2026
9
UK Attitudes towards Sunless Tanning Consumer Report 2026
2026-03-20T10:01:33+00:00
REPD3610D7A_A7A9_47B1_A10D_7AA7A967B1EA
2195
192110
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Report
en_GB
58% of UK self‑tan users tried a sunless tanning brand they hadn't used before in 2025, a notably high level of experimentation for a category traditionally shaped by routine and…
UK
Suncare
Consumer Attitudes
simple

UK Attitudes towards Sunless Tanning Consumer Report 2026

"Consumers are aiming to be more tanned (and skinnier) than ever, signalling a shift in beauty ideals. Smarter shade tech and skin‑first performance can grow the self-tan market."

Shiyan Zering, Senior Beauty and Personal Care Analyst

Shiyan Zering, Senior Beauty and Personal Care Analyst

58% of UK self‑tan users tried a sunless tanning brand they hadn’t used before in 2025, a notably high level of experimentation for a category traditionally shaped by routine and fear of mistakes. This points to weak loyalty in the category and suggests many users feel their current products aren’t fully meeting their needs. Win share quickly with clearer undertone systems, more reliable results and skincare or makeup‑aligned products that feel worth switching for. Strong performance, better shade accuracy and credible skin‑first claims can turn these switch‑prone users into long‑term loyalists.

At the same time, the category’s most active and valuable users, Gen Z and younger Millennials, are shifting toward ‘real’ tanning methods and disengaging from key formats. Re‑engaging this group to win share back from professional sunbed usage is the defining growth priority through 2026–27.

With high interest in mini sizes, brands can boost penetration by pairing clearer in‑store navigation with mini trial formats that let shoppers test depth and undertone before committing. Minis lower risk while retaining premium cues, improving trial, accuracy and long‑term value capture.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Evolving usage trends in sunless tanning and the risks posed by Gen Z’s shift toward UV tanning
  • Opportunities to elevate shade accuracy and undertone‑specific innovation across fair, medium, olive and deeper skin tones
  • How to overcome major barriers to adoption, including safety fears and mess anxiety to poor in‑store visibility and confidence gaps
  • The role of seasonality in limiting category value, and how to build relevant routines to boost year-round frequency
  • How beauty and social media trends are reshaping expectations, accelerating demand for glow‑first, skincare-hybrid, contour and brightening formats.
  • Brand and retail dynamics revealing which brands consumers use most, which ones are innovating, and how minis and tech‑guided shade tools unlock penetration

Market Definitions

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

  • sunless/self-tanning products in any format
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for sunless tanning products
    • Opportunities
    • Act now: the category is open, experimental, but under pressure
    • Act now: respond to social media-driven tanning trends with a believable, glow‑first strategy
    • By 2028: reduce risk and grow reach through clearer discovery and trial opportunities
    • By 2030: unlock year round-growth by reframing self-tan as everyday skin enhancements
  2. MARKET FACTORS

    • Snapshot – market size
    • Demonstrate value per use and keep pricing accessible to retain users
    • Graph 1: the financial confidence index, 2017-26
    • Tapping into Gen X’s shade needs can stabilise category value
    • Social media-led routines can drive glow‑enhancing self‑tan growth
    • Reclaim value by promoting self‑tan as the safer alternative to UV tanning
    • Promote healthier, sun-safe habits to younger consumers
    • Embed self‑tan into preventative skincare routines to grow frequency
    • Win trade‑up spend with specialised, skin‑condition‑safe innovation
    • Occasion‑led opportunities to grow category value
    • Mass market self-tan brands are the most well-used
    • Drive brand value growth by shifting users to trade up
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • How to increase usage of sunless tanning products
    • Sunless tanning format demand sees little shift
    • Graph 2: usage of select sunless tanning products in the last 12 months, 2024-26
    • Gen Z return to the sunbed
    • Retain high‑value younger users by reframing self‑tan as the safer, easier glow
    • Graph 3: usage of any sunless tanning product in the last 12 months, by generation, 2023-26
    • Year‑round self-tanners prefer low‑maintenance, routine‑friendly formats
    • Extend seasonal usage for sunless tanning to colder seasons
    • Turn body-only self-tan users into full routine converts
    • Opportunities to elevate the range of self-tan shades
    • Natural‑looking warmth matters more than going darker
    • Natural‑match innovation is key for men over intensity
    • Create fair‑skin “even & match” shades to drive penetration
    • Meet medium/olive skin tone demand for warmth and depth
    • Melanated skin tones require better undertone‑specific shade innovation
    • Unlock a disengaged segment by building trust with co-creation
    • Self-tan users are interested in using tech for shade guidance
    • Boost product confidence and drive trial with tech and minis
    • How to overcome barriers to adoption
    • Address multiple friction points to gain relevance in routines
    • Lead with skin safety to win risk-averse consumers
    • Address practical fears to build usage confidence
    • Show clear value to convert cost-cautious non-users
    • Improve in-store visibility to close the self-tan discovery gap
    • Reposition applicators as core tools to drive routine usage
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Makeup-ify the self-tan segment to capture wider audiences
    • Speed‑driven, skincare‑led formats have innovation potential
    • Prep‑and‑aftercare systems can elevate self‑tan performance
    • Self-tan users show high brand experimentation
    • Lack of private label launches signals major missed opportunity
    • Differentiate through biotech-driven DHA innovation
    • Re‑enchant self-tan routines through sensorial formulas
    • More innovation in tanning supplements can tap into the inside‑out beauty momentum
  5. APPENDIX

    • Supplementary data
    • Population estimates
    • Market definition
    • Market segmentation – suncare
    • Market share – self-tan
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • UK generation groups
    • Other methodologies
    • Mintel Spark
    • Abbreviations

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