Shelia Lewis: Smith County Extension

After years of slip-slap-slop-slipping on a shirt, slapping on a hat, and slopping on sunscreen, the "slip" may be changing. We have always known that certain clothing items can protect us from the sun more than others. For example, a black T-shirt gives us more protection than a white T-shirt. But now, there are clothes made specifically with sun protection in mind and products available that can make a normal T-shirt more protective from the sun.

Thanks to the newest technologies, we may now start saying slip on "sun-protective clothing," slap on a hat, and slop on sunscreen. But would adding sun-protective clothing to our skin protection routine really be the most economical decision?

SUN-PROTECTION FACTOR

Clothes can protect your skin from the ultra violet (UV) rays of the sun. Even clothes not meant for sun-protection may provide some protection. Similar to the SPF rating of sunscreen, clothing is given a UPF rating. UPF stands for ultraviolet sun protection factor and tells you how much UV light from the sun is being absorbed. A fabric with a UPF of 50 means that only 1/50, or 2 percent, of the sun's rays are able to pass through the fabric to your skin. Just like with the SPF for sunscreen, the higher the UPF, the more sun-protection it provides.

The color, weave, weight and fiber type of the fabric can all affect the amount of sun protection any clothing item has. A good way to help judge the fabrics of your clothes is to hold them up to the light. If you can see through an item, so can the sun, which means UV light is able to reach and potentially harm your skin through that piece of clothing. It is important to remember that if the shirt is stretched (making it thinner), or wet (making it more transparent), the UPF will go down.

For example, the average white cotton T-shirt with a UPF of 7 can go down to a UPF of 3 when it is wet. When selecting clothes to wear for sun protection, you want to choose clothes that cover the most skin, like long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Dark colors, as opposed to lights and whites, are best. Fabrics with a tight weave can provide the most protection.

If you want to buy clothes made for sun protection, more and more companies are manufacturing clothes that are designed to offer a good deal of sun protection. Many companies are taking into account both design, maximizing the amount of skin covered, with sleeves and hoods; and the fabric with UPF ratings up to 50. Coolibar, a clothing brand recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation, sells shirts, hats, pants, and swimwear, all offering maximum sun protection. Most shirts on their Web site are long sleeved and range from $29.95 to $59.95 for children to adult sizes. Search the Web; you will find many other sites selling similar products, some boasting that their products are much cheaper than others. It is important to look for a high UPF when ordering from such sites.

WASH-IN PROTECTION

Another option that may prove to be much more cost efficient when it comes to sun-protective clothing is to wash sun-protection into your clothes. The only laundry aid endorsed by the Skin Cancer Foundation is Sun Guard from the makers of RIT dyes. At about $1.99 a package, you simply add it in along with your detergent to any load of laundry that you want to have sun protection. The chemicals in Sun Guard wash a UPF of 30 into your clothes without altering their color or comfort. The UPF will last in your clothes for up to 20 washes.

Remember, in addition to covering with sun protective clothing, you should protect your skin by following these tips:

Stay in the shade or indoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Avoid tanning outdoors or in tanning beds.

Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 everyday.

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors, and reapply it at least every two hours.

Keep newborns out of the sun, and use sunscreen on children 6 months and older.

Examine your skin every month.

For more information, consult www.skincancer.-org. Texas Cooperative Extension and the Texas Cancer Council remind your and your family to practice sun safety today and every day of the year.



Shelia Lewis is a Smith County Extension agent in family and consumer sciences. She can be reached at sk-lewis@tamu.edu. This column on family and consumer education news appears in the Thursday Community section of the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

Shelia Lewis
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