Creative ways people avoided sun damage throughout history and why you won’t find sunblock in the U.S. today

Sources:

Drissi, Madeeha et al. “Sunscreen: a brief walk through history.” Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center) vol. 35,1 121-123. 1 Sep. 2021, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8682817/.

Finklea, Gillian. “10 Pre-Sunscreen Methods for Dealing with the Sun.” Mental Floss, 14 June 2021, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64312/10-pre-sunscreen-methods-dealing-sun.

Moore, Chloe. “Tracing the Roots of Sun Protection: The Complete History of Sunscreen.” Black Girl Sunscreen, 5 August 2024, https://www.blackgirlsunscreen.com/history-of-sunscreen/?srsltid=AfmBOooCf2bQZrRrzi6bS5Zcm0Nn7cHTWbaoQRLdjBFKabnJ1GdzRAnQ.

“Sunblock vs. Sunscreen: Key Differences.” Health Cleveland Clinic, 21 March 2025, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sunblock-vs-sunscreen.

“Sunscreen in the Environment | Smithsonian Ocean.” Smithsonian Ocean, https://ocean.si.edu/ecosystems/coral-reefs/sunscreen-environment.