Sunscreen is a staple product in most Australian households and
applying sunscreen to protect skin from the sun's ultraviolet
(UV) rays is an essential aspect of summer life, particularly in
Australia.
Early civilisations, like the Egyptians and Greeks, used natural
ingredients like rice bran, jasmine, and olive oil to protect their
skin from the sun.
The first commercial sunscreen was developed in 1932 in South
Australia by University of Adelaide graduate by Milton Blake. As
reported recently by ABC News.
Milton had the idea to create a sun-protecting cream after
reading trade publications from Germany that mentioned an organic
substance that could filter UV light. After considerable
experimentation, he created a formula to incorporate
'salol' (phenyl salicylate) into a topical cream
formulation. Hamilton Laboratories was subsequently established by
Milton Blake and a group of colleagues to begin production of one
of the world's first commercial sunscreens.
