05/27/2026
Today is National Sunscreen Day, which serves as a vital reminder to protect yourself from the sun! ☀️
Early civilizations recognized the harmful effects of the sun on the skin. Ancient Egyptians used plant-based extracts such as jasmine and rice bran made into a paste to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful effects. In ancient Greece, olive oil, was spread on the skin to provide protection. Modern findings suggest olive oil can indeed provide SPF 8 protection, which is a bit less than what is usually used today.
During the Elizabethan era, social norms emphasized a pale “porcelain “ complexion which was attained either of two ways, cosmetically or dietarily. Queen Elizabeth I, wore white face paint to look as fashionably pale as possible,. The paint contained led, and it is believed that the constant exposure and pe*******on into her skin led to her death. Cosmetically, creamy white skin pastes and lotions were formulated with rice bran to create the desired fashionable pale complexion. Dietary methods of attaining pale skin included consuming arsenic wafers, which did externally lighten skin tone, but was also toxic to the body and internal organs though that was not known at the time.
During the Gilded Age, tanned skin was seen as unattractive and was a dead giveaway to a person's class status. Working class folks would often be outside working in the sun, while the social elite would have hired people to complete their manual labor. To avoid sun exposure, high society women like our own Ruth Livingston Mills wore hats with netting and silk scarfs. These sheer dark scarfs, sometimes known as vizards, covered their faces and necks. In addition to the face coverings, they also held silk parasols above their heads to block the sun when outdoors. Also, popular awning structures, called velariums , were often erected in public places as they provided shade during outdoor excursions.
Today there are many sunscreens with much stronger SPF that can provide greater protections, so go out and enjoy some fun in the SUN, but not too much!
Image: Ruth Livingston Mills (seated, lower right) wears a veil and scarf to protect her face from the sun.
