A brief history of Coppertone® (and suncare!)
You may be too young to remember the very first consumer sunscreen product. But it's a story worth repeating.
During WWII, an airman and future pharmacist named Benjamin Green helped develop a sun protective formula for soldiers. In 1944, Airman Green used his invention as the basis for Coppertone® Suntan Cream.
As the story goes, Airman Green concocted the cocoa butter mixture on his wife's stove (hopefully, with Mrs. Green's blessing!) and tested it on his own bald head. Little did he know that would be the first of many firsts for Coppertone® – in this case, the first consumer suncare product!
65 years of solar thinking
For more than 65 years, sun protection has been our number one priority. Since the launch of the first Coppertone® sunscreen, we've been committed to developing high-quality, easy-to-apply suncare products that provide every member of the family with effective sunburn protection, every day.
Over the years research teams at the Coppertone® Solar Research Centre have brought you and your family many sunscreen firsts, including:
- The first consumer suncare product (1944)
- The first sunless tanner (1960)
- The introduction of the SPF (sun protection factor) system in North America (1972)
- The first sunscreens to protect against both UVB and UVA rays (1985)
- The first sweatproof sunscreen for sport enthusiasts (1991)
- The first PABA-free sunscreen to contain Parsol® 1789* (1993)
- The first continuous spray sunscreen – a revolution in the suncare category (2005)
- The first mass-market mousse sunscreen (2011)
* Parsol® 1789 is a registered trademark of Givaudan – Roure Inc.
