Sun Protection UPF Swimwear

Sun Protection / Against UVA & UVB

Holiday..Beach.. & Sun! a fantastic day for your family, but still even it is fun you need to care about your own health protection. Prepare yourself with sunscreen and use a swimwear with UPF protection is recommended.

Get down to UPF / SPF / Basic Knowledge of UPF & SPF

UPF is a ultraviolet protection factor, which is normally used for measure the protection on textiles.

SPF is a sun protection factor, used by sunblock / sunscreen.

UPF & SPF is measure the transmittance of UVB rays ( ultraviolet that caused the skin burn) and UVA rays ( ultraviolet that causes tan, wrinkle and prematurely ages skin). To get the minimum UPF 15 is recommended. How to measure protection value? sun-protective value is based on a combination of fiber, weave, color and weight. You can use these factors to gauge the potential UV-protection of apparel labeled as sun-protective – or what’s you are wearing now.

Below is the UV absorbent material characteristics:

Fiber: Nylon and polyester have high UV absorbance. 

Cotton and rayon are the least UV-absorbing fibers.

Weave: In general, thicker, tightly-woven fabrics with dense fibers, as in denim and leather, keep rays from seeping through your clothes.

Weigth: Heavier is better, as it has more mass to repel sun seepage. The downside  – insulated fabrics collect heat and make you perspire. Some sun-protective shirts and pants have built-in, webbed mesh panels along the side or under the forearm for ventilation and breathability. 


Wetness: Fabrics of 100-percent cotton that are white or pastel have been shown to lose UPF when wet. One study showed a 1/3 reduction in SPF when both a synthetic surf shirt and cotton-polyester T-shirt were wet. 

INFO: 

1. Laundering the latter with Rit Sun Guard or a brightening agent can put these clothes in the UPF 30+ category.

2. Repeated washing of loosely woven fabrics tightens the fibers, enhancing sun protection. Watch out for fabrics that stretch, as stretching opens spaces between the threads to let the sun in.

3. Colors: Go for dark colors such as brown, black, navy and forest green potentially absorb more UV rays than light colors and pastels.

4.Ashinoff advises patients to use sunblock under clothing – regardless of what you wear. 

5. Sunblock provides better sun protection than sunscreen, which is typically more transparent when applied to the skin and can break down faster once exposed to the sun.

Kids Swimwear with UPF 50+

RM 79.00 / Available at www.swimwear.com.my

Reference:

www.swimwear.com.my

www.arthritistoday.org