What You Need To Know About Sun Protective Clothing

Australians love the outdoors especially during the summer. Along with the sunshine come the summer heat and the harmful UV rays. That is why it’s always more important that we take preventative measures in protecting ourselves from the scorching sunshine. Sunshine is vital for good health and well-being. However, it can also be greatly dangerous to our skin’s health especially during too much exposure. This is mainly the reason why there are sun protection clothing specially designed to protect ourselves from the harmful sunrays. Let’s take a look at why sun protective clothing should be your first choice when it comes to protecting yourself in summer.

It is no wonder that everyone loves summer and the sunshine it brings. The sun does so much to protect us. It provides our bodies with vitamin D that helps fight free radicals which are harmful to the health. Some studies have shown that those who have enough exposure to sunshine in the morning are more optimistic and have a sense of well-being. However, for many reasons, the summer sun can be a great danger especially when you are exposed after 10 o’clock in the morning. This can cause health disorders such as heat strokes, summer rashes and skin cancer.

For these reasons it is imperative that we take proper precautions. This is essential in order to protect ourselves from scorching heat and UV rays that is bad for our skin. One of the biggest concerns of sunlight is the harmful ultraviolet rays that can damage the skin. The majority of skin cancer detected today is largely caused by over exposure to harmful UV rays from the sun. In addition to skin cancer, there are other problems which you will certainly don’t want to happen on your skin. Too much exposure to the sun can cause your skin to develop a leather-like feel and sunburn. It can also cause early aging and wrinkling of the skin.

While many people prefer sunscreen lotions for protection, wearing sun protection clothing is also best to consider. It only makes sense that the clothing that covers our bodies should be the best first place to start when trying to protect ourselves from the harmful rays of the sun. While basic clothing does offer some protection, it is often not enough to give us what we totally need. Sun protective clothing is specifically designed to better protect us against the beaming sunlight that we are often exposed to.

You may be thinking that regular clothing is enough. But it might surprise you to know that fabrics like cotton allow penetration of the harmful UV rays into the skin. Fabrics that have been specifically more tightly woven or knitted have shown to provide far superior protection. Clothing for sun protection is designed to be worn on hot and humid days. These cloths have a sun protection factor of up to 50 against harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. The higher the protection factor level of the sun protection clothing, the more protected the person will be. So, he/she can stay in direct sunlight longer without having to worry about its harmful effects.

Sun protection clothing became popular first in Australia before it is being known in other countries. Many individuals prefer using it over creams with sun protection factor and sunscreen lotions. After Australia set the standard, many manufacturers produce clothing based on this standard. This standard provides easy to understand ratings that help consumers better understand what to buy for their needs. The factor that will determine the rate of ultraviolet rays that can get through clothing and to the skin is known as UPF or the Ultraviolet-Protection-factor. A shirt designed with a UPF of 20 will keep out all but one twentieth of the harmful sunlight. If it is a UPF of 50 then only one fiftieth will get in. The higher the protection level, the better the protection.

It is important to understand that to best protect yourself means you will need to cover as much of your body parts as possible. So long sleeve shirts, long skirts and pants are encouraged for this kind of protection. The good news is that as these clothes are specifically designed for the hot summer months you will mostly find them very comfortable to wear.

Optimum comfort is probably one of the factors you will consider in finding a quality maker of this line of clothing. Doing so will better ensure that you can get clothes that are not only effective at protecting you from the harmful rays of the sun but also provide a maximum level of comfort. That way, you will love to continue wearing these clothes all throughout the summer months.

If you have been using sunscreen instead of sun protective clothing, then you need to better understand the difference between the meaning of SPF and UPF. The easiest way to understand is to know that SPF is used only for sunscreens and creams. Its purpose is to give you a basic understanding of how long you can stay in the sunlight before you begin to tan or turn red. This system of designation is not used when it comes to clothing. Instead, clothing manufacturers use the system of UPF which indicates what percentage of harmful UV rays is able to penetrate into the fabric and reach the skin.

Unfortunately, many do not really understand why they need to be concerned about protection. The sun emits rays of light that are invisible. Some of these invisible rays are not harmful to us and sunlight has many qualities that are very healthy for us. But more and more cases of skin cancer are being diagnosed each year in part due to the eroding of our ozone layer. Because of this, it is increasingly needed to protect ourselves while enjoying all the activities we love in the summer time.

It is a common misconception that any clothing offers a significant level of protection. The truth is that while it is true that all clothing offers some protection, most do not offer enough. Not only has it been shown that cotton can let more than fifty percent of harmful UV rays through the fabric and eventually to the skin. Additionally, when it becomes wet due to perspiration or from being soaked in the water, it can allow up to 25% more in. This means that a wet tee shirt can let up to seventy five percent of the bad sunlight through to your skin.

Additional concerns are that there are many people who are especially susceptible to the harmful UV rays of the sun. Those who are very light skinned and those who are sensitive to sunlight are at high risk. Often children are also at higher risk due to many factors. Their immune system is still developing, making them more susceptible. They are not as concerned and so, they do not make sure to use sunscreen and sun protection clothing to protect themselves.

While we generally refer to the harmful sunlight as UV rays, there are actually three kinds that are of concern. UVA is particularly dangerous. It is able to go deeper into the skin than the others. It is able to get through clouds, clothes and is a danger at all times of day that there is light. This kind of sun ray can cause an early skin aging effect. It can make you prematurely begin to wrinkle and has the possibility of making skin becomes cancerous.

Next is UVB rays. This is the kind of sunlight that causes sunburns. This is most dangerous from around eleven am until around four pm in the afternoon. While it is not as powerful at penetrating into things, it can get through clouds but does not penetrate in car glass or sun room glass.

The third kind is UVC rays. We do not hear about this much because it is burned up as it enters earth’s atmosphere and so never reaches its surface. If you were to ever have contact with this, it would be deadly to you for sure.

It is estimated that ninety percent of all skin cancer cases are due to over exposure to the harmful rays of the sun. That makes this one of the most preventable kinds of cancer we have. So, it is possible to enjoy your summer and protect yourself as well. What might surprise you is the studies which reveal overexposure does not only increases your risk of skin cancer, but also weakens your immune system making you more at risk for other diseases and illnesses. While sunscreen is certainly one alternative for skin protection, many of the most recognised experts in the medical field agree that sun protective clothing is far superior and the recommended protection in most situations.

Now that you know about the importance of sun protection clothing, you would surely want to know what ratings are the best to wear. If you are looking for clothing that has a sufficient UPF rating, the minimum you should consider is fifteen. A range of fifteen up to twenty four is considered good. However, if you want more protection, then you should consider something that is at least twenty five. A rating of twenty five up to about thirty nine is considered the very best. For those who really want to have maximum sun protection, then you should consider clothes with a minimum rating of forty. Ratings between forty and fifty are most often considered an excellent level of protection.

The standard that was set by Australia stated that if clothing had a rating under fifteen, then it does not offer sufficient protection. It cannot be classified as sun protective clothing. Traditional summer wear such as a short sleeve tee shirt, has a UPF of only five. Clearly, this is not enough.

Apart from the SPF and the UPF, one more bit of information might surprise you. It is regarding something known as “OBAs”. This stands for Optical Brightening Agents. Some white fabrics have been found to have these properties which are a deterrent to harmful UV rays. It has also been found out that some laundry soaps contain these agents. Some experts estimate that those pieces of clothing that are often laundered with an OBAs containing soap build up a significant amount of UV protection. Some say it may be equal to as much as a rating of fifteen.

The only problem with OBAs is that it is a variable with no way to know for sure what level of protection it really has. So, it is still highly recommended that you buy clothing that is specifically made with a UPF. Make sure that the rating is at a level that is suitable to your need.

Another factor that was mentioned earlier is the different skin types. There simply are skin types which have greater risk than others. If you are someone who always gets sunburn when you spend time in the sun, then you are at the greatest risk. If you are someone that can’t seem to tan very easily, then you are also at great risk. For those who seldom get sun burned and are capable of tanning well, then they are at lesser risk of some skin problems and even skin cancer. Those who have skin types that are of greater risk must wear sun protection clothing with the right UPF level.

Sun protection clothing is made with the purpose of disrupting the UV rays. They are made of tightly woven material that greatly reduces the spacing between the fabrics. High quality manufacturers build in ventilation to allow the air to circulate while maintaining its integrity. Special types of dyes are used to further enhance the fabrics ability to protect you from the sun. Some dyes are good at absorbing sunlight and others are also good at reflecting light. The best quality techniques use dyes that are good at preventing the UV rays from reaching or penetrating into your skin.

During the making of these garments, manufacturers also use laundry detergents that contain OBAs which further deflect the bad sunrays. Nylon and polyester are the most commonly used fabrics for this type of clothing. This is due to its exceptional ability to disrupt UV rays.

Australia is being located near the equator. So, it is greatly expose to the sun’s harmful UV rays than other places. While many may not get sunburn when covered in ordinary clothing, it is still highly recommended that Australians must use sun protection clothing. This is to ensure that they are completely protected whenever they are out enjoying fun activities under the summer sun.