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.
Australians also pioneered the concept of UPF, ultraviolet protection factor, a method of rating sun protective clothing. (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 both UVA (long wave) and UVB (short wave) rays. SPF measures only UVB protection.
Common sense suggests that a physical block is the best way to protect your skin from the sun. For example, we know that there is a direct correlation between changing clothing styles (smaller and smaller bathing suits) and the increase in skin cancers. The less clothing people wear, the more skin cancers they will get.
Here are the practical reasons to wear sun protective clothing:
Protection is reliable Sun protection clothing protects consistently and consistently. Unlike sunscreen, the protection offered by UPF-rated clothing doesn’t fade or wear off throughout the day.
Protection is less expensiveThe clothes are bought once and will last many seasons or outgrown. 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, which means that sunscreen should be applied only to the face and hands. This can be especially attractive to fathers of young children… and to men.
Protection is provided for both UVA and UVB. This is worth mentioning again. Unlike sunscreens, which have SF ratings based on UVB alone, UPF-rated clothing protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
When shopping for sun protective clothing, only buy UPF-rated clothing. And look for clothes with a high UPF rating. For example, a garment with a UPF of 50 only allows 1/50 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.