With the problems caused by human action, people are increasingly concerned about skin protection, but anyone who thinks that this concern is recent is wrong. Civilizations have long felt the need to protect themselves against the sun's harmful rays, even in those where the sun was the king star. Doctors recommended exposure to sunlight as a way to avoid illness, but this exposure should be moderate, because too much sun was and is bad for your health.
In ancient Egypt there were several inventions of sunscreen, the oldest being made from castor bean, in 7800 BC. Ç. The Egyptian list included magnolia extract, jasmine and almond oil. In Greece, 400 a. C., during the Olympic Games, some athletes competed naked in certain modalities, using a mixture of olive oil and sand to protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays. The fashion for tanning only started in 1930, in France, but a few years before there were already records of protectors made on a commercial scale in the United States and Australia.
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The first really effective protector was only developed in 1944, by the American Benjamin Greene. Seeing the burns on the skin of soldiers returning from World War II he decided to create something that could be useful in protecting the skin from the sun's harmful rays. This sunscreen was petroleum-based, red in color and somewhat viscous, so the brand was named Coppertone. Over time the protectors were improved, presenting several versions, including for all types of skins. Currently, sunscreen has become an indispensable resource in the prevention of skin cancer, caused in particular by global warming.
by Eliene Percília
Brazil School Team
Curiosities - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PERCILIA, Eliene. "Origin of the Sunscreen"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/origem-protetor-solar.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.