SPF found to be key in makeup and skin care as market booms

28-Jul-2013 - Last updated on 29-Jul-2013 at 15:37 GMT

According to market researcher NPD Group, demand for makeup and skincare with SPF is booming as the segment reached $1.1 billion in US prestige department stores from June 2012 to May 2013, a 24 percent increase from three years ago.

The analyst’s latest information on beauty trends indicate that most of the current growth in products with SPF continues to come from skincare, where dollar sales have consistently increased by double-digits over the past three years.

“Whether it is health concerns, or a more superficial fear of looking older, the intensified focus on sun protection from the beauty and health care industries is having a real impact on consumers, and the market,” explains Karen Grant, NPD vice president and senior global industry analyst.

Makeup offering higher SPF levels sees boost in sales

The market researcher reckons that although there has been several bright spots in makeup with SPF dollar sales seeing a boost in the 12 months ending May 2012 (June 2011 – May 2012), there has also been a 56 percent decline in makeup with a lower SPF, which seen the segment declined by almost 5 percent this year (June 2012 – May 2013).

The report reveals that in makeup and skincare segments, products with SPF 15 remain the largest segment in sun protection with more than half of dollar sales.

Growth of makeup options in the SPF 15 segment were driven by a 6 percent higher average selling price compared to last year, but it was options which offered slightly higher levels of sun protection, SPF 20 and 25, that the market analyst says saw double-digit increases based heavily on an increase in units sold.

“It’s been said that ‘a good sunscreen is the best anti-aging product you can get’, and not only are consumers buying more products with SPF they are spending a little more on them to get that higher SPF number for better protection,” says Grant.

When it came to skincare, the majority of the growth occurred where the SPF was greater than 20. In particular, SPF 30, the second largest SPF segment in skincare at 13 percent of sales, grew significantly in the past 12 months ending May 2013.

While sun protection products at the highest SPF levels of SPF 50 grew 24 percent from June 2012 to May 2013 and now account for almost one third of all in sun sales.

“Sun protection is a great example of the power behind a product that not only addresses a need, but also has found ways to expand its reach and tap into the emotional component," she concludes.