Sunscreen: Difference between revisions

Sunscreen is a product that utilizes and combines sun protecting ingredients in order to protect the human from the dangerous ultraviolet rays.  All sunscreens are different and they all vary in their level of protection from the powerful UVA and UVB rays.  The sunscreen absorbs the sun’s rays, preventing them from reaching the skin.  There is a difference between a chemical sunscreen and a physical sunblock.  Sunscreen absorbs the rays, while sunblock reflects them.  This product protects the human skin from skin cancer and includes many benefits.  Sunscreen’s effectiveness is measured by a system called SPF, or the Sun Protecting Factor.  Fifteen SPF protects against 94 percent of the sun’s rays and thirty SPF protects against about 96 percent of the sun’s rays.<ref>Unknown, Author. [http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen Sunscreen] ''Skin Cancer Foundation''. Web. May 1, 2016- last updated.</ref> <ref>Griffin, R. Morgan. [http://www.webmd.com/beauty/sun/whats-best-sunscreen What’s the best sunscreen] ''WEB MD''. Web. May 1, 2016- last updated.</ref>

Sunscreen has many short term and long term health benefits, especially in regards to the human skin.  A person’s skin, or epidermis, is the largest organ in their body and is by far the most exposed.  One of sunscreen's major benefits is its ability to prevent cancer, but especially skin cancer.  Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers.  Skin cancer effects more people than breast and lung cancer.  Studies have shown that 1in 5 people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States alone.  Sunscreen prevents skin cancer by defending against the dangerous radiation of the sun.  It absorbs the powerful UV rays or ultraviolet radiation.  Another benefit of applying sunscreen is its anti-aging properties.  Sunscreen slows down the natural processes of aging by reducing the aging caused be overexposure to the sunlight.  It also prevents the unflattering occurrence of wrinkled, leathery, and sagging skin.  Sunscreen does not permanently prevent skin aging, but it can temporarily prevent or even reduce its effects in spend.  Sunscreen is also beneficial to people who take medication or have sensitive skin.  By protecting and defending the skin from the sun, sunscreen increases a person’s skin health.  Sunscreen protects significant proteins in the body, including keratin and collagen.  These proteins are what keeps the skin firm and smooth.  Sunscreen has titanium oxide within it, which gives sunscreen its skin health properties.  Another benefit is that sunscreen is very inexpensive to purchase, which concludes that skin protection is very easy and affordable.<ref>Daniel, Harri. [http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-sunscreen/ The Benefits of Sunscreen] ''Benefitof.net''. Web. April 18, 2016- last updated.</ref>  

Although sunscreen had more advantages than disadvantages, it still has some potential risks.  The main concern is the potential deficiency of vitamin D with the long term use of sunscreen.  Although sunscreen protects against the sun’s dangerous UV rays, it can reduce he intake of essential vitamin D rays.  The lack of vitamin D can lead to bone diseases due to the fact that it is crucial or strong and healthy bones within the body.  This concern can be dealt with a receiving short and minimal intakes of sun exposure without sunscreen or even taking vitamin D supplements.<ref>Unknown, Author. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen Sunscreen] ''Wikipedia.org''. Web. April 18, 2016- last updated.</ref>

The product of sunscreen has been around for centuries, even in the ancient times.  In Egypt, many of the Egyptians desired beautiful, light, and radiant skin.  To achieve this was very challenging due to their hot, sunny, and dry climate.  In an attempt to find a way to protect their skin from sunburns and tanning, the Egyptians utilized certain oils and extracts to ward of the sun’s powerful rays.  They created special formulas which include many oils and extracts including, rice bran extracts, lupine extract, and even jasmine.  Even though the ancient Egyptians utilized these ingredients centuries ago, modern scientists still use many of these extracts and oils in certain sunscreens today.  Scientists have discovered that many of these extracts truly do have skin replenishing abilities.  They assist to heal DNA at a cellular level, but at the same time mending skin damage.<ref>Unknown, Author. [http://www.humantouchofchemistry.com/history-of-sunscreens.htm History of Sunscreens] ''The Human Touch of Chemistry''. Web. May 1, 2016- last updated.</ref> Zinc oxide was also being used in the 1920’s as a sun blocker.<ref>Unknown, Author. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen#Active_ingredients Sunscreen] ''Wikipedia.org''. Web. May 1, 2016- last updated.</ref>         

In South Australia, a chemist with the name of HA Milton Blake, created a sunburn protecting cream in the 1930’s.  A few years later, another chemist with the name of Eugene Schueller improved the invention to ultimately produce the first sunscreen.  Within the same time period many other chemists began to explore and experiment with the invention of sunscreen.  In 1938, a chemist named Franz Greiter, created a type of cream which was called Glacier Cream.  This cream included the measurement of the SPF factor.  Although this cream only included the SPF of two, in still was an important discovery in the history of sunscreen.  One of the earliest sunscreen brands was the Coppertone brand.  This brand was invented in the 1940’s by a pharmacist with the name of Benjamin Green.  Coppertone is a very common a well-known sunscreen today.  The iconic Little Miss Coppertone boosted sales and became the face of sunscreen. <ref>Unknown, Author. [http://www.humantouchofchemistry.com/history-of-sunscreens.htm History of Sunscreens] ''The Human Touch of Chemistry''. Web. May 1, 2016- last updated.</ref>