Post-Sun Care Is Set for a Global Boom

Sun repair is gaining momentum. Between 2020 and 2025, the global after-sun market surged 30% in retail value terms to reach $884 million, according to Euromonitor International. And while still a drop in the bigger suncare ocean—worth $18 billion in 2025 and up 58% since 2020—after-sun care continues to rise, driven by agile and innovative startups, forward-looking consumers, and overarching longevity desires worldwide.

The category, however, has long been defined by a small selection of aloe gels, after-sun lotions, and burn creams sold alongside a comparably huge array of sunscreens. And new product launches are still few and far between, accounting for just 5% of global suncare launches in 2025, according to Mintel.

But what if the next generation of leaders sees this space differently? And what if brands coming through the ranks flip after-sun on its head? We dive into what experts consider to be one of the most disruptive skincare movements: after-sun repair.

Innovation Beyond Soothing Aloe Gels

“Post-sun care is becoming a highly opportune space because consumers increasingly understand sun exposure, not simply as an occasional source of sunburn, but as a cumulative contributor to visible aging, pigmentation, dehydration, sensitivity, and loss of skin resilience,” explained Michael Nolte, SVP Creative Director of global trend insights platform Beautystreams.

There is an array of brands that understand this and are launching products and ranges to tap into these needs, Nolte said. American skin and hair care brand Exoceuticals, for example, combines exosome technology with aloe-derived exosomes to target hydration, visible redness, and skin recovery after UV exposure. Shiseido-owned Japanese brand Annessa works with niacinamide for barrier-supportive hydration and wrinkle-care benefits in its Night Sun Care Serum, building on the parent company's deep focus on cellular skin health, which recently included Shiseido research into cilantro extract to clear aged skin cells.

And emerging UK brand Zure Solaris is taking a premium approach to skin longevity and sun repair with biotech-inspired actives that offer barrier support alongside highly sensorial textures. This premiumization of after-sun care mirrors a broader trend across the industry, where mass-market personal care brands are rebranding to focus on clean performance.

“Innovation is moving post-sun care well beyond traditional aloe-based soothing gels. We are seeing a shift towards regenerative, barrier-supportive treatment formulas that target redness, dehydration, oxidative stress, uneven tone, and the longer-term visible effects of sun exposure,” Nolte said.

Sonali Jagadev, Senior Analyst at Euromonitor International, agrees. “Brands are increasingly moving beyond the traditional positioning of after-sun products as simple, soothing treatments. Instead, they are incorporating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, barrier-repair actives, and skin-recovery technologies to address the longer-term effects of UV exposure.” Peruvian brand Yanbal, for example, uses a marine biotech extract alongside hyaluronic acid in its Total Block Moisturizing After-Sun Repair Gel, and American brand Pacifica integrates antioxidant-rich apple extract into its After Sun Soothing Body Gelato.

The space also now touts “barrier repair,” “deep hydration,” and “anti-inflammatory,” alongside a variety of longevity and skin recovery claims, Jagadev said. “This evolution aligns with broader beauty trends, such as skinification, preventative skincare, and multifunctional product innovation, creating opportunities for brands to extend consumer engagement beyond sun protection and build more holistic suncare regimens.” This shift toward multifunctionality was also highly visible at recent trade events, where next-generation SPF and skin health innovations took center stage.

Bringing Sun Repair to Everyday Beauty

Samuel Cheney, co-founder of Zure Solaris, said the future of post-sun care certainly looks very different from what consumers have become accustomed to.

“Post-sun, sitting next to a line-up of innovative SPF launches, had been abandoned—left in the '80s as bright green aloe gels and mass-market afterthoughts predominantly focused on treating sunburn,” Cheney said. “Nothing on the market took a holistic view of sun exposure, of the visible and biological effects that accumulate with every hour skin spends in the sun.”

Zure Solaris, founded in 2025 with a small range of serums, shower rinses, and body gels, aims to change this, by sitting at the “intersection of an underdeveloped sub-category of one of the fastest-growing categories in skincare,” he said. Their products contain a range of active plant, biotech, and synthetic ingredients designed to brighten, soothe, energize, and condition the skin, according to the company. “We knew there was another chapter in the sun care story,” Cheney said.

The brand's overarching goal is to bring sun repair into daily beauty routines and rituals rather than having it sit as a “vacation afterthought,” he explained. Zure Solaris wants to “take post-sun from a forgotten shelf in the pharmacy and establish it as an essential, year-round step in skincare, the same way SPF earned its place over the last decade.” The SPF category, he said, proved that consumers will adopt a sun-related habit year-round.

Dr. Robin Smith, co-founder of Exoceuticals, said sun repair certainly hasn't received the focus it deserves. “I've spent more than three decades studying regenerative medicine, stem cells, and how the body repairs itself. One thing that has always fascinated me is that while we've made incredible progress in preventing sun damage, we've paid far less attention to helping the skin recover after exposure,” Smith said.

Exoceuticals made its foray into sun repair in 2024 with the launch of Exo Sun, a lightweight face cream containing proprietary exosomes and an aloe vera extract designed to “repair, hydrate, and restore sun-stressed skin,” according to the company. The product, Smith said, has already exceeded expectations. “What's especially exciting is that consumers are beginning to use it differently from traditional after-sun products. Instead of waiting until they are sunburned, many are incorporating it into their routine after golf, tennis, boating, skiing, beach vacations, or simply spending time outside. That shift tells me we're changing the conversation from treating damage to supporting healthy skin recovery every day.”

Looking ahead, Smith says after-sun products will likely evolve into daily recovery products that help address cumulative environmental stress from the likes of UV exposure, pollution, blue light, climate, and lifestyle factors. “That's a much bigger opportunity than simply treating sunburn.”