Our ancestors several generations ago knew that Sun Protection was an important issue. They seemed to realize that keeping out of the sun for the most part was just an important health issue. There were communities even back then where people suffered from skin cancer, but it was true back then, and it is true today.
In the 1970s the current craze for being tanned began in earnest. But at the same time, the level of people that were afflicted with skin cancers began to skyrocket. So different types of Sun Protection were developed. The scientific community began in earnest to develop types of sunscreens, and lotions that offered a variety of different levels of Sun Protection.
Skin Cancer is the number one cancer that faces humans each year. Even people with dark skin are at increased risk for developing skin cancer. Having some sort of Sun Protection is vital, and can be termed as absolutely crucial if you are headed anywhere that you many encounter prolonged exposure to the sun.
In the 1960’s and 1970’s the first sunscreens and Sun Protection were developed. The first ones were fairly crude, and did not have much of the necessary Sun Protection that was needed. But slowly, the scientific community was able to offer more in the line of sunscreens, and the sunscreens began. The scale for Sun Protection Factor, or SPF was introduced, and it became the main way to grade and judge the effectiveness for different sunscreens that were produced and offered on the market.
The region of the world with the most skin cancer is Australia. This is due to the fact that is was colonized by light skinned people, the Irish, the British, and the Scottish, and these light skinned European people are at the risk for skin cancer. Different countries have different restrictions and requirements for levels of Sun Protection and sunscreens, and some require a certain level of waterproof as part of their overall effectiveness.
No matter the level of SPF protection, any sunscreen or Sun Protection is useless if the person does not use it. It is still an issue that the world community must confront, while getting sunshine is important for everyone, the key is not getting excessive sunshine. Sun Protection is a vital issue, and if one is to avoid skin cancer in their lifetime then they need to purchase and wear on a regular basis Sun Protection sunscreen when exposed outdoors to the sun. This is especially true for prolonged sun exposure.
The Food and Drug Administration for the United States is currently reviewing the method used to label sunscreens, and the whole SPF method of rating Sun Protection. It is believed that eventually a new system of Sun Protection and rating will replace the current system. Until then the SPF system of Sun Protection will be in place to try and provide at least a measure of protection.
