The history of sunscreen is fascinating and dates back thousands of years, long before modern formulas filled our store shelves. Ancient civilizations understood the need to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful rays well before all the scientific knowledge of UV radiation.
The start
Around 3,000 BCE, the ancient Egyptians were among the first to experiment with sun protection. They used a combination of natural ingredients like rice bran, jasmine, and lupine extracts. Rice bran, in particular, contains oryzanol, a compound that has natural UV-absorbing properties. These ancient formulas provided some level of defense against the sun, even though the Egyptians didn’t fully understand the science behind it.
By the time of ancient Greece, around 500 BCE, olive oil became a popular way to protect and moisturize the skin from the sun. However, it didn’t offer much in terms of UV protection.
Fast forward to the 20th century, when a Swiss chemistry student named Franz Greiter, inspired by his own experience with a bad sunburn in 1938, developed one of the first effective sunscreens called Gletscher Crème. This innovation also introduced the SPF (sun protection factor) rating system, which measured how well a sunscreen could protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
Sunscreen’s popularity surged in the 1970s as skin cancer risks became more widely understood. Companies started introducing waterproof formulas and sunscreens with higher SPF ratings, ensuring that people could enjoy longer periods of sun exposure safely.
Today, with the evolution of chemical and mineral sunscreens, modern sun protection is a staple in daily skincare routines, offering broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
Whether it’s a casual day at the beach or part of a daily skincare routine, sunscreen is an important health product. The history of sunscreen continues to evolve, helping us enjoy the outdoors safely.