After-sun and self-tan products drive growth in sun care

The two product groups are leading the sector in terms of growth, compared to the more mature market for sun protection products, according to Datamonitor analyst Mark Whalley.

In Europe the sun care market (including after sun, self tan and sun protection products) stood at $3.06bn (€2.4bn) in 2009, up from $2.65bn in 2004, and is projected to reach $3.7bn by 2014, a compound annual growth rate of 3.9 per cent, according to the market research company.

Trading down not an issue in sun protection​

Whalley explained that the biggest growth in the sector in Europe has been self-tan products, adding that although sun protection products are not leading growth they have not suffered from consumers trading down like other sectors in personal care.

This, he said, is because consumers think of sun protection like medicines; trading down is seen as taking a risk as efficiency might be compromised.

In North America, it is after-sun products that are leading the growth in the sun care sector which was valued at $1.14bn in 2009.

According to Whalley, after-sun products have moved from being an added extra to having a central role in the beauty regime.

“It is no longer something you might or might not pop in your suitcase, it is now seen as a pretty necessary holiday product by many consumers,”​ he told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.

North American growth is predicted to be 2 per cent between 2009 and 2014 with the market growing to $1.27bn.

Asia Pacific’s compound annual growth rate up to 2014 is predicted to be slightly higher, at 4.9 per cent, with the market valued at $1.96bn in 2009.

In the Asia Pacific region, growth is buoyed by China and Korea, according to Whalley, where the markets are booming.

Delivery important for sun protection​

Regarding new products, Whalley said that in the sun protection category product developments are usually related to efficacy and delivery.

“Any developments that make products easier to apply usually do well with consumers. In general with sun care, consumers just want to know that it works,”​ he said.

In addition, sun care protection products that make sensitive skin claims are becoming more prominent in the marketplace, reflecting a trend in skin care products in general, the analyst noted.