Aussie sunscreen brand readies for US growth

Australian sunscreen brand Ultra Violette is readying for significant growth as it launches into the world’s biggest beauty market.

Aussie Sunscreen brand Ultra Violette founders Bec Jefferd and Ava Chandler-Matthews in their Melbourne office. Photograph by Louis Trerise.

Aussie sunscreen brand Ultra Violette predicts North America will serve as its growth engine, driving 15 per cent of total global sales within 12 months of its launch.

The premium sunscreen brand will launch its bright-coloured products in 592 Sephora stores across the US next month and will support the launch with the brand’s largest marketing investment.

The expansion was made possible by a $15m investment into the business in 2024 by US equity firm Aria Growth Partners.

The finance injection was secured to propel the six-year old business’s international expansion, with the brand now available in 30 markets across Europe, UK, Asia, the Middle East and Canada.

Ultra Violette co-founders Ava Chandler-Matthews and Rebecca Jefferd said the aim was for the North American market to propel the business’s overall growth to achieve a targeted $52m in global sales for 2025.

“We’re expecting the US for year one to be 15 per cent of our total mix of international sales,” Ms Jefferd said.

The US launch follows Ultra Violette’s expansion into Canada in April 2024, where the brand has secured strong sales accounting for 8 per cent of total international sales.

Canada is currently Ultra Violette’s second-biggest market behind Australia, which accounts for 35 per cent of sales.

While Ultra Violette maintain the Middle East and Asia represent good future growth for the business, the combined North American markets are the most lucrative.

“The US is the biggest beauty market in the world and we definitely believe it will be our biggest market,” Ms Jefferd said.

“We launched into Canada last year and (the business is) doing phenomenally well, but our focus is making North America the growth engine for the business.”

Aussie Sunscreen brand Ultra Violette founders Bec Jefferd and Ava Chandler-Matthews in their Melbourne office. Photograph by Louis Trerise.

Ms Chandler-Matthews said while the brand enjoyed some awareness among US beauty consumers, it was putting significant investment into marketing with events, sampling, PR and social media marketing.

“It’s definitely the biggest marketing investment we’ve ever made in a new market, and actually in any market,” she said.

The big challenge for the business is educating consumers about its products and changing consumer behaviours to include sunscreen within a daily skincare routine.

Ms Chandler-Matthews and Ms Jefferd are credited with pioneering the sunscreen-as-skin-care category.

The duo hatched the idea while working for beauty giant Mecca, where they recognised the opportunity to combine UV filters and sun-protection formulas with skin serums.

Launching in 2019, the brand built a cult following via social media and an early deal with beauty retail chain Sephora helped supercharge its growth.

Ultra Violette leans into its Aussie roots to market the quality of its products, using the line, “made in the toughest place in the world to get a sunscreen approved”.

However, the US launch required two years of product modifications to meet US Food and Drug Administration regulations on UV filter ingredients.

The US product range will feature a curated selection of six products including a US exclusive called Vibrant Screen.

“Australia is a great place to formulate a sunscreen because the rules are strict and you have to follow good manufacturing principles and make the right claims but you’re allowed to work with a really broad set of ingredients,” said Ms Chandler-Matthews.

“A lot of manufacturers here formulate to the lowest common denominator and use the minimum amount of ingredients that are approved everywhere else in the world. We try and maximise our formulations by using the best ingredients that you possibly can. So that was what made it challenging for us.”

Ultra Violette has also invested in its product pipeline to ensure it has products to support the business through the next two years.

“We want to launch and remain on-shelf and grow and thrive. We are taking the view that the job isn’t done on the 28th of March, the jobs done when we move on to a bigger shelf space, employ a bigger team and move into other retailers. There’s a lot of more growth to be had and we really want to be a success story,” said Ms Jefferd.