Today there are those who resist use sunscreen claiming that no one used it before and nothing happened. This, as we have seen before, is not a good argument. Firstly, because in the past life expectancy was much lower than today, so there was often no time for cancer to develop. The damage to the ozone layer was also not the same. But sunscreen was used in the past too. What is happening is that it was like nothing else those that we have today.
Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, medieval doctors… They all had your own recipes sunscreen. Some simply wanted to prevent their skin from becoming too dark, as it was hard to see. Others wanted to avoid the unpleasant burns that come with overexposure to the sun. Some succeeded with their ointments, while others made the situation worse.
The reality is that they took advantage of the resources and knowledge they had at their disposal because somehow they felt that Excessive sun exposure is harmful. Today, fortunately, science is on our side and we have very effective products in this regard. Sometimes we lack common sense. but that’s another story.
Sun protection before Homo sapiens
200,000–300,000 years ago ancestors Homo sapiens They lived in geographical regions with very high levels of solar activity. Therefore, it is suspected that they may have had very dark skin which served as sunscreen in themselves. It is well known that melaninwhich causes skin color, absorbs UV radiation so it doesn’t reach our cells. It’s not 100% effective, so you also need to use sunscreen. But that’s what they had, and for the years they lived, they did pretty well.
Later a few 60,000-70,000 years, Homo sapiens moved to colder places, so maybe little by little they lost this melanin. This would have left them much more exposed to the sun’s rays. It makes sense that they wouldn’t have realized the damage this was causing, but they may have been using sunscreen without even realizing it.
It is known that this was a common occurrence at that time. use of ochre. It is a hydrated iron oxide mineral that is very bright yellow, making it a very useful pigment. It was used for wall paintings and also for decorative leather coloring. Today, many indigenous tribes continue to do this with aesthetic purposesbut scientists have shown that it also provides them with protection from solar radiation. So it is quite possible that those first humans, without even realizing it, were already protecting their skin from the sun.
Effective Egyptian sunscreen
Egyptians They were great doctors and alchemists. They had recipes for everything, some more effective than others. Some of them have been found in their hieroglyphics, describing what may have been a rudimentary sunscreen that, surprisingly, worked. Not as effectively as today’s, obviously, but we’re talking about 5,000 years ago.
This sunscreen recipe included rice bran, jasmine and lupine oils. The latter is the plant from which lupine is derived, and it seems that the Egyptians knew it very well. This mixture was used to prevent the skin from darkening too much, as this was considered unsightly. But at the same time, without knowing it, they avoided contracting melanoma.
From the oil of the Greeks to the zinc oxide of the Romans.
The ancient Greeks used olive oil to create a protective layer on the skin. Since the oil helps prevent dehydration and provides some waterproofing, it can be considered a good protector. But considering that it is used for frying, it does not seem like it would be a very useful sunscreen. There have been some studies done now that have concluded that it would have an SPF of no more than 8. Oh well, that would do almost nothing for them. Almost the opposite.
Instead of, Romans and the First Indian Civilizations They found that zinc oxide This can help fight sunburn. This was a great find, as this ingredient is now used in many sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
A Medieval Attempt at Sunscreen
In the Middle Ages, medicine Trotula Ruggieroalso known as Trotula of Salerno, published in one of her medical manuals a recipe for sunscreen based on camphor. The idea was good, because this black substance could absorb radiation in the same way as melanin. The problem is that camphor is toxic. But we are talking about the Middle Ages. Given the resources of that time, it was a very ingenious idea.
American Indians also protected themselves from the sun
Despite their dark, tanned skin, American Indians also had their own tricks for protecting it. In particular, they made ointments based on pine leaves. Canadian Tsuga.
Modern sunscreens
In 1820, the English physician Sir Everard Home first described how skin pigmentation protects it from the effects of solar radiation. This was important in laying the foundation for modern sunscreens, although he was not the first to develop them. In fact, that was done by the Austrians. Otto WeilIn particular, he discovered an interesting protective force in tanninsHowever, ointments prepared with this substance were not successful, as they also caused an unsightly darkening of the skin.
Later, in 1891, D. Hummer Stuttgartfrom Germany, tried the ointment based on quinine which proved effective against sunburn. It was the first sunscreen. Over time, others appeared on the market based on ingredients such as benzyl salicylate, para-aminobenzoic acid or red veterinary oil.They also tried adding ingredients that made the dish more palatable, such as: cocoa butter or coconut oil.
Most of these ingredients have now been phased out for safety reasons and replaced with safer ones. However, according to recent studies, even the safest of them can affect corals. This is the case oxybenzoneFor example. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide Today, they are among the most commonly used ingredients. Paradoxically, one of them was already used by the Romans. And in fact, we are not so new to wanting to protect our skin. What is new is having the tools to protect it and willingly putting it at risk.
Source: Hiper Textual
