Sun protection

When light becomes a medical tool

Before sunscreen finds its place in the bathroom, light is already the subject of medical research. In 1903, Niels Ryberg Finsen received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the treatment of diseases, notably lupus vulgaris, with concentrated light radiation. This name here refers to a form of cutaneous tuberculosis, not the autoimmune lupus that we most often talk about today.

Sun oils accompany leisure activities in the sun

In 1935, L’Oréal launched Ambre Solaire, an oil containing a sun filter. This commercial milestone shows that protection is starting to become a product associated with leisure and voluntary exposure.

The current hit retains something of this heritage: we easily associate it with the beach, vacations and the idea of not burning. However, the question posed by this sheet is broader. To preserve the appearance of the skin, we must also consider ordinary and repeated exposures, those which do not necessarily leave visible redness in the evening.

Protect beyond sunburn

In 2006, a recommendation from the European Commission clarified expectations regarding the effectiveness and labeling of solar products. It insists on UVA protection in addition to UVB, on understandable information and on the absence of total protection. This development explains why just looking at the large SPF number on a tube is not enough to compare all its qualities.

Sun protection thus becomes easier to read, without becoming an absolute promise. The word “total shield” suggests a perfect barrier that the product does not provide. The place given to quantity and renewal instructions also recalls an essential point: the effectiveness measured with a standardized method is not automatically that obtained with a few small touches of cream.

Measuring aging rather than promising youth

An Australian trial published in 2013 followed 903 adults under the age of 55 for four and a half years. It compares daily solar use to use left to the discretion of the participants. Aging is assessed from the relief of the skin on the back of the hand. The daily group shows less progression, which provides concrete proof of the preventive benefit.