Japanese Sunscreens Go Global as Demand Drives Factory Expansion in Indonesia

Lightweight Formulas Drive a Growing Global Business

Japanese sunscreen makers are turning a surge of international interest into a wider manufacturing footprint, with new factories in Indonesia, Brazil and Germany. Their appeal rests on a demanding promise: strong protection against ultraviolet rays in formulas light enough to wear comfortably every day.

Indonesia has become a particularly important market. Its sunscreen sales have been growing at an average annual rate of 10%, with projections pointing to 14% growth in the coming years. The market was estimated to reach 262.5 billion rupiah by 2023, supported by rising incomes, greater awareness of skin health and the practical demands of a tropical climate.

Kao and Shiseido are among the Japanese companies responding with local production facilities. Manufacturing closer to customers allows them to adapt products to regional preferences, reduce costs and maintain supplies as demand grows. Their expansion brings together changes in skincare habits, social media influence and international business strategy.

YouTuber Hannah Price offers one illustration of how that interest spreads. Her video comparing Japanese and Australian sunscreens attracted more than two million views, taking questions about sun protection science, cultural preferences and product design to a large audience.

Japanese skincare is attracting the kind of international attention that previously helped South Korea's K-beauty movement spread. Consumers are discovering products through online reviews, buying them while travelling and looking for them in local shops. The attraction is especially strong when sunscreen feels less like a thick protective coating and more like an ordinary part of a daily skincare routine.

Why Texture Matters as Much as Protection

Japanese sunscreens are widely valued for a lightweight, non-greasy feel. Many Western sunscreens are described as thick or sticky, while Japanese formulas are designed to remain comfortable under makeup and in humid weather. For people choosing something to wear every morning, those differences can shape what they buy and how regularly they use it.

Kao and Shiseido have spent decades investing in research and development to combine strong ultraviolet protection with a smooth texture. Ultraviolet radiation, usually shortened to UV, is the part of sunlight these products are designed to guard against. Making a protective formula feel pleasant on the skin is a central technical challenge.

Takashi Fukui, research and development director for Kao skincare products, described the balance Japanese customers expect and the scientific work behind it:

It is technically difficult to develop formulas that block the rays effectively with a smooth texture, as demanded by Japanese consumers. But using scientific know-how to strike this tricky balance is what makes Kao different from other European or American makers.

That focus has helped turn texture into a selling point alongside protection. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, a product sold to the mass market, has gone viral for its pleasant feel and reliable protection, drawing positive reviews from influencers and dermatologists. The interest extends beyond expensive skincare: accessible products are also part of the Japanese sunscreen boom.

The Cultural Demand Behind Decades of Development

Japan's preference for protection from the sun has deep historical roots. Since the sixth century, fair skin has been associated with beauty and social standing. White powder imported from China became a symbol of nobility, and an old Japanese proverb says that "white skin covers the seven flaws."

The trend known as "bihaku," meaning beautifully white, gained strength in the 1990s. It encouraged the use of sunscreen and other cosmetics to avoid tanning. Those preferences helped create sustained demand for products that could protect the skin while remaining comfortable enough for frequent use.

Daily sunscreen use is now common among Japanese women seeking to prevent sunspots, premature aging and other effects of UV exposure. The desire for fair, unblemished skin has helped drive the development of products combining high protection with textures suited to ordinary routines.

Health and beauty concerns carry different weight across markets. In Western countries, awareness of skin cancer risks has helped make sunscreen an essential healthcare product. In Asia, preventing pigmentation and aging, alongside maintaining a fair complexion, often receives greater attention. Japanese manufacturers are selling into both sets of expectations as their reach expands.

How Social Media Carries Japanese Skincare Abroad

Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have made skincare routines and product comparisons accessible to audiences far beyond a brand's home market. An influencer can show how a sunscreen spreads, describe whether it feels sticky and compare it with familiar alternatives, giving viewers a reason to seek out an unfamiliar product.

Takuya Wada, a marketing executive at Kao, described the role of those platforms in international demand:

There are no borders when it comes to obtaining information on social media, especially Instagram and TikTok. Influencer posts have a very large impact on global sunscreen sales.

Price's video is one example of that reach. Her exploration of Japanese and Australian sunscreen brought together SPF science, cultural attitudes and innovation. SPF is the protection rating consumers encounter on sunscreen labels, making it one of the technical terms at the centre of everyday purchasing decisions.

Celebrity endorsements and viral reviews also feed interest in the wider skincare business. Fortune Business Insights valued the global skincare market at more than $115 billion in 2024 and projected that it would reach $194 billion by 2032. Those figures cover skincare broadly, with sunscreen benefiting from the growing attention paid to daily routines.

High profile celebrities such as Kylie Jenner have further promoted the importance of sun protection in beauty routines. Alongside brand campaigns, the recommendations of influencers and dermatologists are helping sunscreen become an everyday purchase rather than something associated only with a holiday or a day outdoors.

Which Japanese Brands Are Winning Customers?

Kao's Biore UV and Shiseido's Anessa are among the most prominent Japanese names in sunscreen. Biore UV ranks 10th worldwide for sunscreen sales and second in Asia, with lightweight formulas and broad-spectrum protection central to its appeal. Broad-spectrum describes protection across different types of ultraviolet radiation.

Anessa draws on more than 100 years of Shiseido research into UV protection and has been Japan's bestselling sunscreen brand for 21 consecutive years. Its products use technologies including Auto Booster and Triple Defense, which are designed to provide stronger protection in response to conditions such as heat, humidity and water.

Skin Aqua has also built a following, particularly for its UV Moisture Milk. Customers value its easily absorbed, non-sticky texture, qualities that suit tropical markets such as Indonesia. Shiseido's broader skincare business, beyond Anessa, is known for combining a holistic approach to skincare with advanced research.

Other Japanese names attracting attention in Indonesia and elsewhere include SK-II, DHC, Hada Labo, Kanebo, Hatomugi, Makanai and Kose. Natural ingredients, gentle formulations and continued innovation are among the qualities associated with these brands.

The range gives consumers several ways into Japanese skincare, from widely sold sunscreen to broader beauty routines. It also means the international interest reaches beyond a single viral product or manufacturer.

What the New Sunscreen Technologies Do

Japanese brands have developed technologies such as Aqua Booster and Auto Booster to strengthen UV protection when products encounter water, sweat or heat. These features are designed for active lifestyles and climates where warm weather and perspiration are part of daily life.

Anessa's Auto Booster Technology is designed to strengthen protection automatically when exposed to water, sweat or heat. Its Triple Defense Technology and Sun Dual Care combine protection with skincare benefits, including hydration, improved skin barrier function and a reduction in fine lines. The skin barrier is the skin's protective outer layer.

Some Anessa products contain up to 50% skincare ingredients. Combining sun protection with skincare is intended to make daily use comfortable without causing irritation or clogging pores. Japanese formulas are also often free from artificial fragrances and colours, catering to consumers with sensitive skin.

Those qualities help explain why shoppers increasingly compare sunscreen with other skincare products rather than treating it as a separate seasonal purchase. A customer may want protection, moisture, a comfortable finish and compatibility with makeup in the same formula. Japanese manufacturers have made that combination a central part of their product development.

Why Indonesia Is Central to Factory Expansion

Indonesia brings together strong sunlight, a large population of motorcycle riders and rising demand for skincare. People travelling by motorcycle face UV exposure during everyday journeys, making sun protection relevant to commuting as well as recreation.

Urban office workers are another important group. Their routines involve time both indoors and outdoors, and demand for SPF 50+ products reflects interest in high levels of protection. Consumers are also seeking formulas that remain pleasant to wear in heat and humidity.

The country's sunscreen market has grown by an average of 10% a year, while projections point to growth of 14% in the coming years. That would be an increase of four percentage points in the annual growth rate. The market estimate of 262.5 billion rupiah by 2023 gives a measure of the business attracting manufacturers.

Indonesian consumers are open to international brands and new formulations, particularly those offering added skincare benefits. Sensitive skin products and formulas marketed for brightening are among the needs manufacturers are trying to meet. Rising incomes and greater attention to skin health support that demand.

Kao and Shiseido are responding by building local production facilities. Producing closer to Indonesian consumers can reduce costs, support a steadier supply and make it easier to tailor products to local preferences. Factory expansion in Indonesia forms part of the broader Japanese manufacturing push that also includes Brazil and Germany. Opening dates and production capacities were not given.

Customers Want More Than a Traditional Cream

Tourists visiting Japan often buy sunscreen in bulk, while international demand has helped Japanese brands spread through drugstores and online retailers. Travel purchases and digital recommendations connect customers with products they may then seek again at home.

Young Indonesians and social media users are particularly interested in Japanese sunscreens. Reviews frequently focus on a lightweight feel, effectiveness and suitability for the local climate. Those are practical considerations for someone wearing a product during a humid commute or beneath makeup throughout the day.

Male customers and parents buying protection for children are also becoming more visible parts of the market. Their growing participation broadens demand beyond the consumers traditionally targeted by beauty advertising.

As the market develops, shoppers are becoming more selective. They increasingly look for additional skincare benefits, environmental sustainability and different ways to apply protection, including sprays, gels and serums. Manufacturers therefore face pressure to offer a useful combination of protection, comfort and convenience.

Competition Comes From Abroad and at Home

Japanese brands face established international competitors, including L'Oreal, Beiersdorf's Nivea and Bioderma. Korean companies have also expanded rapidly in Indonesia, accounting for more than 10% of imports in recent years. The popularity of Japanese products sits within a market where several countries' beauty industries are competing for attention.

Local Indonesian brands are also developing products to capture a share of rising demand. Although their ranges are less diverse, they add another source of competition in a market where consumers are receptive to new formulas and specific skincare benefits.

Japanese manufacturers are responding through product originality, advanced technology and attention to particular consumer needs. Those needs include sunburn relief, skin tone correction and compatibility with sensitive skin. A recognisable brand and a popular online review are part of the sales story, while the product's feel and suitability remain central to daily use.

Local production adds a business response to that competition. By adapting formulas and maintaining supply closer to customers, manufacturers can connect the scientific features promoted in their advertising with the textures, prices and availability consumers encounter when shopping.

Daily Protection Connects Beauty With Health

Regular sunscreen use is recognised as one of the most effective ways to protect skin against UV damage, premature aging and DNA mutations that can lead to cancer. DNA carries the instructions used by cells, and damage to it is one reason excessive UV exposure is a health concern.

Japanese products have gained attention partly through beauty preferences, including avoiding tanning and pigmentation. Their wider adoption also reflects growing awareness that protection from sunlight belongs in ordinary routines. Influencers, dermatologists and brands are helping communicate that message to audiences with different reasons for buying sunscreen.

Price, the YouTuber whose comparison of Japanese and Australian sunscreens reached more than two million views, described the benefit of wider public understanding:

The rise in education about sunscreens worldwide means you're going to be better protected in general, which is great for everyone.

For consumers, the immediate change is a wider choice of products designed to make daily protection comfortable. For Indonesia, rising demand is drawing manufacturing investment as Japanese companies seek a stronger local presence. The same qualities that attract attention online, including light textures and added skincare benefits, are shaping decisions about where those products are made.

Key Points

• Japanese sunscreens are gaining international customers through lightweight textures, UV protection technology and social media attention.
• Kao's Biore UV ranks 10th worldwide for sunscreen sales and second in Asia; Shiseido's Anessa has led Japanese sunscreen sales for 21 consecutive years.
• Indonesia's sunscreen market has grown by an average of 10% annually, with projections of 14% growth in the coming years.
• Kao and Shiseido are building local production facilities as Japanese manufacturers expand in Indonesia, Brazil and Germany.
• Japanese brands face competition from Western, Korean and Indonesian companies as consumers seek protection, comfort and additional skincare benefits.
• Daily sunscreen use connects beauty concerns with protection against UV damage, premature aging and DNA mutations that can lead to cancer.