Product Spotlight: Sunscreen

With summer fast approaching, more and more people are headed outdoors for fun in the sun. Beaches, swimming pools, parks and other venues will soon be full of young and old, out for a good time in the great outdoors.

We’re all for summer fun, but it’s important to remember to play responsibly. That means protecting yourself from the sun and summer heat. Nothing can ruin a great summer day at the beach or ballpark like a sunburn.

Fortunately, we have ways to enjoy the great outdoors without looking like boiled lobsters. And because the need to market your brand doesn’t stop with the change of seasons either, these products can heat up your brand while keeping customers cool and collected.

One of the most cost-effective ways to promote your logo is with custom summer products designed to beat the heat and ward off the dangerous effects of the sun. Sunscreen is a great way to do that. Let’s take a look at the history of sun protection through the ages.

Summer Saver: Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the most basic product you need to (literally) save your skin when the sun beats down, whether at the beach, the ballpark or just working in the yard. The basic idea of it goes back a lot further than you might think. And some ancient products are surprisingly, still effective to a certain degree.

Tan Like an Egyptian

Around 3000 BC, ancient Egyptians began using sun-protective products for cosmetic reasons. In their culture, lighter skin was more desirable. They used plant-based extracts, some of which are still used today, including rice bran, jasmine and lupine. 

It turns out they were onto something. Modern scientists have found that rice bran absorbs ultraviolet rays. Scientists have discovered that rice bran absorbs ultraviolet [UV] light, and jasmine helps repair DNA, and lupine lightens skin.

Greek Tanning Secrets

Residents of ancient Greece took a different approach. They used olive oil to protect their skin from the sun. Recent testing shows olive oil has an SPF (sun protection factor) rating of about 8. While that’s nowhere near the protection of today’s sunscreens that boast SPF factors of 50 and beyond, it was certainly better than nothing in the Mediterranean sun.

Sun Protection and Class Distinctions

In the 16th and 17th centuries, fair skin was a marker of social class and often an indicator of wealth. A tanned face implied that the person worked outside and was thus a member of the lower classes, a common laborer. 

To maintain their fair looks, wealthy women of the era often wore “vizards” to ward off sunburn or tanning. These oval masks of black velvet typically covered the entire face with only they eyes visible through holes in the cloth. 

The vizards were often held in place with ribbon ties, but not always. Some required the wearer to clasp a bead attached to the inside of the mask between their teeth to hold it in place. That also prevented the wearer from speaking, adding to the allure of a masked woman of mystery.

A Designer Flips the Script

In the 1920s, fashion designer Coco Chanel turned the class designation upside down. Returning from a Mediterranean cruise, she instantly became an icon of a tanned, leisurely, aristocratic life. A fashionable look was born, with some calling Chanel the inventor of sunbathing.

Around the same time, however, early warnings about the risks of tanning were being sounded. In 1928, Dr. G.M. Findlay, a British doctor, published the first paper linking ultraviolet rays (as in sunlight) with skin cancer. 

Research Yields Results

Research on sun-protective products continued throughout the following decades. In 1935, the founder of the L’Oreal company developed the first sunscreen with UV-filtering properties.

In the 1940s, U.S. Army research focused on creating sun protection for soldiers in the desert. That work led to the development of an effective sunscreen that was waterproof, economical and nontoxic. Pharmacist Benjamin Green made a more consumer-friendly version by adding cocoa butter and coconut oil. That product eventually became known as the Coppertone brand.

By the 1970s, sunscreen brands abounded. The federal Food and Drug Administration began to regulate the industry in 1978, around the same time indoor tanning beds began to become popular.

Sun Protection Today

It’s worth noting that medical experts today say there’s no such thing as a safe tan. That’s why it’s important to use sunscreen, protective clothing and other measures to avoid skin damage.

Modern sunscreen products are available in a range of SPF ratings. A rating of 30 or above is required to prevent UV damage to skin cells. The FDA regulates the product as an over-the-counter drug, unlike other countries in which sunscreen is considered a cosmetic product. The agency has a very specific list of what chemical components can be included in sunscreen. 

Sun Protection as a Promotional Tool

You might not have thought of sunscreen as a promotional item. Custom imprinted sunscreen in convenient easy-to-carry packaging can be a highly effective way to raise your brand’s visibility, especially among young, active consumers. It also sends a message that you’re concerned for your customers’ and potential customers’ safety. You can send your brand to the beach, the pool, the outdoor concert, the garden center or anywhere else under the sun. 

For even more marketing power, you can make sunscreen part of a bundle of other custom-branded summer products, including lip balm, cooling towels, umbrellas, sunglasses and more. 

The bundle approach gives you great flexibility. You can order pre-made kits, or craft your own with a mix of products specific to your brand. Either way, they make outstanding trade show items, student giveaways, contest prizes and employee appreciation day items.

If you’d like to find out more about custom sunscreen products, summer bundles or other ways to boost your brand image and awareness, we’d love to talk with you. Call us toll free at (800) 423-0449, or email us at [email protected].  We’re your all-seasons source for great promotional products of all kinds.