NEW YORK — Today, a combination of the nation’s leading retailers, dermatologists, nonprofit organizations, and a skin care manufacturer announced the inaugural National Sun Responsibly Day to be held on May 18. The landmark industrywide activation, taking place across the United States, calls for a fundamental shift in behavior, aiming to transform daily sun protection from a once-in-a-while activity into a universal, year-round habit.
The urgency of this mission is underscored by a stark public health reality: one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70, and more than two people die every hour from the disease in the United States according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. Despite these figures, the practice of daily sun protection remains inconsistent across the population. National Sun Responsibly Day, held during Skin Cancer Awareness Month, serves as a unified front to close this gap between awareness and action.
"While skin cancer rates steadily rise, it is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer," said Becky Kamowitz, Executive Director of The Skin Cancer Foundation. "The key to reducing the incidence of this disease lies in consistent, daily sun protection. By coming together for National Sun Responsibly Day, we are sending a powerful message that sun safety is not optional — it is a critical, everyday health practice that saves and improves lives."
"When it comes to a public health crisis of this magnitude, it’s in all of our best interest to come together," said Damien Favre, President of L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty North America. "Our mission with Sun Responsibly is to transcend brand boundaries and industry silos. By bringing together retailers, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, and manufacturers, we are focusing our collective reach on a single, life-saving goal of making sun-safe behaviors a non-negotiable part of every person’s daily routine."
Sun Responsibly Background
Sun Responsibly was launched in 2025 at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting as an unbranded, industrywide public service announcement by L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty, a division of L’Oréal USA, the largest subsidiary of the L’Oréal Groupe. The campaign was designed to unify key stakeholders around a singular, clear directive: encourage practicing sun-safe behaviors every day so that people can enjoy the benefits of the sun while minimizing the risk of exposure.
In its first year, the campaign demonstrated the unprecedented power of industrywide collaboration. Competing retailers — including Ulta Beauty, CVS, Walgreens, Meijer, Hy-Vee, and Kinney Drugs — adopted the unbranded messaging, bringing the Sun Responsibly call to action to more than 11,000 retail doors across the country.
The campaign returned to the center stage at the 2026 AAD Annual Meeting to mark its one-year milestone. Before an audience of more than 8,000 dermatologists, L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty convened 30 of the most influential dermatology creators and thought leaders — representing a combined social reach of over 22 million — for an open forum on normalizing daily SPF usage. This session served as the ultimate call to action, culminating in the establishment of May 18 as National Sun Responsibly Day.
National Sun Responsibly Day represents a defining moment for the skin care industry to present a consistent, ubiquitous message across retail, social, and clinical environments. Building on this momentum, Sun Responsibly, alongside leading retailers, is extending this call to brands across the entire skin care category, encouraging participation through coordinated social media campaigns, in-store displays, in-office signage, and digital activations to ensure that every consumer receives the same life-saving message on May 18.
Retailer Support for National Sun Responsibly Day
"When retailers come together around a cause that matters, we have a unique opportunity to break through the everyday noise and connect with shoppers in a meaningful and impactful way. We were proud to amplify the inaugural Sun Responsibly campaign in our stores and through National Sun Responsibly Day, we're continuing that work alongside industry partners to make sun care feel simple, routine, and top of mind — and encouraging others to help share that message," said Michelle LeBlanc, Vice President of Merchandising, Beauty and Personal Care and Hispanic Strategy for CVS Health.
"At Kinney Drugs, we see firsthand the critical role community pharmacy plays in prevention and education. National Sun Responsibly Day is an opportunity to reinforce the simple, life-saving message that daily sun protection matters. By working alongside our industry partners, we can help turn awareness into action and make sun safety a consistent, year-round habit," said John Marraffa, president of Kinney Drugs.
“Sun care continues to be one of the most dynamic and important categories in beauty, and National Sun Responsibly Day is a meaningful moment to highlight its impact. At Ulta Beauty, we’re excited to bring forward a curated and diƯerentiated assortment of SPF products across all price points and formats that meet our guests where they are, whether they’re looking for high-performance protection, skin-enhancing benefits, or eƯortless integration into their daily routines. As a leading beauty retailer, we play a critical role in shaping habits and driving education, ensuring that sun protection is seen not as an afterthought, but as a non-negotiable step in every skincare regimen,” said Penny Coy, Senior Vice President of Skin Care, Sun Care, Body Care, Hair Care, and Wellness at Ulta.
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