Every summer, sunscreen becomes a must-have—and in 2025, the category continues to evolve in exciting ways. Based on retail tracking data, here’s a clear view of the marketplace: what categories are winning, which brands are rising, and how buying habits are shifting.

🧴 Top 5 Sunscreen Brands by Market Share

The sunscreen category remains dominated by legacy players, but newer brands are carving out meaningful segments:

• Coppertone (Beiersdorf) leads the category with a strong 22% market share, emblematic of its well-established presence and broad reach.

• Banana Boat (Edgewell) holds 13%, a classic family favourite.

• Neutrogena (J&J) captures 11%, backed by dermatological heritage and trusted efficacy.

• Aveeno and CeraVe each command around 6–7%, earning attention for their dermocosmetic appeal.

• Hawaiian Tropic, a classic beach-centric brand, maintains approximately 5% of the market.

These five brands collectively account for more than 60% of sales, showing that heritage, trust, and family appeal still dominate shelf share.

🛍 Where Do Consumers Buy Sunscreen?

Shoppers reach for sunscreen in four key places:

The data shows that brick-and-mortar remains critical, especially for families and last-minute shoppers—but online continues to grow, accounting for 15% of the market in 2025.

🔍 Emerging Brands & Category Trends

While legacy brands dominate, newer names are making waves by responding to consumer values and innovation:

• Supergoop! leads in SPF sticks, serums, and mists, bringing everyday usability into sun protection.

• Coola and other natural brands are driving the reef-safe mineral movement, which now makes up about 52% of U.S. SPF revenue. Mineral formulas are set for strong growth—an 11.8% CAGR through 2030.

• Black Girl Sunscreen has emerged as a niche brand with strong e-commerce and retail success, delivering SPF 30/50 formulas designed specifically for darker skin tones.

• Milani and COSRX are gaining recognition as cosmetic-grade, skin-first SPF options, aligning with makeup routines and increasing online visibility.

• Vacation and Tan Luxe offer hybrid suncare products, like mists and mousses that double as SPF and cosmetic enhancers.

These brands reflect key consumer priorities: clean formulations, skin compatibility, cosmetic appeal—and strong digital platforms.

📈 Innovation & Clean Positioning

The sunscreen market is changing fast — and innovation is the name of the game:

• Mineral and reef-safe sunscreens now account for over half of category revenue, as consumers become more eco-aware.

• Format innovation (sticks, mists, serums) is expanding share by making protection easier and more consistent.

• Dermocosmetic positioning is aligning the category with clean-beauty and skin-health consumers seeking non-toxic, fragrance-free solutions.

In short, consumers now expect much more than SPF protection; they also want convenience, minimal ingredient lists, and hybrid beauty benefits.

✅ What This Means for Brands

Legacy brands should not be complacent. They need to adapt to cleaner, more functional formats—and ensure they’re present across key channels like online and specialty retail.

Emerging brands should double down on what works: audience-first messaging, cosmetic-grade feel, reef-safe formulas, and format innovation. Continued investment in e-commerce and brand storytelling will help them capture shoppers across the spectrum.

For both legacy and new players, the keys to success in 2025 are:

• Shelf-wide coverage, including mass, drug, online, and specialty

• Strong emphasis on clean and mineral formulations

• Format variety—stick, serum, mist—to match different consumer lifestyles

• Connecting with skin-driven benefits as much as barrier protection