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Why wear sun protection clothing?

In Australia, sun protective clothing sells for almost three times more than sunscreen. In large part, that’s because, for more than two decades, the Australian government has supported a national campaign to reduce the nation’s skin cancer epidemic.

The Australians also pioneered the concept of UPF, ultraviolet protection factor, a method of rating clothing for sun protection. (In the late 1990s, several influential American organizations, including the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, adopted the Australian UPF standard for use in the United States.)

UPF measures the amount of UVR (ultraviolet radiation) that a fabric blocks. Unlike SPF, the rating system used for sunscreens, UPF measures UVA (long wave) and UVB (short wave) rays. SPF measures only UVB protection.

Common sense suggests that a physical sunscreen is the best way to protect skin from the sun. For example, we know that there is a direct correlation between changing clothing styles (smaller bathing suits) and an increase in skin cancers. The less clothing people wear, the more skin cancers they will get.

Here are the practical reasons for wearing sun protective clothing:

Protection is reliable Sun protective clothing consistently and consistently protects. Unlike sunscreen, the protection offered by UPF-rated clothing doesn’t fade or wear off during the day.

Protection is less expensiveClothes are bought once and will last for many seasons or until you outgrow them. In the long run, buying sun protective clothing is less expensive than buying sunscreen.

Protection is not messy Sun protective clothing is not sticky, oily, allergenic or difficult to apply, unlike sunscreens. Additionally, UPF garments reduce the number of exposed areas, meaning sunscreen should only be applied to the face and hands. This can be especially appealing to parents of young children…and to men.

UVA and UVB protection is provided. This is worth mentioning again. Unlike sunscreens, which have SF ratings based only on UVB, UPF-rated clothing protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

When shopping for sun protection clothing, only buy UPF-rated clothing. And look for garments with a high UPF rating. For example, a garment with a UPF of 50 only allows 1/50th of the UV radiation that falls on the surface of the garment to pass through. In other words, it blocks 49/50 or 98% of UV radiation.

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