Survey: SPF, Tans, and Dating Dealbreakers

Sunscreen and tanning might not be the first things that come to mind when thinking about dating compatibility and potential dealbreakers. But for a share of young American daters, how someone approaches sun protection—and how much they talk about it—is worth paying attention to. 

Hily surveyed 4,500 Gen Z and Millennial daters to find out how sunscreen habits and tanning preferences factor into modern romance. The responses show that something as simple as daily SPF can function as a green flag, a dealbreaker or a personality indicator, depending on who’s asking. 

Here are some key findings from our survey:

• Of the survey responses, 1 in 5 women and more than 1 in 3 men wouldn’t date someone who doesn’t use sunscreen on their face
• 70% of surveyed women and 64% of surveyed men think making sure a partner wears sunscreen is a form of care
• Close to 50% of Gen Z women and 27% of men wouldn’t date someone overly focused on getting a tan
• 1 in 3 Gen Z and Millennial women and men find people more attractive when they have a tan 

Who’s Actually Wearing Sunscreen

Before getting into what daters want from a partner, it’s worth noting what they’re doing themselves. 23% of Gen Z women and 37% of Gen Z men (compared to 26% and 29% of surveyed Millennials, respectively) say they never use sunscreen on their face. The group most likely to make sunscreen a dating consideration is also, in part, not using it consistently themselves.

More Than Just Skin Deep

For some daters, SPF is more than a personal choice—it’s a compatibility filter. For Gen Z, 1 in 5 women and more than 1 in 3 men say they wouldn’t date someone who doesn’t use sunscreen on their face. The expectation exists even among those who don’t always meet it themselves.

On the warmer end of the spectrum, offering sunscreen reads as thoughtful rather than intrusive for most daters: 71% of Gen Z women and 69% of Gen Z men say they’d find it considerate if a date offered them sunscreen, while 69% of Millennial women and 63% of Millennial men feel the same way. A small tube of SPF can have a big impact.

That sentiment extends further—70% of Gen Z women and 64% of men think making sure a partner wears sunscreen is a form of care. SPF as a love language isn’t in any book yet. The data suggests it probably should be.

For some, the absence of that concern carries its own meaning. For 25% of Gen Z women and 15% of men, a partner’s indifference to whether they wear sunscreen says something about how much that partner cares. It’s a minority view, but one that’s specific and telling.

Helpful Until It Isn’t

There’s a line, though. Across our surveyed audience, 1 in 3 women and nearly 1 in 4 men say they wouldn’t date someone who constantly talks about sunscreen or skin protection. There’s a version of sunscreen enthusiasm that reads as caring. There’s another version that reads as exhausting.

Being pressured to use sunscreen lands similarly. Around 30% of both Gen Z and Millennial men and women say they wouldn’t date someone who pushes them to use more sunscreen than they want. Offering sunscreen shows you care, but care and control are not the same thing.

1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men across Gen Z and Millennials associate strict sunscreen habits with being high-maintenance in a relationship. It’s not the majority view, but it shows that SPF dedication can cut both ways.

On the other hand, total sun avoidance is, for some daters, a step further than they’re comfortable with publicly: 36% of Gen Z women and 25% of Gen Z men say they’d feel embarrassed dating someone who avoids the sun at all costs. It’s a bit different for Millennials, among whom 32% of women and 23% of men would feel embarrassed. Daters want someone with smart sunscreen habits, not someone who avoids the sun completely. 

Bronze Flag or Red Flag?

A third of daters find people more attractive if they have a tan. The preference is consistent across genders—a tan reads as appealing to a notable share of daters on both sides.

But obsession with getting a tan is a different story: 46% of Gen Z women and 27% of men, compared to 50% of Millennial women and 27% of Millennial men, say they wouldn’t date someone overly focused on getting a tan. A tan is attractive and appealing. Spending all your time chasing one is less so.

Tanning beds specifically draw a clearer line. Of those surveyed, 41% of women and 26% of men say they wouldn’t date someone who uses them frequently. Whether the concern is health-related, aesthetic or something else isn’t clear, but the reluctance is consistent and notably stronger among women.

Among Gen Z, 41% of women and 33% of men think people who tan frequently are more focused on appearance and beauty rather than substance (the survey results skew a little lower for Millennials). A tanning habit isn’t just a preference; for many daters, it says something about priorities.

Small Habits, Bigger Signals

Sunscreen habits and tanning preferences sit at an interesting intersection of health, appearance, and personality.

For young American daters, they function less as neutral lifestyle choices and more as signals: about how someone takes care of themselves, how they might take care of a partner and what they value.

Offering someone sunscreen is caring. Talking about it constantly is too much. A tan is attractive. Chasing one obsessively is a dealbreaker.

The line between thoughtful and overbearing, between appealing and excessive, is real—and apparently, daters are paying attention to where someone lands on it.

The methodology

Hily’s research team surveyed 4,500 Gen Z and Millennial daters in the United States to explore how sunscreen habits and tanning preferences intersect with dating attraction and compatibility. The study examined personal sun protection habits, attitudes toward partners’ sunscreen use, and how tanning preferences and behaviors influence dating decisions.

About Hily

Hily (pronounced “high-ly”) is the app to date as you are. Short for “Hey, I Like You,” Hily helps daters embrace their true selves, make genuine connections and enjoy dating without the pressure of chasing a perfect image.

Features like Icks & Click compatibility check, Discover tab and Consent Guard give daters confidence to express who they are and connect with people who get them.

Since launching in 2017, Hily has grown into one of the top 5 dating apps in US app stores, with more than 43 million downloads worldwide.