Sales of Makeup and Skincare with SPF increased

The NPD Group, a global information company, reports sales of makeup and skincare with SPF reached $1.1 billion in US prestige department stores from June 2012 – May 2013, a 24 % increase from three years ago.

NPD BeautyTrends® indicates 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. Overall, dollar sales of makeup with SPF saw a boost in the 12 months ending May 2012 (June 2011 – May 2012), but due in part to a 56 % decline in makeup with SPF 10, the overall segment declined almost 5 % this year (June 2012 – May 2013). However, there were several bright spots in makeup with SPF.

In makeup and skincare, products with SPF 15 remain the largest segment in sun protection with more than half of dollar sales, the company stated. Growth of makeup options in the SPF 15 segment were driven by a 6 % 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 saw double-digit increases based heavily on an increase in units sold.

According to the market researcher, 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 % of sales, grew significantly in the past 12 months ending May 2013. Sun protection products at the highest SPF levels of SPF 50 grew 2 % from June 2012 to May 2013 and now account for almost one third of all in sun sales.

"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,” said Karen Grant, vice president and senior global industry analyst, The NPD Group. “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.”