Written by: Jasmine Biju
Today, the prevalence of sunscreen in pharmacies and retail stores can be attributed to the gradual increase in the need for protection against the sun throughout history. The timeline for the emergence of methods used against ultraviolet radiation can be pointed to the origins of humankind. Sunscreen is an important innovation as it protects the body from serious implications such as skin cancer and damaged skin cells and blood vessels. This product is crucial in the dermatological world as it conveniently provides protection against harmful UV rays.
The history of sunscreen begins in 300,000 BC when the ancestors of Homo Sapiens had darker pigmentation and melanin which served as natural protection against the sun. In 70,000 BC, when Homo Sapiens began to travel further from the equatorial region, they approached areas with a lower level of solar radiation. As per natural selection, a genetic mutation for lighter pigmentation was gradually passed down which allowed individuals to better absorb UV light in colder climatic areas.
As time progressed, various ethnic groups began to develop natural means of UV radiation protection. For instance, the ancient Egyptians utilized lupine, jasmine, and rice bran to prevent the implications of tanning from the sun's rays. The reasoning for this was additionally that lighter pigmentation was culturally desired for cosmetic reasons. It has been discovered recently that lupine prevents the tanning effects of the sun, jasmine helps to repair DNA, and rice bran absorbs some ultraviolet light. The ancient Greeks used olive oil, which has an SPF of 8, as a form of protection against the sun. Furthermore, women in Europe used velvet face coverings to protect themselves from oppressive sun rays.
In the late 1700s and the early 1800s, the correlation between UV light exposure and skin types was further scrutinized. The implications of prolonged radiation to the sun became clear: in 1798, Robert Willan brought attention to a skin condition called eczema Solare, or sensitivity to the skin. Following this discovery, a German physicist named Johann Wilhelm Ritter discovered the UV region of the light spectrum. Shortly after, Sir Everard Home proposed the idea that darker skin pigmentation obtains protective effects against radiation by conducting a variety of observational experiments. In one experiment in particular, he observed that sun exposure to a bare hand caused a burnt-like pigmentation whereas a hand under a black cloth did not. As dermatologists further scrutinized the implications of UV light, in 1889 Erik Widmark of Stockholm suggested that ultraviolet light could cause skin burns. This landmark study triggered the development of new sunscreens.
The first human sunscreen can be accredited to Dr. Hammer of Germany who used quinine in an ointment in 1891. As potential sunscreen ingredients were being tested, Dr. G.M. Findlay published a paper establishing a correlation between UV light exposure and skin cancer. The interest in sunscreen soared, as all personnel from dermatologists to cosmetologists and the army invested in creating new products to protect against sun damage. Ingredients such as chestnut extract, benzyl salicylate, and dark red veterinary petrolatum were being used in new sunscreens.
In 1944, a pharmacist named Benjamin Green developed a more consumer-friendly version of the product using red veterinary petrolatum, which was predominantly used by the military in arid conditions and added cocoa butter and coconut oil. Shortly after, Franz Greiter of Switzerland commercialized the first sunscreen called Glacier cream. He is credited with the invention of the Sun Protection Factor, also known as SPF. The definition of SPF was internationally recognized as “the ratio of UV energy needed to produce a minimal erythemal dose on protected to unprotected skin.”
The marketing of sunscreen began to take off, and it became of vital importance to individuals all over the world. In 2007, scientists confirmed the relationship between tanning beds and melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Today, affordable and accessible sunscreen products of all kinds exist in the market; however, 70% of women and more than 85% of men do not use this essential product. The notion that sunscreen should only be used in the summer is untrue. Sunscreen should be applied every single day despite the season as it is imperative in preventing serious skin cancers. The history of sunscreen was a gradual and intensive process that required the effort of numerous scientists to create the product that we know today. It is extremely important to take advantage of these sunscreen products to ensure that our skin remains healthy and free from the risk of disease.
References:
“The History Of Sunscreen.” Jaad,
“The History of Sunscreen.” Weldricks, 21 July, 2017,
“Sunscreen: A History.” The New York Times, 2010,
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