The scent of sunscreen and summer
By Ashley Kowalewski
Piña coladas, flowers, sunshine: One sniff of your favourite sunscreen and you’re transported to a bikini-mandatory mindset.
But how did this iconic association come to be? What has made the scent of coconut and tropical vacations synonymous with SPF and summer?
THE SUNSCREEN HISTORY
Coppertone was the first company to put suncare on the map. Benjamin Green, a WWII airman, developed a product to help protect his fellow soldiers from sun exposure. Eventually he added cocoa butter to his formula; from there modern-day suncare was born.
We chatted with Grace Riccardi, Manager Sun Care Research & Development at Hawaiian Tropic in Allendale, NJ, to help us understand the story behind the scent.
“Orange blossom and coconut are the heritage of sun care,” says Riccardi. “For many decades, if it didn’t smell like white flowers, it smelled like coconut.” …READ MORE