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But what did they apply on their skin? Though they were great in many areas, skin protection was not one of them. Ancient Greeks used a quintessential Greek product: olive oil.
Though they lived in a very sunny location, light and fair skin was a symbol of beauty for ancient Egyptians.
How did they do it? Well, they left us some clues in papyrus scrolls and tomb walls. They actually used jasmine and rice as sunscreen.
The Makah and Hesquiat peoples were known for using Western hemlock extract to prevent and treat sunburn.
When we think of the ancient Greeks, long tunics often come to mind. But they also wore veils and large brimmed hats to protect themselves from the hot Mediterranean sun.
This yellowish paste made of ground bark is traditionally used in Myanmar as sunscreen.
The Sama-Bajau people of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia still use a paste called borak (or burak), which is made from rice, spices, and waterweeds.
The product was sold through his company, Hamilton Laboratories, which is still in operation to this day selling sunscreens.
The product contained a "sun filter" and claimed that people would tan five times faster, without the risk of burning. The product, under many different versions and brand names, can still be found today.
Western hemlock, also known by its scientific name Tsuga heterophylla, is a coniferous tree native to the Pacific Northwest.
Who better than a mountaineer to invent sunscreen, right? This is exactly what Swiss chemist Franz Greiter did.
Not quite a sunscreen, but French chemist Eugene Schueller (the founder of L’Oreal) created the Ambre Solaire tanning oil in 1935.
As a way to protect himself from the sun on his missions during World War II, airman and pharmacist Benjamin Green started to apply a substance called Red Vet Pet, which stands for “red veterinary petrolatum.”
It is estimated that the first versions of Glacier Cream had an SPF of only 2. This was, however, more effective in 1946 than it would be today, as the ozone layer of Earth's stratosphere was not as thin as it is now.
But its thick, Vaseline-like texture was not great. So, after the war, Green added cocoa butter and coconut oil to the formula, and Coppertone sunscreen was born! The product is, of course, still around to this day.
Sources: (Mental Floss) (Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology)
You can still find different versions of Glacier Cream for sale. Though now they do have a higher SPF!
It has regained popularity in recent years, added as a nanoparticle in certain sunscreens. And because it's more water resistant, it has become popular amongst surfers.
But this compound, which can be found on plants, bark, and fruit skins, made the skin look darker, which at the time was quite undesirable.
Greiter created the Gletscher Crème, or Glacier Cream, after he got severely sunburned while climbing Mount Piz Buin in 1938.
It might sound rudimentary, but these had helpful properties. Rice bran has UV-absorbing gamma oryzanol, and jasmine can help repair damaged DNA.
It was believed that red and yellow would absorb UV light, so people would apply different pastes with these colors onto the skin.
Zeozon was made from horse chestnut tree extract, and was marketed as a product used to avoid both sunburns and freckles.
However, zinc oxide is not easily absorbed by the skin, leaving a somewhat thick paste on top. This has put many people off from using it over the years.
Zinc oxide paste has been used for hundreds of years for its sunblock effects. You might recognize the ingredient from current sunscreens.
In the 1920s, Aussie Milton Blake invented a compound for sunburn cream in his kitchen. He worked on it for 12 years!
In 1878, Austrian Otto Veiel published one of the first reports about a substance that could protect the skin from UV rays: tannin.
One of the first commercially-available sun protectors appeared in 1910. It was called Zeozon.
It is true that olive oil does not offer protection against UVA or UVB rays, but it does wonders in making the skin soft!
But have you ever thought about how people used to do it in the past? How would ancient civilizations actually protect their skin from the sun, other than covering up with clothes? In this gallery, we look back at the history of sunscreen and its many early versions. Click on.
Pre-sunscreen: how people used to protect themselves
The history of sunscreen dates back to ancient civilizations
LIFESTYLE Summer
Most of us are aware of the harmful effects of sun exposure without adequate protection We now have a wide range of options that help us keep safe under the sun. For instance, it's hard to imagine going to the beach and not taking sunscreen with us.
But have you ever thought about how people used to do it in the past? How would ancient civilizations actually protect their skin from the sun, other than covering up with clothes? In this gallery, we look back at the history of sunscreen and its many early versions. Click on.