It may sound like a contradiction in terms when you use the words "sun protective" and "swimwear" together, but these days there is a very real need to keep our skin safe. In the past, keeping skin covered was all about modesty, but today's sun protective swimwear keeps skin covered in order to prevent skin cancer later in life. As our understanding of the sun's ultraviolet radiation increases, we have learned that the more bare skin the sun touches, the great the risk for sun damage and skin cancer.
Most fabrics offer little sun protection. Most summer fabrics have a UPF, or ultraviolet protection factor, of five, which is not much better than putting bare skin out in the sunlight. UPF is a new rating system for sun protective fabrics. It measures how UVB and UVA rays react against the fabric and how much radiation actually passes through the clothing to touch the skin.
Sun protective fabrics are more tightly woven so that they can keep more radiation away from the skin. These items of clothing have a rating scale of 10 to 50+ UPF. Some brands can even block 99 percent of the radiation you would otherwise receive from the sun. Your best option for sun protective swimwear is a nylon-Lycra blend fabric with 50+ UPF, which is the maximum amount of sun protection you can get from an article of clothing.
Skin damage and cancer is very preventable if you just take the time to protect your skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Sun protective swimwear and clothing is the best way to keep your skin safe, but don't forget to also put on sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 on all areas of the skin that are not covered by some type of sun protective clothing. Hats and sunglasses with EPF will also keep radiation away from your skin.
Keep in mind that the sun's radiation is at its strongest just before, during, and after the noon hour, so try to stay indoors during this time. These easy tips can help you lower your risk for skin cancer later in life and also keep away the signs of aging.
Most fabrics offer little sun protection. Most summer fabrics have a UPF, or ultraviolet protection factor, of five, which is not much better than putting bare skin out in the sunlight. UPF is a new rating system for sun protective fabrics. It measures how UVB and UVA rays react against the fabric and how much radiation actually passes through the clothing to touch the skin.
Sun protective fabrics are more tightly woven so that they can keep more radiation away from the skin. These items of clothing have a rating scale of 10 to 50+ UPF. Some brands can even block 99 percent of the radiation you would otherwise receive from the sun. Your best option for sun protective swimwear is a nylon-Lycra blend fabric with 50+ UPF, which is the maximum amount of sun protection you can get from an article of clothing.
Skin damage and cancer is very preventable if you just take the time to protect your skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Sun protective swimwear and clothing is the best way to keep your skin safe, but don't forget to also put on sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 on all areas of the skin that are not covered by some type of sun protective clothing. Hats and sunglasses with EPF will also keep radiation away from your skin.
Keep in mind that the sun's radiation is at its strongest just before, during, and after the noon hour, so try to stay indoors during this time. These easy tips can help you lower your risk for skin cancer later in life and also keep away the signs of aging.