Experts Speak

Internet trends make skincare brands use Instagram to market sunscreen

Skincare brands are leveraging Instagram to reframe sunscreen as an act of self-care and love, using influencer partnerships, educational content, and lifestyle storytelling to resonate with digitally savvy consumers. Brand leaders show how they are framing content to suit these consumers.

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Shamita Islur
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skincare brands market sunscreen

I have never been that careful with my skincare. For years, I have been the person who would step out into the scorching summer sun without a second thought, my skin exposed to the harsh rays while I went about my day. That changed when one of my close friends noticed the beginning signs of sun damage on my face during a casual catch-up.

"You need to start wearing sunscreen," she said firmly, her tone a mixture of concern and affection. She explained how unprotected sun exposure was silently damaging my skin cells and potentially setting me up for serious issues down the road. It wasn't just a piece of advice, she was showing me care. That's when it hit me. Sunscreen isn't just another product; it's an act of love. It’s a daily ritual that says "I value my health" or "I care about your wellbeing" when recommended to others.

Everywhere around me, I began noticing this pattern: mothers insisting their children apply sunscreen, partners reminding each other to reapply it during outings, friends asking each other about the kind of sunscreens that would work best for their skin type. These weren't nagging reminders but expressions of care and concern.

Marketing sunscreen as self-care on Instagram

This is exactly how brands in the skincare category are marketing sunscreen during the hot summer months. Their primary mode of communication? Instagram is the platform where skincare rituals and product recommendations have found their natural home.

One of Fixderma's recent posts on Instagram perfectly captures this sentiment. Its educational content focused on the harmful effects of sun exposure while presenting sunscreen as the solution. The caption read: "If someone is telling you to wear sunscreen, it means they love you because it prevents hyperpigmentation, ageing, skin cancers and a lot more.” 

 

The message is clear: recommending sunscreen is an act of love, and applying it is self-care, perfectly aligning with today's wellness-focused consumer mindset. With nearly two-thirds of sunscreen sales happening online, skincare brands are leveraging Instagram as their primary marketing platform this summer. Their strategies include:

Educational Content and Myth-Busting

Fixderma has created content emphasising how sunscreen is important even indoors due to blue light from screens. The brand has produced carousel posts and collaborated with influencers like Dr. Anuradha Sharma to educate consumers on topics like white cast, sunscreen benefits, and has created relatable reels that characterise sunscreen enthusiasts with Gen Z terms like "Sunscreen Paglu."

 

 

Skincare brands are witnessing a significant shift in consumer behaviour around sun protection. According to Shaily Mehrotra, CEO and Co-Founder at Fixderma India Pvt Ltd, "Our primary audience this summer is Gen Z and Millennials (18–35), particularly in urban and Tier I and Tier II cities. These consumers are more digitally aware, conscious about skin health, and are willing to invest in scientifically backed skincare."

In the skincare category, the brand is prioritising an educational approach, cutting through fleeting fads with dermatologist-backed credibility to provide consumers with accurate knowledge, explains Mehrotra. 

"Our brand-building strategy centres on this education, reflecting our commitment as a purely skin-concern driven company."

Influencer partnerships and lifestyle integration

HYPHEN has partnered with influencers to portray sunscreen as a shared act of love. In a reel featuring influencer Timsy Jain, she incorporates sunscreen into her morning routine and encourages her partner to do the same. 

 

The brand has also collaborated with content creators like Anita (anitasdigitaldiaryy), Vidhi Prajapati, Rohit Bose and more to highlight sunscreen ingredients and benefits for specific skin concerns like dark spots, dryness, and pigmentation.

 

Vaishali Gupta, Co-founder & Chief Growth Officer at PEP Brands (which owns mCaffeine and HYPHEN), shares that Instagram is at the heart of its strategy. 

“We're working with a diverse cohort of micro and nano influencers, user-generated content creators, and regional digital voices to build long-term partnerships with them."

These collaborations focus on themes like morning routine reels, 'SPF myth-busting' carousels, and travel skincare tutorials, creating authentic and relatable content that resonates with their target audience.

On the other hand, brands like Dot & Key maintain an aesthetic presence on Instagram, using colours and Pinterest-like boards to showcase different summer moods. It has created relatable reels depicting common consumer behaviours, such as going to buy one skincare product but returning with many more. Its visual strategy includes using fruits beneficial for skin health to match seasonal colour palettes, creating an appealing Instagram feed.

 

 

Safety and inclusivity messaging

Juicy Chemistry has taken a different approach by partnering with skincare content creators like Taabish to emphasise product safety and inclusivity. Its collaborative reels highlight features such as being pregnancy-safe, toddler-safe (2+ years), suitable for sensitive skin, and leaving no white cast, addressing key consumer concerns about mineral sunscreens.

 

Megha Pritesh Asher, Co-Founder & COO of Juicy Chemistry, has observed another important trend: "Consumers are shifting from occasional to daily sunscreen use. They seek lightweight, non-greasy, non-comedogenic formulas that layer well with makeup and skincare. There's also a growing demand for fragrance-free, pregnancy-safe, and reef-safe options."

Asher says that its core messaging this summer revolves around 'Sun Protection with Purpose' that goes beyond SPF numbers and dives into skin compatibility, safety, and long-term health.

"Unlike previous years, we're placing greater emphasis on biocompatibility and certified organic formulations."

Similarly, FCL Skincare focuses on educational content through collaborations with healthcare specialists like Dr. Niranjan Samani. These partnerships are educating consumers about safety procedures, benefits, and busting common sunscreen myths. It also highlights other products with SPF for sun protection beyond traditional sunscreens.

 

Vedika Chouhan, Senior Brand Manager at FCL Skincare, emphasises their approach: "We don't chase gimmicks—we educate. We drive home the idea of daily usage with benefits that go beyond SPF. Our formulations, certifications, and strong derma roots give us credibility where it counts."

Chouhan notes that sunscreen isn't occasion-led anymore; it's part of daily skincare. While adoption's growing fast, penetration's still low. The brand is focused on making sun protection a reflex, not a reminder.

Balancing performance marketing and brand building

In a bid to make skincare a reflex, brands in this category are significantly increasing their marketing budgets for sunscreen promotion during summer months. 

According to Gupta from PEP Brands, "This year, we've allocated nearly 25% of our annual marketing budget towards seasonal campaigns – a significant increase from last year." A substantial portion of this budget is directed toward digital platforms and influencer marketing, with Meta, YouTube, and Google leading in terms of ROI.

Skincare brands are striking a balance between performance marketing for immediate sales and brand-building for long-term growth. On the other hand, dormats like offline activations, influencer-led content, creator partnerships and long-form education help with brand building.

Fixderma takes seasonal allocation even further, with Mehrotra revealing, "Starting in February, we significantly ramp up our sunscreen category awareness efforts, dedicating approximately 90% of our marketing budget to this crucial segment until the monsoon season begins."

FCL Skincare maintains a similar strategic focus, with Chouhan noting, "Sunscreen now commands 20%+ of our annual mix. With demand peaking in summer, it takes centre stage in both budget and mindshare. About 80% of our top-funnel spends are geared around this category."

For the brand, the balance has shifted as market conditions evolved. "With rising CAC and falling AOV, performance-only playbooks are outdated—especially in mass categories like sunscreen," Chouhan points out. 

The brand has shifted focus to informative videos from leading dermatologists alongside influencer activation on top-funnel channels. Performance rides shotgun, mostly remarketing to users exposed via YouTube and OTT.

As consumer awareness continues to grow and the market becomes more sophisticated, sunscreen marketing is evolving beyond seasonal promotion to year-round protection messaging. Brands are focusing on education, inclusivity, and integrating sun protection into daily skincare routines.

The emphasis on digital platforms, particularly Instagram, is shifting the consumer purchase journey and emphasising the importance of visual storytelling in skincare marketing. By framing sunscreen as an act of love, both for oneself and for others, brands are aiming to shift perceptions and turn what was once seen as an occasional product into an essential daily ritual.

As I apply my sunscreen each morning now, I'm reminded of that act of love from my friend, a suggestion that likely saved my skin from years of damage. And as I scroll through Instagram, I notice how this same message of care and protection echoes through the sunscreen marketing campaigns of various skincare brands.

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