Most sunscreens block out at least some UVB radiation, but many don’t screen UVA rays at all, which makes things risky for your skin. According to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), most commercially available sunscreens are made with ingredients that have less-than stellar safety records. These sunscreens are also said to provide inadequate protection against the sun’s harmful UV radiation.
Of course all of our rash guard shirts give you SPF 150+ protection from both UVA and UVB rays so you can use less sunscreen, the harmful chemicals they contain and the plastic bottles they come in.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Cancer Crusader // Jul 30, 2008 at 6:42 am
Thanks for your comment on the ONLY SKIN DEEP? Blog. And thanks for your comment about UV protective clothing.
I want to clarify a point you made…
In reality, there’s no such thing as SPF 150+. I’m not sure where this came from, but UV protective clothing (sun protective clothing) is rated using the UPF system. UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. The Australian Government and the American Academy of Dermatology recommend wearing sun protective clothing rated at UPF 50+, which is equivalent to a SPF 30 sunscreen. And since SPF 30 is the highest rating for sunscreens, this is considered excellent as it protects against >98% of UV rays. (The FDA doesn’t regulate sunscreens, so that’s why some products claim to have SPF 45+; however, it’s a misnomer.)
The AAD recommends wearing both a quality SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen and wearing UPF 50+ clothing.
I talk about this a lot on the Blog, so feel free to surf through previous posts. You can also visit http://www.aad.org.
2 admin // Jul 30, 2008 at 9:20 am
Thanks for your post!
Our manufacturer labels their clothing as UPF50+/SPF 150+ and claims to have had their line laboratory tested.
You are correct when you say that any sunscreen claiming to be anything over SPF 30 is a misnomer, but I believe clothing is another matter.
Another thing to consider is that chemical sunscreens contain harmful ingredients, both to our bodies and the environment. Rash guards and other UV protective clothing do not.
Either way – the most important issue is that people get educated about skin cancer and protecting their skin at as early an age as possible.
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