L’Oreal USA, together with retailers, dermatologists, and nonprofit organizations, announced the inaugural National Sun Responsibly Day to be held on May 18. This industry-wide activation, taking place across the United States, aims to transform daily sun protection from a once-in-a-while activity into a universal, year-round habit.
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, aims to close this gap between awareness and action.
Retailers and brands across the entire skincare category are encouraged to participate in National Sun Responsibly Day 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.
“While skin cancer rates steadily rise, it is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer,” says Becky Kamowitz, Executive Director of The Skin Cancer Foundation, in a media release. “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.”
Background and Milestone
Sun Responsibly was launched in 2025 at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting as an unbranded, industry-wide Public Service Announcement by L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty, a division of L’Oréal USA. 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, competing retailers adopted the unbranded messaging, bringing the Sun Responsibly call to action to thousands of retail doors across the country.
The campaign marked its one-year milestone at the 2026 AAD Annual Meeting. Before an audience of more than 8,000 dermatologists, L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty convened 30 dermatology creators and thought leaders for an open forum on normalizing daily SPF usage. This session culminated in the establishment of May 18 as National Sun Responsibly Day.
National Sun Responsibly Day represents a defining moment for the skincare industry to present a consistent, ubiquitous message across retail, social, and clinical environments.
“When it comes to a public health crisis of this magnitude, it’s in all of our best interest to come together,” says Damien Favre, President of L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty North America, in the release. “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.”
