© Getty Images

Ancient Egyptians -

Though they lived in a very sunny location, light and fair skin was a symbol of beauty for ancient Egyptians.

© Getty Images

Ancient Egyptians -

How did they do it? Well, they left us some clues in papyrus scrolls and tomb walls. They actually used jasmine and rice as sunscreen.

© Getty Images

Ancient Egyptians -

It might sound rudimentary, but these had helpful properties. Rice bran has UV-absorbing gamma oryzanol, and jasmine can help repair damaged DNA.

© Shutterstock

Ancient Greeks -

When we think of the ancient Greeks, long tunics often come to mind. But they also wore veils and large brimmed hats to protect themselves from the hot Mediterranean sun.

© Getty Images

Ancient Greeks -

But what did they apply on their skin? Though they were great in many areas, skin protection was not one of them. Ancient Greeks used a quintessential Greek product: olive oil.

© Getty Images

Ancient Greeks -

It is true that olive oil does not offer protection against UVA or UVB rays, but it does wonders in making the skin soft!

© Getty Images

Indigenous peoples of North America -

The Makah and Hesquiat peoples were known for using Western hemlock extract to prevent and treat sunburn.

© Getty Images

Indigenous peoples of North America -

Western hemlock, also known by its scientific name Tsuga heterophylla, is a coniferous tree native to the Pacific Northwest.

© Getty Images

19th-century Austria -

In 1878, Austrian Otto Veiel published one of the first reports about a substance that could protect the skin from UV rays: tannin.

© Shutterstock

19th-century Austria -

But this compound, which can be found on plants, bark, and fruit skins, made the skin look darker, which at the time was quite undesirable.

© Shutterstock

Zinc oxide -

Zinc oxide paste has been used for hundreds of years for its sunblock effects. You might recognize the ingredient from current sunscreens.

© Shutterstock

Zinc oxide -

However, zinc oxide is not easily absorbed by the skin, leaving a somewhat thick paste on top. This has put many people off from using it over the years.

© Shutterstock

Zinc oxide -

It has regained popularity in recent years, added as a nanoparticle in certain sunscreens. And because it's more water resistant, it has become popular amongst surfers.

© Shutterstock

Red and yellow -

It was believed that red and yellow would absorb UV light, so people would apply different pastes with these colors onto the skin.

© Shutterstock

Borak (or burak) -

The Sama-Bajau people of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia still use a paste called borak (or burak), which is made from rice, spices, and waterweeds. 

© Getty Images

Thanaka -

This yellowish paste made of ground bark is traditionally used in Myanmar as sunscreen.

© Getty Images

Zeozon -

One of the first commercially-available sun protectors appeared in 1910. It was called Zeozon.

© Shutterstock

Zeozon -

Zeozon was made from horse chestnut tree extract, and was marketed as a product used to avoid both sunburns and freckles.

© Shutterstock

Early Australian sunscreen -

In the 1920s, Aussie Milton Blake invented a compound for sunburn cream in his kitchen. He worked on it for 12 years!

© Shutterstock

Early Australian sunscreen -

The product was sold through his company, Hamilton Laboratories, which is still in operation to this day selling sunscreens.

© Getty Images

First tanning oil -

Not quite a sunscreen, but French chemist Eugene Schueller (the founder of L’Oreal) created the Ambre Solaire tanning oil in 1935.

© Getty Images

First tanning oil -

The product contained a "sun filter" and claimed that people would tan five times faster, without the risk of burning. The product, under many different versions and brand names, can still be found today.

© Getty Images

The modern sunscreen -

Who better than a mountaineer to invent sunscreen, right? This is exactly what Swiss chemist Franz Greiter did.

© Getty Images

The modern sunscreen -

Greiter created the Gletscher Crème, or Glacier Cream, after he got severely sunburned while climbing Mount Piz Buin in 1938.

© Shutterstock

The modern sunscreen -

It is estimated that the first versions of Glacier Cream had an SPF of only 2. This was, however, more effective in 1946 than it would be today, as the ozone layer of Earth's stratosphere was not as thin as it is now.

© Getty Images

The modern sunscreen -

You can still find different versions of Glacier Cream for sale. Though now they do have a higher SPF!

© Getty Images

World War II -

As a way to protect himself from the sun on his missions during World War II, airman and pharmacist Benjamin Green started to apply a substance called Red Vet Pet, which stands for “red veterinary petrolatum.”

© Getty Images

World War II -

But its thick, Vaseline-like texture was not great. So, after the war, Green added cocoa butter and coconut oil to the formula, and Coppertone sunscreen was born! The product is, of course, still around to this day.

Sources: (Mental Floss) (Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology)

See also: Celebrity-approved sunscreens for this summer

© Getty Images