Can sunscreen be sexy? If you ask Dr. Rabach, the answer would be an emphatic yes. Sure, her job is to push you toward rituals and products that preserve your skin’s health, but she says she’s excited to see sunscreen be a “sexy topic” in 2025, pointing to aesthetically pleasing products like those from Vacation.
While the US is still slower to adopt new sunscreen filters than other countries, as far as texture goes, formulas will continue to improve in the new year, according to all of the dermatologists we interviewed. “Brands are in continuous pursuit of silky, lightweight textures that feel luxurious, making them easier and more enjoyable to incorporate into skin-care routines,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist.
Ava Perkins, a cosmetic chemist, echoes this, saying that brands are focused on marketing these textures for being close to serums and moisturizers. This translates to more “sunscreen drops,” “sunscreen serums,” and “sunscreen fluids” instead of lotions and creams. Early next year, you can expect a sunscreen that feels just like a lotion and color-corrects skin, which wowed editors on the Allure team who previewed it in November.
Dr. Garshick predicts next year will bring more shade options in tinted sunscreens for those with darker skin, as well as more hybrid formulas like tinted serums with SPF. This year, Supergoop launched its Protec(tint) Daily SPF Tint SPF 50 Sunscreen Skin Tint, a skin tint that offers medium coverage in 14 shades and sun protection with chemical and mineral filters. In May, Fenty Skin expanded its Hydra Vizor sunscreen line with the launch of the Hydra Vizor Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen, available in 10 flexible shades.