Before the widespread availability of sunscreen, people relied on a variety of methods to protect themselves from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Many of these methods date back hundreds or even thousands of years, showing that humans have long been aware of the sun’s effects on the skin. Though sunscreen provides the best protection, people still found ways to enjoy the outdoors and protect exposed skin from sunburn and other UV damage before its invention.
What is sunscreen and how does it work?
Sunscreen contains special ingredients that help prevent the skin from burning or aging prematurely. Here’s a quick overview of how modern sunscreen works:
– Active ingredients like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, and homosalate absorb UV rays before they can damage the skin. They essentially act as a shield.
– The sun protection factor (SPF) indicates how much UVB ray protection the sunscreen provides. For example, SPF 30 means it takes 30 times longer to burn versus unprotected skin.
– Most sunscreens are broad spectrum, meaning they protect against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays age skin, while UVB rays burn it.
– Sunscreen needs to be applied liberally and reapplied every 2 hours when outdoors to remain fully effective. It’s also important to use enough – most people apply only 25-50% of the recommended amount.
When was sunscreen invented?
The first sunscreens appeared in the early 20th century:
– In 1936, Swiss chemist Franz Greiter introduced what’s considered the first effective sunburn cream, called Gletscher Crème or Glacier Cream. It provided a SPF of 2.
– In 1944, Florida pharmacist Benjamin Green developed a suntan cream called Red Vet Pet sunscreen to protect soldiers stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. It had a SPF of 4.
– In 1946, Austrian chemist Franz Greiter introduced Piz Buin sunscreen, which was named after a mountain in the region. It had a more powerful SPF of 10.
– In the 1970s, more effective water resistant sunscreens were developed and their use became more widespread. Higher SPF formulas also became available.
So while early sunscreens provided some protection, it wasn’t nearly as strong as today’s formulas. They had to be continually reapplied and didn’t protect against all UV rays.
How did people protect their skin before sunscreen?
Before commercial sunscreens appeared in the 20th century, people relied on a variety of methods to protect their skin from the sun:
Clothing and hats
Wearing full-coverage clothing and hats was one of the most effective ways to limit sun exposure. Some examples include:
– Long sleeves and pants: Keeping the arms and legs covered with lightweight, breathable fabrics helps prevent direct sun exposure.
– Headwear: Hats with wide brims shade the face, ears, and neck. Turbans and other styles also provide coverage.
– Sunbonnets: Women and young girls often wore brimmed sunbonnets that shaded the face while allowing vision. These were commonly worn while gardening and farming.
– Straw hats: Typical among field laborers and farmers, lightweight straw hats with wide brims provided portable shade.
Umbrellas and temporary shade structures
Staying under shade was another way to limit sun exposure:
– Handheld paper and cloth parasols: Ladies often carried parasols to create portable shade. Originating in ancient China, these gained popularity in France in the 1600s before spreading to the rest of Europe.
– Beach umbrellas: Early beach umbrellas date back to the late 1800s. These provided movable shade at the seaside when spending long days outdoors.
– Sail cloths: Sailors would rig up spare cloths to create shaded areas on ships and while working portside during the day.
– Canopies and awnings: Canopies erected over market stalls and awnings installed on homes and stores provided additional outdoor shade.
Plant-based remedies
Long before sunscreens, people turned to plants and natural ingredients to protect their skin:
– Aloe vera: Used by ancient Egyptians, aloe vera gel is soothing and healing on sun burnt skin. It contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
– Plant oils: Oils like olive, sesame, almond and coconut may provide some sun protection and replenish skin. However, most plant oils have low SPFs of 2 to 5.
– Green tea: Green tea polyphenols have photoprotective properties and may help prevent UV-induced skin disorders when consumed orally or applied topically.
– Vinegar: White vinegar diluted with water was a folk remedy used to relieve sunburn pain and itching. It may help draw heat from the skin.
– Wet tea bags: Black tea contains tannic acid which helps soothe burned skin. Placing cool, wet tea bags directly on sunburns was a home treatment.
Avoiding midday sun
Without good sun protection options, another tactic was avoiding the midday sun when UV rays are most intense:
– Seeking shade: Staying in shade under trees, canopies and indoors during peak UV hours between 10am and 4pm.
– Taking a siesta: In Spain and Latin America, it’s common to take a midday nap break during peak sun. Shutters and curtains are kept closed to block sunlight.
– Working in the early morning or evening: Farmers and laborers would often get work done in the mornings and evenings when the sun was less intense.
– Altering habits in tropical climates: During the hot season, schedules and routines changed to minimize being outdoors in midday heat.
How people treated sunburns before modern medicine
Before modern skincare products and medicine, sunburns were harder to treat and could lead to lasting skin damage and pain. Here’s how people tried to ease sunburn pain and promote healing:
– Cold water: Taking cold baths or using cold compresses draws heat from the skin and relieves inflammation and discomfort.
– Vinegar: White vinegar diluted with water was used as a soothing rinse or compress. It may help balance skin pH.
– Aloe vera: Aloe vera gel from the plant has been used for centuries to heal damaged skin due to its cooling and anti-inflammatory properties.
– Potatoes: Sliced raw potato can help cool sunburned skin. The starch may also help draw out heat.
– Cucumber: Placing cool cucumber slices directly on the skin is calming. Cucumber may also help hydrate and tighten skin.
– Lettuce: The latex in lettuce may help relieve pain. Leaving lettuce leaves directly on sunburns was used as a home remedy.
– Witch hazel: Containing anti-inflammatory tannins, witch hazel can reduce swelling and discomfort when applied to sunburns.
– Honey: Antioxidant-rich raw honey may aid wound healing and soothe burnt skin when applied topically. The mild acidity helps balance skin pH.
How professions coped with sun exposure
Those who worked outdoors had to take extra measures to limit sun exposure on the job:
Farmers and Field Workers
| Protection Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Wide-brimmed hats | Straw hats shield the face, neck and ears. |
| Long-sleeved shirts | Loose, lightweight shirts prevent direct sun exposure. |
| Bandanas | Used to cover the neck and parts of the face. |
| Aloe vera | Applying the soothing gel helps treat sunburns. |
Sailors and Deck Hands
| Protection Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Cloth rigging | Creating shade under spare sails or cloths. |
| Head scarves | Wrapping around the neck and head. |
| Long sleeves | Preventing direct exposure with full arm coverage. |
| Plant extracts | Aloe, oils and vinegar used to treat burns. |
Construction Workers
| Protection Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Wide-brimmed hats | Floppy hats protect the ears and neck. |
| Long undershirts | Covering arms with lightweight cotton undershirts. |
| Awnings and shade | Using fixed shade structures and portable awnings. |
| Seizing work | Stopping work during the hottest part of the day. |
How recreation changed without sun protection
People’s approach to outdoor recreation also changed without modern sun protection:
– The beach was avoided during peak UV hours. Early beach towels even had hoods for coverage.
– Tennis and croquet were played early or late in the day when sun exposure was less intense.
– Hiking and nature walking was generally done in the mornings and afternoons. Long sleeves and full brim hats provided coverage.
– Sailing, fishing and boating was done in early and late daylight to avoid peak sun. Loose clothing and headcoverings shielded the skin.
– Outdoor lunches and teas were held under shade trees, canopies or using umbrellas for portable shade.
– Fair skin was seen as a sign of beauty and status since it meant less time laboring outdoors. Having tanned skin later became more desirable when vacationing at beach resorts.
How the sunscreen changed outdoor activities
Once effective sunscreen became widely available in the 1970s, people were able to stay outdoors longer without getting burned. Here’s how sunscreen changed outdoor recreation:
– The beach became a daylong activity rather than just early and late. Swimsuits shrank as more skin could safely be exposed.
– Outdoor sports like tennis, golf and hiking soared in popularity as people could play and walk at any time of day.
– Fashions shifted to sleeveless dresses, shorts and tank tops to show off tanned skin.
– Sunbathing and tanning rapidly gained appeal. A deep tan became associated with beauty, health and leisure rather than field labor.
– extended hours of outdoor farm and construction shifted to utilize more daylight hours rather than avoiding midday peak sun.
– Beach vacations and snowbirding to sunny climates became increasingly popular ways to escape cold winters and enjoy the sun year-round.
Conclusion
While sunshine has health benefits, overexposure can cause serious skin damage without proper protection. Before modern sunscreens, people relied mainly on clothing, shade and avoiding peak sun hours. Plant extracts provided minimal sun protection. Still, many suffered from cumulative sun exposure leading to skin aging and burns, especially those who worked outdoors. The introduction of sunscreen transformed outdoor activities by allowing extended time in the sun without burning. However, early sunscreens had low SPFs and limited effectiveness compared to today’s formulas. While sunscreen remains the best sunburn prevention, it’s important to continue using additional methods like protective clothing, hats and shade for maximum safety in the sun.