Suncare’s share of skincare launches in India more than tripled over the past decade, indicating a category that is coming of age. However, usage remains low, with only a modest uptick from last year, pointing to a market still in education and habit-building mode rather than full-scale adoption.
Regulation is raising the bar. The BIS has introduced stricter norms, mandating in-vivo SPF testing and more rigorous UVA evaluation. This regulatory reset is driving higher standards of efficacy and credibility. Nearly 30% of users now actively seek clinical or lab-tested evidence before trusting a sunscreen, making scientific validation the new currency of trust.
Claims are evolving beyond protection. The ‘skinification’ trend continues to shape suncare, with brands borrowing cues from facial skincare to boost relevance and perceived efficacy. Brightening, moisturising and long-lasting protection are now well established, positioning sunscreens as multifunctional skincare rather than single-purpose sun blockers. This maturity opens headroom for the next wave – claims linked to skin health.
Ingredients reveal a gap. Indian launches still lean on legacy chemical filters and heavier mineral formats, while global innovation has shifted towards next-generation, high-efficiency UV-blocking systems. As ingredient literacy rises and more consumers research before purchase, brands have an opportunity to deliver higher SPF, stronger UVA stability and lighter, more wearable daily textures.
Formats are the next frontier. Texture-led innovation is driving sensorial satisfaction and convenience, showing the next wave of differentiation in India’s sunscreen market.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The use of suncare products
- Key trends shaping the sunscreen category
- Features/claims of interest in the suncare category
- The opportunity to lead with skin-led claims
- Ingredient trends in sunscreens
- Attitudes towards suncare products
Sunscreen growth in India will be driven by making daily protection relevant to non-users through pollution defence while advancing UV filter innovation and lighter, climate-suited textures to help existing users trade up and use sunscreen consistently.
Twinkle Behl, Research Analyst – Beauty and Personal Care, India
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- The outlook for the sunscreen category in India
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- Suncare’s share of skincare launches in India continues to grow
- Graph 1: % of suncare launches as a share of all skincare launches, 2015-25
- India’s sunscreen category is evolving beyond basic UV protection, embracing claims that actively promote skin health
- Graph 2: claim landscape for the sunscreen category, 2025
- Suncare’s next phase in India is skin health led
- Regulatory reset: sunscreen standards raise the bar for trust and innovation
- A snapshot of sunscreen ingredient regulations across regions
- Now: compliance becomes a trust signal as brands foreground in-vivo testing
- Sunscreen usage in India is improving but still far from habitual
- Graph 3: usage of suncare and aftersun products in the past 12 months, 2025
- Graph 4: usage of suncare and aftersun products, 2024 vs 2025
- Who are sunscreen users?
- Indian consumers want sunscreens that protect from today’s entire environment, not just the sun
- Graph 5: features/claims of interest in sunscreens, users vs non-users, 2025
- Indian consumers increasingly evaluate sunscreen through the lens of everyday skin maintenance
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DRIVE SUNCARE’S RELEVANCE WITH POLLUTION PROTECTION
- Worsening air quality is accelerating demand for environmental protection in suncare
- Projected growth in pollution-protection claims highlights a clear window for brands to step up and lead on this benefit
- Now: leverage advanced actives that deliver anti-pollution efficacy
- Now: unlock differentiation by innovating with blue-light-protection claims
- Graph 6: features/claims of interest in sunscreens, 2025
- Now: create awareness about blue light exposure via computer and mobile screens
- Next: elevate protection claims with weather-adaptive sunscreens
- Graph 7: features/claims of interest in sunscreens, 2025
- Next: innovate with weather-responsive sunscreen tech
- Future: from surface protection to cellular defence in anti-pollution suncare
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ADVANCE BRIGHTENING, REPAIRING AND ANTI-AGEING CLAIMS
- Leverage the steady growth of brightening claims to address underlying visible sun damage
- Graph 8: perceptions of skin condition following sun exposure, 2025
- The upward trend in brightening claims in sunscreens highlights a promising avenue for innovation
- Now: address dullness and an uneven tone for a visibly brighter complexion
- Now: harness the power of brightening actives to improve dullness and minimise dark spots
- Next: repair sun damage at the cellular level for brighter skin
- Now: promote the brightening/colour-correcting merits of purple sunscreen
- Indians over 35 show interest in sunscreens with anti-ageing benefits
- Next: tap into positive longevity-focused claims in sunscreens: collagen increasing and firming
- Graph 9: anti-ageing claim landscape for the sunscreen category, 2025
- Next: tap into positive longevity-focused claims in sunscreens: collagen increasing and firming
- Next: spotlight next-generation ingredients that target and prevent early signs of ageing
- Next: tap into the potential of longevity actives
- Next: NAD+ will be a powerful anti-ageing ingredient in sunscreens
- Graph 10: share of face care* launches with NAD+ ingredient mentions, 2020-25
- Next: a new approach to suncare – Humedit launches an all-in-one oral supplement for sun protection
- Supplements support topical suncare as bonus protection
- Future: track and trace skin damage from the sun
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SUNSCREEN INGREDIENT TRENDS
- A greater scrutiny of mineral vs chemical filters turns the UV protection mechanism into a trust lever
- India lags in global sunscreen innovation, creating headroom for next-gen UV filter adoption
- Graph 11: sunscreen launches, by the top 10 UV absorber and filter/scattering agents, 2023-25
- Graph 12: sunscreen launches, by the top 10 UV absorber and filter/scattering agents, 2023-25
- The next leap for India’s sunscreens lies in upgrading the UV filter system
- Marketings name for sunscreen ingredients
- Next: advance sun protection by adopting next-gen UV filters that enhance safety and performance
- Next: incorporate SPF boosters to raise the UV protection
- Meet the consumer demand for demonstrated efficacy in sunscreens with advanced tech and ingredients
- Graph 13: agreement towards suncare statements, 2025
- Next: double down on encapsulation technology to minimise direct contact with skin
- Next: offer strong protection that feels good on skin through technological innovation
- Next: use soothing actives to deliver comfort and relief during and after sun exposure
- Graph 14: perceptions of skin condition following sun exposure, 2025
- Cica overtakes aloe as the soothing signal in sunscreens
- Graph 15: sunscreen launches with soothing or calming* claims, by the top 10 botanical extracts, 2023-25
- Now: strengthen comfort-led positioning by integrating science-backed soothing actives
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ELEVATE LIGHTWEIGHT TEXTURES
- Mintel Reports trace a clear shift towards lightweight sunscreens, driven by rising consumer demand and innovation
- The shift towards lightweight textures will inspire new formats beyond gels and sprays
- Graph 16: share of sunscreen launches by formats and textures, 2024-25
- Graph 17: perceptions of skin condition following sun exposure, 2025
- Now: modernise traditional formats through lightweight texture upgrades
- Leverage serum formats as the next frontier in delivering ultra-light, non-sticky sun protection
- Graph 18: interest in sunscreen textures/formats, 2025
- Graph 19: interest in trying a serum format in sunscreens, by demographic, 2025
- Now: the positive growth trajectory of serum sunscreens presents a clear opportunity to capitalise on this emerging format
- Now: amplify the light and airy sensorial benefits of serum sunscreens
- South Korea leads the way in skincare-inspired sunscreen formats that prioritise sensorial appeal
- Graph 20: novel and emerging textures and formats in sunscreens, 2025
- Graph 21: novel and emerging formats and textures in sunscreens, 2025
- Next: ampoules, patches and bi-phase innovations will further enhance sunscreens’ sensorial appeal
- Next: dual-texture systems make sunscreens lighter and more breathable
- Key takeaways
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APPENDIX
- Abbreviations
- Generations
- Consumer survey methodology
- TURF analysis
- Social data research methodology
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