Sun Protection is not just about Sunscreen but what you Wear!

Clothing, hats and sunglasses are the most simplest and effective ways to protect your skin against sun damage.

How much do our daily clothes protect us from the sun?

The clothing we wear offers some protection against the sun. You don’t really get sunburn on areas that are covered. Most fabrics disrupt UV radiation to some degree.

If you are spending long periods of time outside it is recommended that you protect yourself by wearing sensible clothing. So why do so many of us go bare when it’s hot?

Clothing is the first line of defence against the suns harmful rays. It’s better to cover skin with lose clothing than to go bare.

It’s a widely accepted fact that thick clothing in dark colours provides the greatest protection from the Sun and that the opposite is also true, thin clothing in light colours provides the least protection.

Choosing the correct wardrobe is paramount. Here a few tricks to getting the most out of your current wardrobe:

• Dark colours – the darker the fabric the better the protection as the clothing absorbs the light so it won’t be reflected on you;
• Dry Clothing – wet clothes reflect and in some cases amplify light;
• Cover up – wear full length outfits, no material = no protection;
• Tighter weaves – sheer clothing provide little to no less protection.
• Polyester clothing – better than pure cotton, as it stretches less, wicks moisture/sweat and typically has tighter weaves.
• Hat/hood or Scarf – cover the head in a light material to keep the head cool, but with a dark border to prevent reflections onto the face.

Wearing dark clothes with tight weaves won’t be easy, especially in the summer when it will count the most; wearing loosely fitting clothes should make it more bearable.

For the truly Sun protection conscious, Sun protective clothing is a great option. It provides the necessary sun protection and is definitely a worthy investment for protection from harmful UV rays.

Coolibar is a website where you can purchase UPF clothing. They also sell excellent swim wear for kids to protect them from sunburn. The clothing blocks 98% of UVA and UVB rays.

So what exactly is UPF Clothing? Its Ultraviolet Protective Fabric Clothing intentionally designed to provide maximum Sun protection whilst remaining comfortable. UPF clothing uses certain dyes and chemicals to block UVA and UVB rays. Sun protection creams are rated by sun protection factor (SPF) and textiles are rated by ultraviolet protection factor (UPF). A fabric rating of 50 means that only 1/50th of the suns UV rays will pass through. This gives you significantly high protection blocking out 98% of the sun’s rays.

So should you wear UPF clothing?

“Even your best sunscreens should not be your primary defence against the sun”. (Leanne Brown).

The secret to protecting your skin without burning is to wear UPF clothing.

But there are certain individuals who really need UPF clothing.

• Fair skinned individuals with sensitive skin
• Young children, they have very delicate skin
• People who spend a lot of time in the sun, water sports, swimming outdoors (reflective surfaces).
• However the amount of protection regular clothing provides is limited.
• What you probably didn’t know is that our typical summer clothes provide us with about UPF 6 whilst good Sun protective clothing has UPF20 or more.

When you are wearing UPF clothing you know you are getting high protection from sun’s harmful rays.