The travellers who go on holiday to hunt cult sun cream

From Seoul to Paris, pharmacies and beauty stores have become must-visit stops for travellers hunting cult sun cream formulas. Before her last trip to Seoul, Caitlin Francis-Agnew spent weeks crafting her itinerary, including stops at Olive Young, South Korea's premier cosmetics retailer. Her objective: to buy as much Korean sun cream as she could haul back to Canada. In Lakeland, Florida, Anna Clark is preparing for her family's summer trip to Cartagena. She sends me a Google Maps screenshot, where she's highlighted the route to Colombian pharmacy chain Farmatodo. "An eight-minute walk from our hotel. I will be stopping by," she writes. She will buy viral EU sun cream formulas available abroad but not in the US. Gone are the days of bringing home destination-themed fridge magnets. For a growing number of beauty enthusiasts, sun cream has become the must-have holiday souvenir. According to behavioural psychologist Carolyn Mair, attitudes towards sunbathing have shifted drastically since the 2010s. While tanning was once associated with vitality and leisure, "today, sunscreen is increasingly viewed as part of everyday self-care and healthy ageing". Skincare culture on social media,