When was sunscreen invented?

The summer is here again and many of us are applying sunscreen as we head outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather. As we have mentioned in previous articles sunscreen is one of the fundamental parts of a good skincare routine. But you may be surprised to know that this essential part of our skincare routines is not that old and is relatively a new invention. By the way make sure to read our article about when to use sunscreen in a skincare routine which provides some great insights on when and how to apply it.

People used other methods to protect themselves from the harmful UV rays of the sun before the invention of sunscreen. To protect themselves from the sun before the invention of sunscreen people used things like mud, rice brans, olive oil and zinc oxide.

There are some debates as who invited the sunscreen and when was sunscreen exactly invented since many want to claim this honour for themselves. But based on sources the sunscreen was invented in Australia in the late 1920’s. It is believed a South Australian chemist by the name of H.A Milton invented the sunscreen after manty tries in his kitchen out of all places.

The sunscreen being invented in Australia is not surprising considering Australia is even today one of the countries that have the highest numbers when it comes to treating and preventing sun damaged skin due to the sun.  Others who claim to have invented the sunscreen include L’Oréal founder Eugene Schuller who claims to have invented his own version of the sunscreen in 1936.

Thankfully due to scientific and technological progress sunscreen has improved greatly since its early days. Today most of us use sunscreens that have a SPF of at least 20 but did you  know that in the early days of the sunscreen the only available SPF was 2? Yes, if you wanted to use sunscreen in the early days the highest SPF that was available was only 2. Although SPF factors were not available in the early days of sunscreen the sunscreens that were available and used had a SPF factors of 2 based on today’s modern SPF ratings.

Furthermore, the composition of sunscreen has also greatly changed and improved over the years. In the early years sunscreen was a thick sticky formula that was heavy and like petroleum jelly. This is a far cry from the sunscreen we use today which are lightweight and hydrating.

The sunscreen has even evolved further in the last 30 years. Beginning in the 1990’s different formulas of sunscreen become available such as sprays and gels. The SPF factors were also increased to include factors of 20 SPF and 30 SPF and higher.

Another treatment that can be used when it comes to acne scars removal is using laser treatment. Laser treatment is another popular treatment since it is a flexible treatment that can be adapted based on the requirements and specific conditions of the acne scars. Laser treatment have shown to be effective for almost all acnes including those which are very sever and cystic acne. What laser does is that it tries to increase the production of collagen and elastin naturally over time. Laser treatment increase the collagen production by penetrating deep into the skin and has proven to be safe for many skin types.

Another treatment of acne scars is using chemical peels to eliminate and reduce the appearance of acne scars. Chemical peels are particularly suitable for atrophic acne scars and those scars that are low in-depth including acne scars that appear on the forehead. Chemical peels are effective since they exfoliate the upper layer of the skin. When this upper layer is removed new skin which is not damaged comes to the surface.