The personal care industry is trying to get people to treat sunscreen as something you use every day, not just on beach trips. A bunch of organizations have come together with a shared message that sunscreen should be seen as an everyday essential for skin health and lowering the risk of skin cancer. There is some movement in that direction, with more people adding SPF into daily routines, but it is still not happening enough. The #WearSunscreen campaign is part of that push to get awareness and actual usage up. Right now, daily sunscreen use is still pretty low, which is why the campaign exists in the first place.
Key takeaways
The personal care industry is shifting toward sunscreen being seen as a daily essential for everyone, not only for beach days. The #WearSunscreen campaign is meant to boost awareness and adoption of sun protection. Better textures and sensory feel in sun care products are seen as important for getting more people to actually use SPF.
Multiple organizations are working together across industries to promote daily sun protection as a public health priority. Groups from personal care products and consumer health care are aligned on one idea, sunscreen should be used every day to protect skin health and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
There are signs in the beauty sector that SPF is becoming more of a must-have product, with more consumers adding it into daily routines instead of only using it occasionally. Spate said last week that marketing sun care as a daily cosmetic instead of a seasonal one is where things should go.
Still, the #WearSunscreen campaign shows the trend is not strong enough yet. The Skin Cancer Foundation says fewer than 14% of Americans report using sunscreen daily, and the campaign is trying to increase that number.
The campaign was launched for World Health Day on April 7. The Personal Care Products Council worked together with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and its Health In Hand Foundation, with support from the Melanoma Research Foundation and the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Need for sun care education
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US. Every year, more than five million Americans are diagnosed with it, which is more than all other cancers combined.
Even with growing awareness about sun protection and efforts to improve how sunscreen feels on the skin, some groups are still slow to adopt proper habits.
The American Academy of Dermatology found that 96% of Americans say sun protection is important, yet 67% of Americans got a tan in 2024, up from 54% in 2020. At the same time, 35% got sunburned, compared to 25% in 2020, including nearly 50% of Gen Z and millennials.
The AAD also reported that Gen Z adults aged 18 to 26 are at risk for skin cancer because tanning and burning rates are going up. In a national survey, 52% of Gen Z adults did not know at least one sunburn risk, such as the increased chance of skin cancer or premature skin aging. More than half of Americans get an A or B grade for sun protection knowledge, but 32% of Gen Z adults get a D or F.
Data from Innova Market Insights shows sun protection is still the most launched subcategory in sun care, though there is growth in self-tanning and bronzer products, which give alternatives to sunbathing.
Misinformation on social media is one reason younger consumers lack knowledge. The Skin Cancer Foundation Photobiology warned last year about incorrect information on sun protection spreading online and increasing skin cancer rates in the US.
Anna Chien, an associate professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a member of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Photobiology Committee, said new recommendations matter as sun exposure rises and anti-SPF misinformation spreads, encouraging younger people to skip sunscreen.
The #WearSunscreen campaign is trying to raise awareness by sharing facts, free resources, and expert advice. The goal is to give people tools and information that help them add sun protection into daily routines.
Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer and one of the most preventable. Around 20 Americans die from melanoma every day, and about 8,510 deaths are expected in 2026.
James Merrick, chief communications and marketing officer at the Melanoma Research Foundation, said that even though melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and the most common cancer in the US, more than 90% of melanomas are considered preventable and are highly treatable when caught early. He said daily sunscreen use, regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or race, is important for lowering melanoma risk.
The campaign is reaching people through industry, health care, and community channels to encourage daily protection, no matter the season, weather, or skin tone.
Merrick said the group is representing melanoma patients and survivors and joining the campaign to educate people about UV damage and the importance of prevention.
By combining resources across organizations, the campaign wants to build awareness and create long-term sun-safe habits. The World Health Organization added sunscreen to its Model List of Essential Medicines last year, recognizing it as necessary for global health.
This change moved sunscreen from being seen as a cosmetic to being recognized as a preventive medicine that could improve access and lower UV-related diseases worldwide.
FDA-approved sun care availability
The campaign partners say US FDA-regulated sunscreens, both mineral and non-mineral, are proven to help prevent sunburn, premature skin aging, and skin cancer when used as directed. Consumers can choose from many different formulations designed for different needs, all backed by scientific evaluation and oversight.
Even with these options, the FDA has been criticized for not approving new sunscreen ingredients since 1999. In December last year, the FDA proposed expanding its list of active ingredients for sunscreen for the first time in almost 30 years.
The agency is adding bemotrizinol to support sunscreen innovation. If this is finalized, bemotrizinol will be considered safe for adults and children older than six months.
The Personal Care Products Council says it is committed to encouraging proper and consistent sunscreen use as part of daily skin care. It says people need access to safe, effective, and innovative sunscreen products along with clear, science-based information to make decisions about skin health.
High SPF formulas can feel thick or leave a white cast, especially mineral ones like zinc oxide. To deal with that, formulators need to choose emulsifiers and sensorial agents carefully so the texture feels better without losing performance. This can involve elastomer gels or biodegradable powders, according to Kevin Hedou, technical sales manager at Brenntag.
Consumers now expect sun care products to feel like skin care, which connects to the “skinification” trend where personal care products take on skin care benefits.
Symrise said texture preferences are shifting toward dewy finishes and invisible protection for daily wear, matching demand for SPF products that can act as makeup primers or glow enhancers.
Spate’s US sun care report found that brands treating SPF like sunscreen are losing ground to brands treating it like skin care.
Jenny Zeng, a beauty insights analyst at Spate, said consumers do not want products that feel like sunscreen anymore. They want formulas that disappear into the skin, work with makeup, and give some cosmetic result like a glow, blur, or natural finish. She said the fastest-growing benefit searches are mostly about sensory or cosmetic features, with protection already assumed.
In response, companies are creating new formulas and delivery systems to meet demand for better texture, performance, and feel.
Earlier this year, Shiseido created a new mist-type sun care product using Voyager, its AI-powered digital formulation platform. The system uses proprietary algorithms and a database of over half a million data points to guide product development.
Unified effort to drive sun safety
More consumers are adding SPF into daily routines, but not enough to make a clear impact on health outcomes. The industry is working on better textures to increase usage, and organizations are pushing a shared message to make sunscreen part of daily self-care.
Using the hashtag #WearSunscreen, people are encouraged to share their sun safety habits. The campaign partners hope this shows why sunscreen matters and encourages others to take simple steps to protect their skin.
Scott Melville, president and CEO of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, said the campaign shows a shared commitment from different stakeholders to make sun safety a daily habit.
The effort brings together voices from across self-care and personal care, including manufacturers, public health educators, survivors, and advocates, along with outreach to policymakers. The goal is to reinforce one message, daily sunscreen use saves lives.
