Sunscreen is a product designed to protect the skin by either absorbing or reflecting the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This protective barrier slows the damaging effects of the sun, which can range from a simple burn to premature aging and skin cancer. The history of this invention traces back to ancient civilizations and continues with modern scientific innovation, showing how humanity transitioned from simple sun avoidance to complex chemical and mineral protections.
Early Attempts at Sun Protection
The desire to mitigate the sun’s harsh effects existed long before the scientific understanding of UV rays. Ancient Egyptians, recognizing the cultural preference for lighter skin, utilized certain plant extracts as early sunscreens around 3100–300 BCE. They created pastes using ingredients like rice bran, which modern science has confirmed absorbs ultraviolet light, and jasmine, which helps repair skin DNA. The use of zinc oxide, a physical barrier, was also documented in India as far back as 500 BCE for medicinal purposes, providing a natural form of sun protection.
Other cultures relied on accessible oils and natural pigments to create a primitive defense against the sun. Ancient Greeks would apply olive oil to their skin for protection, with modern testing suggesting it offers a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of about 8. Indigenous peoples in the Americas used materials like sunflower oil, pine needles, and deer fat, while the Himba women of Namibia traditionally coat their skin in a reddish paste of butter, fat, and red ochre.
The First Commercial Sunscreen Products
The first modern, commercially available sunscreens emerged in the 1930s and 1940s, a period marked by parallel and independent discoveries. Australian chemist H.A. Milton Blake began his experimentation in the early 1930s, and the founder of L’Oréal, Eugene Schueller, developed an early tanning oil with UV-filtering properties in 1936.
A Swiss chemistry student named Franz Greiter created his first formula, “Gletscher Crème” (Glacier Cream), in 1938 after suffering a severe sunburn while climbing Mount Piz Buin in the Alps. Greiter’s motivation was to create a product that offered genuine sun protection, and his cream later became commercially available in 1946 under the brand name Piz Buin. Separately, during World War II, American pharmacist and airman Benjamin Green developed a sun-protecting substance for soldiers stationed in the Pacific.
Green’s initial product was a thick, unpleasant red veterinary petrolatum, or “Red Vet Pet,” which served as a physical barrier against ultraviolet radiation. After the war, Green improved the formula by mixing the red veterinary petrolatum with cocoa butter and coconut oil to create a smoother lotion. This refined product was eventually marketed as Coppertone suntan cream, becoming one of the first widely used and commercially successful sunscreens in the United States.
Regulatory Standards and the SPF System
The proliferation of different sun protection products in the mid-20th century highlighted the need for a standardized measure of effectiveness. Franz Greiter, the Swiss chemist, is credited with establishing the concept of the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) rating in 1962. His original “Gletscher Crème” was assigned an SPF of 2, indicating the product doubled the time a person could spend in the sun without burning.
The SPF system fundamentally measures a product’s protection against Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which are the primary cause of sunburn. The number signifies the ratio of the amount of UV energy required to cause sunburn on protected skin compared to unprotected skin. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially adopted the SPF rating system in 1978. This regulatory action standardized testing protocols, ensuring that manufacturers’ claims about a product’s ability to prevent sunburn met a specific benchmark.
The Development of Modern UV Filters
The SPF rating’s focus on UVB protection proved insufficient as researchers gained a greater understanding of the full spectrum of sun damage. Scientists recognized that Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, which penetrate deeper into the skin, were responsible for photoaging and contributed to the risk of skin cancer. This led to the requirement for sunscreens to provide “broad-spectrum” protection, guarding against both UVA and UVB rays.
Modern sunscreens incorporate two main categories of active filters to achieve this comprehensive defense. Chemical absorbers, such as oxybenzone and avobenzone, function by absorbing UV radiation and converting it into a small amount of heat that is then released from the skin. Avobenzone, in particular, was approved by the FDA in 1988 to specifically filter UVA light.
The second category is physical blockers, which are mineral-based ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These particles sit on the skin’s surface and primarily work by absorbing UV rays. Zinc oxide is highly valued for offering effective broad-spectrum protection across a wide range of wavelengths, and both minerals are considered safe and effective by the FDA.