Poshly.com, the beauty-meets-data company, has some serious summer stats collected from its wide consumer (500,000-plus members who’ve answered more than 10 million questions about themselves) that would be helpful to any marketer looking to succeed in the warmer months. Here’s what consumers are thinking when it comes to self-tanning, sunscreen and seasonal beauty preferences.

Self-tanning

• 25% of women look for all-natural or organic formulas when selecting a self-tanner

• 59% of women say they don’t tan but for women who do, they keep it close-knit: 25% say they tan with a friend or family member

• 65% of women say they don’t use self-tanning products but 12% of women who don’t, want to start

• 77% of women who used to fake bake have stopped altogether thanks to statistics on skin cancer, while 10% of women admit to only going for special occasions

Sunscreen

• The top three most important qualities women factor into the sunscreen they use are SPF level (39%), how oily or heavy it is (27%) and whether it aggravates their skin (20%)

• 45% of women worry about dark spots and signs of aging when it comes to their sun concern vs. getting a sunburn (34%)

• Only 27% of women say they wear sunscreen every day, 30% say they try to apply daily but forget, 30% of women who say they only wear it seasonally

• 40% of women shop for sunscreen only in summertime, while 43% say they shop for it year-round

• Drugstores are the retail channel of choice for sunscreen at 74%, with beauty retailers (such as Sephora) and department stores evenly matched at 10%

• 51% of people said they will burn after 20 minutes in the sun

 
• 54% of beauty lovers do not reapply sunscreen throughout the day

• 21% don’t believe you need to reapply waterproof sunscreen post-dip

• 83% of sun lovers use aloe to treat a sunburn

• 57% prefer lotion, 32% spray, 3% stick, 2% gel, 6% other

• 57% of beauty consumers think the SPF in their makeup is sufficient for sun protection

Seasonal Preferences

• 33% of beauty lovers switch to a lighter fragrance concentration during the summer

• 52% believe a summer fragrance should be fresh versus floral, oriental, woody or other

• As the temperature rises, so does fragrance use for 14% of beauty lovers who say they use more during the summer compared to other seasons

• 28% say they use less fragrance in the summer than colder months.

• 50% step up their workouts for the summer while 29% stick to their usual routine

• 52% switch to lighter nail polish colors for the warmer months, while 37% keep it mood-based

 
• 6% of serum users use more facial serum during warmer months and only 25% use serum that has UV protection

• 18% are more likely to exfoliate during the summer compared to 20% of winter buffers

• 67% of beauty lovers change their makeup routine each season

• 48% of women either switch their nail polishes depending on the season, evenly matched with women who wear whatever catches their eye

Beach trends

• 54% of women choose to wear makeup to the beach but less than their normal routine, while 37% go barefaced and 9% maintain their usual routine

• Only 31% of sun lovers always use after-sun products, 36% say sometimes and 34% don’t bother

• Out of those who do use after-sun products, 81% use them to rehydrate and soothe their skin

• 52% of women wear less makeup when they’re tan, while 21% of women say their tan is all the makeup they need

• 58% of women skip eye makeup when going for a dip