Brief Look at the History of Sun Protective Clothing
In Australia, during the 1980's, when the epidemic of skin cancer became a national concern, the Victorian Cancer Council introduced the "Slip, Slop, Slap" recommendations. (Slip on a shirt. Slop on sunscreen, Slap on a hat). Researchers quickly realized that while the recommendations were correct, many people were wearing t-shirts for protection, not knowing that the average protection offered by a cotton t-shirt is typically less than a SPF 10.
The Cancer Council quickly got to work finding material that would effectively block out the sun. They borrowed the concept of the surfer's "rash" shirt (a shirt worn by surfers to protect against skin burns that result from lying on the surfboard) and began marketing the first sun protective swim shirts. The shirt was followed by "neck to knee" swim suits, which look very similar to scuba diving suits, and a new industry - sun protective clothing - was born in Australia.
Soon entrepreneurs were busy making their own sun protective clothing. However, there were no industry standards to guarantee that the materials being used were in fact sun protective. Again, the Australian government intervened as part of its continued commitment to slowing the epidemic of skin cancer, and starting in 1992 ARPANSA (the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency), an agency similar to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in this country, developed regulatory standards for any garment claiming to be sun protective.
ARPANSA rated garments according to UPF or Ultraviolet Protection Factor, a rating system similar to SPF. Almost 4 million garments are now tested each year and given hang tags with serial numbers indicating sun protective values. The market in Australia for sun protective clothing is now three times the size of the sunscreen market.
Much of the information presented here is drawn from my book, "Sun Protection for LIfe" (New Harbinger Press).
Thanks to Coolibar, a sun protection clothing company, for images.
Summer Clothing and Sun Protection
Those T-Shirts Don't Cut It!
In 1999, a team lead by an Australian scientist at ARPANSA (Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency) analyzed the level of protection provided by 1,604 items of summer clothing, primarily cotton items. More than half the garments tested protected less well than a SPF 30 sunscreen. Two years later, very similar results were reported by a German team which tested 236 typical summer fabrics. That team also discovered that these commonly worn fabrics failed to protect as well as a SPF 30 sunscreen.
These fabrics, commonly worn by Europeans, are of course similar to those worn by Americans during the summer and in fact have the same elements as American fabrics. Recent tests in this country, conducted by Coolibar, Inc. a sun protective clothing company, show results paralleling the European studies.
So how can you know which fabrics will give you a good UPF reading? First, let's review the terms.
The UPF Rating System
The Development of Industry Standards
In 1992, the ARPSANSA (Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency) developed regulatory standards for any garment claiming to be sun protective. ARPANSA rated garments according to UPF or ultraviolet protection factor.In 1998, the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) adopted the Australian UPF standard for use in the United States. Later, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) developed standards for simulating a sun protective garment's life cycle and for labeling a garment claiming to be sun protective.
The concepts of UPF for clothing and SPF (sun protection factor) for sunscreen are similar. But there are important differences. As noted, the UPF rating is for clothes, while the SPF is for sunscreen. UPF is determined using either a spectrophotometer or a spectroradiometer--in other words, a machine in a laboratory while SPF often involves testing on people.
UPF rates both UVA and UVB protection while SPF rates only UVB protection. (Ultraviolet-A long wave solar rays are thought to directly cause skin cancers including melanoma; ultraviolet-B are short wave solar rays thought to be the major cause of basal cell and squamous cell cancers as well as a significant cause of melanoma).
Perhaps the most important difference is that in practice, wearing a UPF 30 garment will protect against 97% of UVA and UVB rays while most people who use an SPF 30 sunscreen don't use it properly and end up with much less protection.
A final important difference is that UPF involves voluntary industry standards while SPF is an FDA program.
Rating a Garment's UPF
Factors to Consider
Here is a list of factors to help determine whether a garment effectively blocks UVR.Weave Density Less UVT passes through tightly woven or knitted fabrics. The smaller the spacing between the individual fiber strands, the higher the protection.
Color Many dyes absorb UVR. Darker colors (black, navy and dard red) of the same fabric type will usually absorb UVR more effectively than light pastel shades.
Tension Stretching a fabric can decrease its effectiveness in blocking UVR. This is especially true with knitted or elasticized fabrics and care should be taken to select the correct size for the wearer.
Moisture Content Many fabrics offer less UVR protection when wet. This is because UVR passes through water better than through air. The drop in protection when wet depends on the type of fabric and the amount of moisture it absorbs when wet.
Condition Most fabrics will get less protective as they age and old, threadbare or faded garments will be less effective. The exception is that many brand-new cotton-based fabrics can actually offer more UVR protection after they have been washed at least once. Shrickage in the fabric closes small gaps between the threads and allows less UVR to pass through.
Other Factors to Consider
Don't Forget Design and Comfort
Selecting garments that are sensibly designed for sun protection can make a large difference in your overall UVR exposure. Garments that provide more body coverage offer more protection. A shirt with long sleeves and a high collar offers more protection than a short-sleeve shirt without a collar. A legionnaire-style cap with a flap protects the ears and back of the neck much better than a baseball cap. A broad-brimmed hat shades the face and neck.Finally, consider comfort. Sun protective clothing should be light, cool and comfortable so you will wear it and keep it on in hot conditions. Remember the whole idea of sun protective clothing is to allow you to safely enjoy the outdoors. Look for clothing with wicking and ventilation properties.
Wicking When clothing gets wet from perspiration, it sticks to the skin and hinders the evaporation process. Wicking or breathable fabric has special fibers and weaves to keep perspiration away from your skin.
Ventilation This is an important feature of sun protective clothing. If the garment is well designed, it will have panels that allow for airflow. There is no single method for providing ventilation. However, always look for it in sun protective clothing that will be used for activewear.
Sun Protective Clothing & Sun Exposure
Sun Protective is First Line of Defense Against Harmful Sun Rays
Consumers in Australia, a country which has struggled with and vigorously fought its epidemic of skin cancer, buy three times as much sun protection clothing as sunscreen.Why? Here in the U.S. sunscreen is often mentioned as the first line of defense against dangerous exposure to the sun. Please consider that it is not, although it is important to use sunscreen as part of a complete program of sun protection.
Sun protective clothing offers a number of benefits:
Protection is reliable Sun protective clothing protects consistently and constantly. Unlike sunscreen, the protection offered by UPF-rated clothing doesn't fade away or wear out during the day.
Protection is less expensive Clothing is bought only once and will last many seasons or until it is outgrown. Over the long term, buying sun protective clothing is less expensive than using sun screen.
Protection is not messy Unlike sunscreen, sun protective clothing is not sticky, oily, allergenic or difficult to apply. Sun protective clothing reduces the amount of sunscreen needed on exposed areas, such as the face and hands.
Protection is provided for both UVA and UVB Unlike sunscreens, which have SPF ratings based only on UVB, sun protective clothing is rated for its protection against both UVA and UVB.
For more information on complete sun protection, including the best and most recent sun protection advice, please visit my blog at www.sunaware.org/blog.
Be safe and be SunAWARE.
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rsmothers
Nov 29, 2009 @ 3:39 pm | delete
- This is info everyone should have -- very helpful lens.
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by sunaware1
My name is Mary Mills Barrow. I'm a wife and mother of three, a full-time writer and sun protection activist.
I studied in the United States and in Australia...
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