A brief illustrated history on sunscreens and sun protection

Abstract

Nobody exactly knows when human beings begun protecting their skin from the sun. Our darkskinned ancestors in Africa had the benefit of natural melanin to avoid sunburn. With migration to cooler regions, humans clothed themselves to avoid frost, losing their protective pigmentation. For cultural reasons, occidentals continued to cover their body up to the XIX th century. After World War I fashion wanted tanned bodies. Oils without protection to UV radiation were used. In 1935 Eugène Schueller, founder of L'Oreal, formulated the first radiation filtering product, "Ambre Solaire Huile". Benjamin Green produced for the soldiers battling in the Pacific a red jelly substance as a physical blocker. The hazards of sun overexposure were already apparent. The product boomed under the brand Coppertone. In 1946 Franz Greiter developed the "Gletscher Créme". In 1956 R. Schulz introduced the concept of the sun protection factor (SPF). All those products protected only against UVB radiation, whose main visible result is erythema. There was still no concern on the more penetrating UVA radiation, and skin cancer prevention nor on several other contemporary issues. Today we benefit from very high SPF products with broad UV protection. Solubility limitations and sensorial properties make them difficult to formulate and stabilize.

Absorption and Photo-Stability of Substituted Dibenzoylmethanes and Chalcones as UVA Filters

“…The dibenzoylmethanes were prepared using Baker-Venkataraman rearrangement, which rearranged the corresponding 2-acetyl phenyl benzoates [41]. All compounds were purified by column chromatography and characterized by 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis.…”

“…The dibenzoylmethanes were prepared using Baker-Venkataraman rearrangement, which rearranged the corresponding 2-acetyl phenyl benzoates [41]. All compounds were purified by column chromatography and characterized by 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The spectroscopic and photochemical studies were performed at the INQUIMAE (Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía), CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas) and FCEN (Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA).…”

“…In the 1980s, 4-isopropyldibenzoylmethane was used as a sunscreen, but in 1993 it was eliminated from the market for causing allergies. It was only in this century that we became fully aware of the need to obtain an adequate balance of UVB/UVA protection; legislation and control methods are still not in full agreement [13]. Currently, one of the few UVA filters approved in the United States and Europe is tert-butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane (avobenzone), which shows light absorption λ max = 357 nm.…”

Photoprotection of the future: challenges and opportunities

“…Mankind has been protecting itself from the sun and its effects for centuries, but it was not before the middle of the last century that the Austrian Franz Greiter, the American Benjamin Green and the French Eugène Schueller developed the modern sunscreen. Whereas Schueller launched ‘Ambre Solaire’ in 1936, Greiter's and Green's products became commercially available in 1946 and 1956, respectively . Over the following decades, remarkable advances in skin biology, photobiology and epidemiology of skin cancers have led to a greater understanding of the role of different wavelengths in photocarcinogenesis, photoaging and photodermatoses.…”

“…Whereas Schueller launched 'Ambre Solaire' in 1936, Greiter's and Green's products became commercially available in 1946 and 1956, respectively. 1 Over the following decades, remarkable advances in skin biology, photobiology and epidemiology of skin cancers have led to a greater understanding of the role of different wavelengths in photocarcinogenesis, photoaging and photodermatoses. One important discovery was that both UVB and UVA rays can damage human skin and as a consequence industry developed broad-spectrum sunscreens, which provide protection against UVB and UVA radiation.…”