photo courtesy of : Zinka Inc.
** Sunscreen Time Line **
3150 BC: Ancient Egyptians begin using type of sunscreen made with ingredients like jasmine and rice bran.
1801 :Johann Wilhelm Ritter of Germany discovers ultraviolet rays.
1820 : Englishman Everard Home determines that the melanin in darker skin absorbs heat and protects the skin.
1878 : Otto Veiel of Linz Austria, publishes one the first reports of a substance being used to protect skin from ultraviolet rays. He discovered that tannin protects skin from UV damage, but it also stains skin, so it isn't overly useful.
1928 : The first commercially available sunscreen appears in the United States.
1930 : Eugene Schueller, founder of L'Oreal, is credited as the inventor of modern sunscreen.
World War II : Soldiers use "red vet pet," a red jelly like substance that isn't the most effective and stains clothes. Its inventor Benjamin Greene, later develops a more practical formula & starts Coppertone.
Post WWII : Coppertone's early formula prevents sunburn & leads to more sun- bathing, but doesn't block UV radiation entirely. Skin cancer rates increase as a result.
1962 : SPF (Sun Protection Factor) was defined.
1986 : Zinka Inc. starts selling its neon sunblock. Surfers love it.
1989 : Headhunter becomes the worlds first surf-specific sunscreen
2009 : Neutrogena burst out SPF 100+
