By Rebecca Barnes
Online beauty retailer Face the Future has shared findings from a YouGov survey of 2,065 participants highlighting that 40 per cent of the UK only buy SPF when they go on holiday, and over half (55 per cent) of the UK only wear SPF when it’s sunny, despite medical guidelines to wear it daily year-round.SPF on holiday
- 40 per cent of the UK only buy SPF when they go on holiday.
- Just under half of men (48 per cent) admit to only buying SPF when they go on holiday, in comparison to a third (33 per cent) of women.
- People aged 55+ are the guiltiest of only buying SPF when they go on holiday, with just under half (47 per cent) admitting to doing so in comparison to 30 per cent of millennials aged 25-34.
Frequency of applying SPF
- Over half (55 per cent) of the UK only wear SPF when it’s sunny.
- 60 per cent of those aged 45-54 only apply SPF when its sunny in comparison to 43 per cent of Gen-Z (18–24-year-olds).
- A fifth (20 per cent) of men admit to never wearing SPF in comparison to 9 per cent of women.
Medical advice statement to wear SPF daily
- 45 per cent of the UK disagree with medical advice to wear SPF daily, even indoors or in winter.
Seeking a tan
- Gen-Z seek a tan but feel concerned about the risks the most, with 26 per cent admitting to doing so in comparison to 17 per cent of people aged 55+.
Skin cancer
- Over half—57 per cent—of women are worried about skin cancer in comparison to 41 per cent of men.
- 64 per cent of Gen-Z are not familiar with the symptoms of skin cancer in comparison to 40 per cent of Gen-X.
Reasons for being worried about sun exposure
- 14 per cent of the UK admit that nothing makes them worried about being exposed to the sun.
Reasons for skin damage
- 44 per cent of the UK attribute sunburn to the cause of their skin damage. This is highest amongst millennials, with over half (54 per cent) making this link, in comparison to over a third (34 per cent) of boomers.
"No matter the weather, the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays are ever present throughout the year, causing damage to the DNA in your skin cells that can result in premature ageing, skin cancer and a host of other skin-related issues," says Kimberley Medd, Head of Clinic, Face the Future. "Because of this, it’s important to wear your shield of UV protection every day to protect your skin against the likes of melanoma skin cancer."
Face the Future have announced a VAT Burn on sun protection products following the findings, with 20 per cent off products marketed for sun protection until the end of August 2024.
(1)2.png)