Who developed the first sunscreen for skiing in 1938?

Who developed the first sunscreen for skiing in 1938? Franz Greiter is the credited answer.

Greiter was an Austrian chemist, mountaineer, and skier who suffered severe sunburn while climbing Piz Buin in the Alps in 1938. The experience inspired him to formulate a cream designed to protect skin from intense mountain sunlight, reflected strongly by snow and ice.

Greiter’s product, Gletscher Crème, or “Glacier Cream,” was introduced commercially in 1946 and became the foundation of the Piz Buin sunscreen brand. The brand’s name comes from the mountain associated with the original sunburn story. Earlier sun-protection products did exist, so “first” is best understood here as the first effective modern sunscreen associated with skiing and mountaineering.

A related mix-up concerns SPF: Greiter did not invent the modern sunscreen category in 1938, nor did his original cream provide today’s high protection. Gletscher Crème has been estimated at about SPF 2. Greiter later helped popularize the sun protection factor system.