrance notes, driving interest in the category and benefitting value sales.
  • The sensorial BPC trend, referring to pleasant-to-use textures and appealing scents, holds a lot of potential for the suncare category. Consumers will be willing to spend on products that enhance their mood and make sun protection application more enjoyable.
  • Adjacent categories offering SPF in makeup, facial skincare and even clothing threaten the suncare category. Understanding, and emulating, what makes these brands successful can help sun protection sales remain in the suncare category.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • The impact of the rising cost of living on purchase frequency and value demands
  • The potential future acceleration of NPD and line extensions enabled by new testing methods
  • The need for inclusive products and marketing strategies
  • The impact of the preventative ageing trend
  • How to combat misinformation with credible, evidence-led consumer education
  • The demand for sensorially appealing products
Report AttributesDetails
Published DateDecember 2025
Report AuthorGeorgia Stafford, Beauty & Personal Care Analyst
Market Data2019 – 2025
Market Forecast2025 – 2030
Measurement MetricsMarket value in £
Market SegmentationSun protection and aftersun, Self-tan
Consumer Data2,000 internet users aged 16+, September 2025
Leading Brands in the UK Suncare MarketNIVEA Sun, Garnier Ambre Solaire, Hawaiian Tropic, Riemann, Bondi Sands, Dove, St. Moritz

Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • The outlook for suncare
    • Opportunities
    • Elevate the user experience to boost usage frequencies
    • Reimagine scent profiles to encourage year-round application
    • Focus on specific skin types in NPD to engage a wider audience
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Secure suncare against consumers’ financial pessimism
    • Graph 1: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
    • How to respond to demographic shifts
    • SPF testing changes could accelerate innovation
    • The impact of the preventative ageing trend
    • Changing weather will benefit the category and create new needs
    • Going beyond protection will be key to drive growth
    • Market size and forecast for suncare
    • Graph 2: market value forecast for suncare, 2019-30
    • Social media trends help the sun protection segment grow
    • Retailers can address consumer concerns around price and skin type suitability
    • K-Beauty could threaten legacy brands
    • Push own-label innovation further
    • Graph 3: share of retail value sales of sun protection and aftersun products, by brand, 2023-25
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • The evolving needs of consumers
    • Despite innovation in added SPF products, sun protection is still the go-to
    • Limit adjacent categories’ impact on suncare sales
    • Prove long-wear claims for oily skin sun protection users
    • Encourage the adoption of stick formats
    • Creams and lotions drive overall usage, but lightweight formats benefit from more frequent usage
    • Ensuring adequate protection will increase purchase frequency
    • Graph 4: agreement with the statement “I wear sun protection products/products with added SPF most days”, by sun protection and aftersun formats used in the last 12 months, 2025
    • Bring bodycare innovation to the aftersun category
    • How to overcome usage barriers
    • Overcome the top barriers to sun protection usage
    • Dispel misconceptions about when sun protection is needed
    • Graph 5: respondents not using sun protection or not using it everyday and citing “I don’t spend enough time outdoors to need it” as the reason, 2025
    • Address social media misinformation
    • Ensure sun protection products’ suitability for all skintones
    • No-white-cast claims need proof
    • Graph 6: share of UK suncare launches containing white cast* in the product description, 2020-25
    • Show the importance of a hybrid approach with clothing collaborations
    • Prepare for a possible removal of VAT on suncare
    • Opportunities to drive spending
    • Skin type-specific formats can drive spending
    • Develop sensitive skin products
    • Engage sun protection users with fragrance
    • Tap into trending scent notes
    • Graph 7: top five scent note preferences, 2025
    • Beautifying claims blur the lines between categories
    • Use the language of cellular health
    • Explore innovative formats with caution
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Match sampling opportunities with moments consumers need sun protection
    • Meet the demand for own-label sun protection
    • Own-label innovation can help make sun protection a daily essential
    • Justify premium price points with novel technology
    • Retailers can position sun protection as a daily essential
    • Take note of emerging suncare formats
    • Graph 8: format/texture landscape for sun – sun/sunbed exposure, 2025
    • Explore novel suncare formats
    • Align suncare with consumer lifestyles
    • Prove inclusive claims with diverse advertising
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market size and forecast of suncare
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals
    • Market segmentation
    • Market share – sun protection and aftersun
    • Market share – sunless tanning
    • Channels to market
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • UK generation groups
    • Product, innovation and marketing
    • NPD in the sun protection segment, by top 10 claims
    • Graph 9: NPD in the sun protection segment, by top 10 claims (based on 2025), 2024-25*
    • NPD in the aftersun segment, by top 10 claims
    • Graph 10: NPD in the aftersun segment, by top 10 claims (based on 2025), 2024-25
    • NPD in the sun protection segment, by format
    • Graph 11: NPD in the sun protection segment, by format (based on 2025), 2024-25
    • NPD in the sun protection and aftersun segments, by brand type
    • Graph 12: NPD in the sun protection segment, by brand type, 2024-25
    • Graph 13: NPD in the aftersun segment, by brand type, 2024-25
    • NPD in the sun protection and aftersun segments, by beauty price positioning
    • Graph 14: NPD in the sun protection segment, by beauty price positioning, 2024-25
    • Graph 15: NPD in the aftersun segment, by beauty price positioning, 2024-25
    • Total above-the-line advertising expenditure on suncare
    • Other data source methodologies
    • Mintel Spark
    • Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
    • Abbreviations

Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel

The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:

  • Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
  • Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
  • Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
  • Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.

What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?

Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.

The Four Pillars of Our Research

We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:

  • Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
  • Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
  • Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
  • Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.

Bringing It All Together

Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.

Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.

For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
$ 2,995 (Excl.Tax)
  • Download today with instant access
  • Multiple formats provided
  • Interactive databook included
Add to cart

Next Starts Here

Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.

Learn more

Trusted by global industry leaders

VocaLink logo

We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.

As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.

We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.

 

Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
Mediacom logo

Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.

It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.

Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
Abacus logo

There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.

However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.

Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Deutsch logo

One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.

We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.

We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.

Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
Amazon logo

Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.

Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.

Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon

Next Starts Here

Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.

Learn more