Here Comes the Sun

All over America, consumers are already planning ahead for the look they want in short skirts, sleeveless shirts, bathing suits and thong sandals. These days, personal care products are an integral part of summer prep. And increasingly, shoppers are looking to specialty stores for their summer care.

"For beauty, the specialty store channel is at 9 percent, and it's been one of the fastest growing channels for the past decade or more," says Carrie Mellage, industry manager of consumer products for Kline & Company, Little Falls, NJ, a management consulting and market research firm.

So even though it's only February, it's time to put those skin care regimens next to the yoga mats and healthy snacks — customers are getting ready for summer!

After years of resistance, consumers are finally getting the message that tanning, not just burning, is unhealthy. The emphasis on preventing signs of aging was what finally did the trick. According to a recent study by BuzzBack Market Research, New York, 61 percent of women now worry about sun protection.

"Any time you pick up a magazine or look at a news report they're talking about the dangers of sun damage. The public is much more aware than it used to be," says Bunnie Gulick, owner of ISUN Visions LLC, Telluride, CO.

Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, estimates that combined U.S. sales in the sun and lip care markets reached $2,215.5 million in 2004, up from $1,927.2 million in 2000.

Yet many still need to be educated about sunscreen — especially young people. Eighty percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, yet 59 percent of teens believe that people look healthier with a tan; 43 percent lay out in the sun, and only 30 of those always use sun block. Meanwhile, 28 percent of female and 14 percent of male teens say they never use sun block.

Even after the teen years, consumers aged 25–34 are prone to using sunscreen with SPF levels below the recommended 15, according to Packaged Facts. Women also tend to use lower protection levels. In addition, those who wear sunscreen often don't reapply every two hours as recommended — especially if they're not at the beach or pool.

"They need to reapply throughout the day, even if they're gardening," says Rita Vescera, co-founder of Shady Day, Montclair, NJ.

One place many people forget to wear sunscreen is on their lips. Michele Dispensa, owner of Relish Beauty, New York, offers a lip and face protector that combines SPF 15 sunscreen with cosmetic shimmer. "It's accessible, it's easy, it's in your purse," she says, adding that lip products should be applied more regularly than sunscreen, especially if you eat.

Jennifer Odell, Vescera's partner at Shady Day, explains, "The biggest reason people don't use sunscreen is the messy factor and the time factor." To remedy that problem, Shady Day created its Daily Sun Protection Wipes, an easy, convenient, fast-drying alternative to sunscreen.

"People like the fact that it doesn't smell like suntan lotion, and you're not lugging around a big bottle," adds Odell. "If you're putting lotion in your hand, it's messy, it stains your clothing; with the wipes, you can be much more precise in your application."

Features that differentiate specialty sun care product from drugstore offerings include water- and sweat-resistance, easy application with sprays or wipes, fast absorption without greasy feeling or clothing stains and multiple benefits in a single product.

"A major trend in the sun care industry is toward products that do more than just protect against UV rays, such as sunless tanners that include a sun protection factor (SPF), combination sunscreen and insect repellent or SPF combined with special moisturizing ingredients," according to Sun Care and Lip Care Products, a 2005 Packaged Facts report. The report also noted that older adults are moving toward sunscreen with anti-aging properties.

Yet another aspect of sun care that's just starting to reach consumer consciousness is broad spectrum protection, which guards against a wider range of UV rays. Gulick notes that her ISUN Visions line protects skin cells from UVA and UVC rays, where she says the damage is really done. "Most product is focused on UVB rays. But I think the trend is going toward protecting the DNA of the cells and protecting the skin from free radical damage."

Many consumers don't yet realize that a high SPF rating alone is not a guarantee of broad spectrum protection. That represents an opportunity for independent retailers to educate consumers, and a way to persuade them that premium product is worth a higher price.

Though consumers want to avoid sun damage, many still want that golden glow, especially on legs that are covered throughout the winter. Yet the American Academy of Dermatologists warns that tanning under sunlamps can also be harmful.

Fortunately, sunless tanning products have come a long way since the days of artificial orange. Offer products in a range of skin tones, so customers can find their perfect match. Products containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a chemical FDA-approved for external use, react with the skin's own tanning mechanism.

Spray on "stockings" or cover-up for varicose veins are also becoming popular, as more customers choose to go barelegged (pantyhose sales have sagged since the mid-1990s). But they'll still need sunscreen: according to the Academy, the lower leg is a frequent site for skin cancer.

After subjecting skin and hair to sun, chlorine or salt breezes, consumers want products to lock in benefits and soothe away unwanted side-effects. Specialized moisturizers and shampoos, for instance, can strip away chlorine buildup or protect and restore color-treated hair.

After sun exposure, says Gulick, users should apply a product that does three things: replenish skin tissue with hydration; soothe the skin with ingredients that reduce redness or irritation (aloe, macadamia nut oil, kukui nut oil, or licorice root); and repair damage with antioxidants. She cautions, however, that some products "don't have enough antioxidants to do the job or aren't well-assimilated by the skin." And lotion isn't just for aftercare. "Moisturize to prevent dehydration before you go out in the sun," urges Gulick.

Both Gulick and Dispensa warn that sun protection products themselves can sometimes cause problems. "Most of the FDA approved products are chemical-based, and most of those chemicals can also do damage to the skin," says Gulick.

The Packaged Facts report forecasts: "As the trend toward natural and organic products grows, the sun and lip care category will see more introductions … with extracts from herbs, flowers, fruits and seeds replacing synthetic ingredients."

Dispensa makes all her products without petroleum because "even though petroleum is a good sealer, it dries your [natural] oils, so you want to reapply," she says

And according to Dispensa, sometimes the problem is simply too much of a good thing. "Now everything has an SPF, which is great," she says. "But people are using it at night. If people are using it every day, night and day, they can become dry. For night, you should get something that doesn't have sunscreen in it," she advises. And that's one more chance for a retailer to up sell a single purchase into a complete skin care package.