How suncare-meets-skincare brand Supergoop! is changing the way you think about SPF

Its hard to remember a time of sunscreen use before Supergoop.

Making sun protection fun and appealing once seemed like an incongruent idea (after all, who remembers the day of thick and greasy layers of heavy-duty sunblock?). But the cruelty-free US-based cult skincare-meets-sunscreen brand has managed to achieve exactly that.

Supergoop!, which calls to mind sunny days as a child playing with goop (is even that a word?), is arguably single-handedly responsible for creating a new generation of sun protection for every skin type, lifestyle and preferred finish – so that there is absolutely no excuse for you to not wear sun screen.

Case in point: theres the Unseen Sunscreen (which virtually literally disappears into nothing on even the deepest of skin tones), the soon-to-be-launched 100% Matte Mineral primer which not only offers a broad spectrum protection but both mattifies and blurs your skin) mattifying primer, the Glow Stick Sunscreen with SPF50, an ultra-hydrating non-greasy dry oil that is perfect for travel, and more.

Its Philosophy: Making SPF a lifestyle choice

Founded by former third-grade teacher Holly Thaggard, the brand has a personal backstory. After a close friend went through a skin-cancer care, Thaggard made it a mission to design products that made sun protection a lifestyle choice so second-nature it was part of your daily routine.

Its philosophy to weave in sun protection into all its products is evident in all its launches – theres SPF eye creams, face mists, primers, and even a beautiful glow oil – which ensures youre constantly protected throughout the day without even thinking about it.

The #1 reason why people skip sunscreen – and how Supergoop! is changing that

“Ive heard every reason why people skip sunscreen,” Amanda Baldwin, President of Supergoop! shares. “They hate the texture, the thick formula, the white cast.” According to her, an astounding 80% of Americans skip sunscreen – this in spite of growing awareness of the harmful effects of the sun.

“Sunscreen used to be seen as a chore, or something that you did before beach days,” she shares. But the brands mission is to constantly create and develop everyday products with SPF in it so that no matter what youre doing, youre constantly protected from the sun. “We want to to be a lifestyle choice, which is why weve chosen fun packaging – even our brand name is meant to be fun and approachable.”

“What we focus on for every product is finding the right texture. Its actually great for us to have since launched in Asia (which is our first international venture outside of the U.S.) because the innovations in Asia are great for perfecting that lightweight finish.”

DIFFERENT WAYS TO INCLUDE SPF IN YOUR ROUTINE: ON YOUR SCALP AND EYELIDS?!

“Holly (the brands founder) is so passionate about SPF, and constantly expanding on how we can include it in our daily routine,” she shares. “She actually uses up to 25 SPF products on her face!”

And this conviction in the importance of sun protection has seeped into everything the brand launches, which have since also expanded to include suncare-meet-skincare and even makeup. Theres an anti-aging eye cream with SPF37 (who knew you needed SPF on your eyes?!), a mattifying makeup mist with SPF50 (which you can re-apply throughout the day to keep your visage fresh, matte and protected), and even a beautiful SPF-infused face oil that makes for the perfect all-over face glow.

Clean Ingredients Only

Theyre forever tinkering with the products as well. “Weve changed the Everyday Sunscreen seven times since we first launched in 10 years ago… which is not typical of skincare or beauty brands,” says Amanda. Its certainly unusual for beauty brands, who typically dabble in re-launches as a way to reinvigorate interest in their signature products.

The reason? “Were constantly looking at ways to make our products contain the cleanest ingredients possible, and our research lab is always experimenting with new developments in this direction.”

Clean beauty is certainly a trend that Amanda is personally optimistic about. “I love the wave of clean beauty in the industry, and thats exactly where we want to take Supergoop! to.”

The Biggest Misconceptions About Sunscreen

“There are so many – from people with deeper complexions thinking they can get away without SPF, to the assumption that the higher the SPF, the more protection youre getting.”

Although consumers are now more discerning about the skincare they use, she concedes that there are still misconceptions. For