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Why travellers are filling their luggage with sunscreen
07th July, 2026 01:25 AM
According to behavioural psychologist Carolyn Mair, attitudes towards sunbathing have shifted drastically since the 2010s.
While tanning was once associated with vitality and leisure, “today, sunscreen is increasingly viewed as part of everyday self-care and healthy ageing”. Skincare culture on social media, she adds, has helped reinforce this mindset – and introduce conscious consumers to innovative sun cream formulas from around the world.
The most coveted options come from the Asia-Pacific region and the Mediterranean, where summer temperatures can be intense. Rena Kim, Olive Young’s global communications lead, told the BBC that foreign visitors from over 190 countries accounted for more than 25 per cent of the company’s offline revenue in 2025, with sun care emerging as a standout K-beauty staple, particularly among US and Brazilian shoppers. Olive Young’s new Central Myeongdong Town location is reportedly flooded with tourists who arrive with suitcases and large shopping bags.
In 2023, EuroNews reported that TikTok had turned French pharmacies into tourist destinations. Three years on, beauty magazines call visiting them a “must”, citing products their beauty editors restock when in Paris. Sun cream is always on the list.
American consumers, in particular, are drawn to other countries’ sun creams because FDA regulations mean their advanced filters aren’t available in the US. “Sunscreen is one of the easiest things we can do every day to prevent [cancer and premature ageing],” says Patrick Coleman, a dermatologist based in New Orleans. “[Overseas sun creams] are decades ahead.”
But sun cream fever spans nations and ages. Zoe Karlis of Melbourne, Australia, visited Greece last year and delighted in buying sun cream at Greek pharmacies. “Overall, I have a lot of confidence in Australian sunscreens because our regulations are so strict,” she says. “[But] I love browsing the pharmacy aisles for brands we can’t get at home. It’s less about one being ‘better’ and more about the joy of discovering what’s out there. Losing an hour in a Greek pharmacy is half the fun of the holiday.”
Meanwhile, social media buzzes with hauls and recommendations. “It’s a rabbit hole,” says Francis-Agnew. “What’s available in Canada is very limited. Our regulations around UV filters are really restrictive, so we’re stuck with options that leave a white cast or feel greasy.”
The timeless allure of global beauty
Coveting other cultures’ beauty secrets is nothing new, says Mair. “French beauty has long been associated with effortless elegance, while Korean skincare has become linked to flawless skin and innovation. Admiration in one area spills over into perceptions of products and lifestyles.”
EU sun creams are renowned for using newer-generation UVA filters not approved in the US, like Mexoryl 400 and Tinosorb M. Korean sun creams have a reputation for superior cosmetic elegance. “Korean SPF is coveted largely because the user experience is exceptional,” says Chriselle Lim, founder and creative director of PHLUR. “They blend seamlessly into the skin without leaving the heavy or chalky finish that people historically associate with sunscreen.”
American dermatologist Ellen Gendler, a longtime proponent of international sun creams, educates her patients and Instagram followers on which sun creams to try and which UV filters are most effective. Because some international skincare companies have expanded to the US but altered their sun cream formulas to comply with FDA regulations, both Gendler and Patrick also tell their American patients where to buy the original overseas products. Popular online purveyors include Care to Beauty, Stylevana and Cult Beauty, but there’s often a high markup, and “the last few months with the tariffs, it’s pretty much impossible”, says Gendler. “[So] I tell them they should take a trip to Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia and buy them.”
Markups and tariffs equal far less than flights and hotels. But Patrick’s wife, skincare educator Melissa Coleman, believes that adventure trumps surcharges.
“You get a vacation out of the deal!” she says. It’s traveller maths.
The thrill of the hunt
Like international supermarkets and convenience stores, pharmacies and beauty retailers are havens of the everyday, yet thrilling in their novelty. Shelves of gleaming bottles bear unfamiliar brand names and indecipherable writing, but the promise of beauty needs no translation.
In the EU, La Roche-Posay and Spain’s ISDIN produce some of the most Insta-popular sun creams. Tourists in Korea look for Beauty of Joseon and RoundLab, to name a scant few. Japanese sun creams are renowned for their watery feel.
An avid tennis player, Clark is constantly under the searing Florida sun. High-factor sun cream, she says, is non-negotiable. “There’s a joke in my family that no matter where we are, I can spot a pharmacy from a mile away,” she says. “The green cross that represents European pharmacies might be my favourite sight while travelling.”
Memories that run skin deep
In Paris, queues at Citypharma – a discount pharmacy renowned for its massive selection – are often around the block. “I never go because it’s a madhouse,” says Melissa, who travels overseas three or four times a year. “It’s cheaper, but not that much cheaper.” In Paris, she prefers Pharmacie de la Mairie and Pharmacie Des Archives. “No matter how many times I see those walls of pretty European products, I think, ‘This whole wall is going to make me a better person.'”
Melissa has already been to Rome this season and is now in Greece. Each trip, between glamorous selfies on cobblestoned streets, she photographs her sun cream hauls. She brings home as many as 60 bottles. “I don’t keep most of them,” she assures me. “I wouldn’t have the cabinet space!” Instead, she gifts much of it to loved ones and holds giveaways for her followers.
On her most recent trip overseas, Francis-Agnew brought home 15 SPF products – some for herself, some for friends. “Customs haven’t flagged me yet!” she says.
