Sunscreen: between increasing sensivity and new trends, Italians are attentive, aware and curious

Seasonal adjustment of sunscreens, exceptional attention to face protection, the concentration of branded products, Korean trends and ease of use: the primary evidence emerged from Retex’s analysis of the volumes of Italian research on Amazon and in social conversations

The summer season has officially begun: to say it is not only the summer solstice but also a sharp rise in temperatures. Whether you sunbathe on the beach or visit art cities, walk along mountain paths or simply in the everyday life of the city, in this period it becomes essential to protect yourself from solar radiation!

Italians? More and more attentive, prepared and ready.

According to a survey by YouGov, in 2022, among the factors that most affected when buying sunscreens, Italian consumers to guide the choice were primarily the high protection of the skin (59% of respondents), followed, by equal value, the rapid absorption and price of products (36%).

The same attention to sunscreen is confirmed by evidence that emerged from user searches on the Amazon channel and listening to the conversation on social networks, conducted by Retex, a martech company specialising in services and technological solutions for Retail, thanks to the internal business intelligence teams of Witailer and Connexia.

On Amazon "Protezione solare" is in the top 10 of the subcategories in "Bellezza" for the Italian market, with the highest total search volumes during 2022.

But, while in the past year, the peak of searches on Amazon began to grow towards April, in 2023 the curve has soared since February, noting an increase of 110% YoY.

Even the conversations on social networks confirm the trend: it is mainly women (54%) to talk about it (between 26 and 40 years), but also men (46%), with profiles on average younger (18-25 years). The first peak is recorded already in February (+314.7% vs the previous year), mainly generated by Facebook and Instagram profiles of experienced dermatologists who stressed the importance of sunscreen not only in the summer season but also during the winter months.

All evidence points to a general increase in user interest in sunscreen products, which has become more consistent throughout the year, and reflects the growing awareness of having to protect the skin from the sun’s rays as a necessity to be seasonally adjusted.

The subcategory "Protezione solare", moreover, is highly characterized by branded searches, an index of a concentrated market with high brand awareness. 1 user out of 2, in fact, has clear ideas and directly searches for products of specific brands. In the top #5 of the most sought-after stands Isdin, constantly in the first place and with increasing growth rates. La Roche Posay follows, also with excellent growth rates. The revelation of the semester November 2022 - April 2023, however, is the brand Beauty Of Joseon, a Korean brand that recorded a +2.760% yoy, super sought on Amazon almost certainly because of the trend social "Korean skincare" exploded especially on TikTok. Closing the ranking of Eucerin and Heliocare.

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As for the most sought-after keywords, the interest in "high sun protection" is evident, such as products with SPF 50 (40% of the volumes generated in the last 12 months), with the first places in the ranking occupied specifically by the searches of face sunscreens. In the conversation on social media, we tend to juxtapose sunscreens face with everything that involves skin care: in the interest of users, anti-age, protective factor and hyaluronic acid have proven the main terms of association.

Analyzing emerging searches, that is, evaluating those terms that have grown more in absolute value than the same month of last year, confirms the popularity of Korean beauty products, not only regarding skincare but also for protection from sunlight.

In the semester November 2022 - April 2023, the search term "korean sunscreen" is positioned at the 5th absolute place, with a percentage increase of more than 1,100% compared to the same time range of previous years.

Another recent trend, always linked to the world of social media and then landed on Amazon.it, is that of the solar face stick: a fast and invisible UV protection, ideal to carry in your bag and practical for quick touch-ups, with a transparent finish, applicable below and above make-up and suitable for all skin tones.

In the list of emerging searches of the subcategory of these products easy to go on Amazon.it, we find "stick solare 50 viso" at the 6th place (increasing by 320%); follows "crema solare stick" at the 10th place (with more than 600%) and "stick solare" at the 16th place (up by over 400%).

For the query "stick solare" and its meanings there is a rather similar trend in volumes on social media: in the last two years, the growth of word of mouth between Facebook and Instagram users has been steady since March, with an increase of 65% in the trimester March-May 2023 regarding the same period last year.

This is a sensitive growth, in which undoubtedly the involvement of influencers has played a role, allowing greater visibility for this specific type of skin care products, and resulting in the amplification of messages.