Sun Block Clothing Buying Guide For Outdoor Adventures can help you decide what your family needs to protect their skin from the sun. What adventures does your family enjoy?
We have all considered sunscreen to be our only protection from the sun for a many years. However there is a new player on the scene to help you keep your skin safe from too much sun.
Sun blocking clothing has slipped in to the mainstream awareness. Another way to protect ourselves from the sun!
While sunblock is certainly important for helping you stay safe from too much sun, don’t forget how much trouble it is. You have to keep reapplying everytime you get out of the water, or if you sweat a lot. At the very least, every two hours as well.
So now we have another layer of sun blocking protection with clothing. If you cover up, with clothing of any kind, you are adding another layer. Building a better wall of sun blocking defense for your skin from the sun.
In the early days of sunblocking clothing you were just protecting your skin. Certainaly not making a fashion statement. Things have changed.
While getting started, sun blocking clothing had some rough days of being more a utility garment. However, there is now wide choice of stylish and protective options from many reliable brands online.
To be able to make good basic suggestions to help you find the most reliable sun-protective garments, what you and your family needs.
What is Sun Blocking Clothing?
UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor.
“A UPF rating is given to fabrics that protect your skin from the sun and tells you what fraction of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can penetrate a piece of fabric,” (Lisa Chipps, MD, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in Beverly Hills and a spokesperson for the Skin Cancer Foundation,)
Clothing with a UPF of at least 30 to provide some sun protection.
A UPF of 30 to 49 offers very good protection.
UPF 50+ is best.
This clothing will give you more sun block than regular. However, some thought needs to go into how your clothing needs to protect you.
Is your adventure level at a day on the beach several times during the year, or only once or twice?
Maybe your family is into boating and camping at the lake. That as a favorite when my kids were young. Will you be hiking or canoeing. Think about what you are doing when you are typically in the sun.
Maybe you are a gardner.
Or are you sitting out at ball parks while kids or like me grandkids are practicing or playing. These are the times you and your family need sun blocking clothing, with sunscreen for where you are not covered.
Is It Important For You To Wear “UPF” Clothing?
Research is proving that rotecting yourself against the sun’s harmful UV rays can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. The added benifet is that it will also prevent premature skin aging.
The Skin Cancer Foundation also states that “about 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers and 86 percent of melanomas are caused by UV radiation.
Wearing sun protective blocking clothing is the first part of an effective sun protection routine. Then we need to add applying sunscreen to all parts of us that are exposed to the sun. Your face, nose and ears. Throat area for men and women is important. Age shows quickly in these areas.
Finding shade and avoicing long preiods of sun exposure is an often forgotten easy way to improve your skin protection.
The other way is to make sure that you are avoiding exposure at peak sun hours between 10 AM and 4 PM in the summer. Avoiding the sun in my part of central Texas is important even in the winter between 11 AM and 3 PM.
I know that to people in the more northern regions, your sun doesn’t shine as much as ours. Make yourslef aware of the safer times, and pay attention to your families sun exposure times. Teach good sun awareness habits by practicing them with and for your family.
Will My Regular Clothes Work?
Your regular clothes would probably be better than no clothes. Covering your skin and avoiding over exposure is the way you protect yourself.
While you may love wearing your favorite white T-shirt to the beach, it may not be the best line of defense when it comes to UV protection. Remember you are now aware of your need to be safe.
“With a UPF of 50, your UPF shirt blocks out 98% of the UV rays.” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Azadeh Shirazi said. “A white t-shirt only has an SPF of 8, and if it has been washed several times, there is even less protection.”
Covering your skin with any clothing is a step in the right direction. But not all clothing is created equal.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a fabric for sun blocking purposes.
First, hold the garment up and look towards a light source, the sun or a light bulb. Consider the tightness of the fabric’s weave.
A tightly woven piece with smaller pinprick holes where the thread is woven, like denim, will offer more protection. One with an open weave, like a crocheted shawl, not so good. Everywhere you can see the sun through the holes? The sun can see you.
Your thicker and darker fabrics are more protective than thin, light fabrics. A bleached cotton offers little protection. A black corduroy would block more UV radiation..
A surprise to me is that synthetic materials are better for UV protection than natural ones.
The advantage of wearing clothing with a UPF rating is that it ensures you can be confident about the level of protection that your clothing is providing.
Are UPF Clothing Brands Expensive?
As the Sun Blocking Clothing industry is maturing many manufacturers are expanding their designs into the UPF world.
You will be able to find quality garments to protect your family in Walmart and all the way to the luxury clothing lines.
Most brands offer basics that allow you have great sun blocking protection and be able to work then into your existing wardrobe really well. They’re lightweight, making them wearable or easy to layer for any climate.
These new sun blocking UPF clothing options can work for all occasions. The styles range from athleisure to business. Starting with a few long-sleeve T-shirts. Maybe some leggings. The lightweight fabric is perfect for a hike, or just lounging.
Keep a lightweight cover up handy should you get chilly or wet at the beach. Some of the sun blocking clothing manufacturers have lightweight shawls to slip on and protect your arms, shoulders and back from the sun.
These are my favorite and having one of these in your beach or pool tote will keep you or a member of your family from too much sun.
Sami’s Take on “Sun Blocking Clothing Guide For Outdoor Adventures”
While I am still learning about sun blocking clothing, I am also cautious about what I consider buying.
The fishing shirt that has the double yoke is an extra layer of protection in high sun times. The well placed vents also are nice for air circulation.
Each household has different requirements. Each family likes different things. So it seems that figuring out what your family does and needs is a good way to start your sun blocking clothing purchases.
If you are needing several garments all at one time, it may be fesabilefor you to get a box of Rit Clothing Brightener. This treatment can give a garment several washing and wearings of sun protection. When putting together a weeks worth of camp clothing for more than one kid, this is a reasonable way to get the protection you need.
Just follow directions and add some extra protection to your families kind of worn wardrobe and keep them safe. We have lots of options for staying safer in the sun. Now that we are aware, we can practice them.
Where ever you are in your sun blocking needs, there are solutions.