5 Things You Didn’t Know About Sun Protection
Proper sun protection is essential for making sure you enjoy your time outside. Otherwise, you risk ruining your day with skin damage and sunburn. With our UV-protective apparel and UPF hat styles, we try to keep sun safety simple. That being said, it’s still useful to know how sun damage happens to better understand sun protection. With that goal in mind, here are five things you may not know about sun protection:
1) Skin Damage Occurs Before Any Signs of Sunburn
If left unprotected, your skin can be damaged by as little as 10 minutes of unprotected sun exposure. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you are ok as long as you don’t see the signs of a sunburn. Even tan and darker skins that don’t redden are still damaged on a cellular level. Likewise, don’t rest easy at the sight of a “mild” sunburn. Even a light burn is bad and indicates damage to your skin, which ultimately increases your risk of permanent skin damage or even skin cancer. Play it safe and wear a UPF hat and sun shirt even for short periods of sun exposure.
2) The UV Index Shows the Strength of UV Rays Each Day
The first thing you should do on any day you plan on being in the sun is check the day’s UV Index. This is basically a measure of the strength of the sun’s UV rays on a given day, based on solar noon (between 10 AM - 4 PM). The UV Index ranges from 0-12. The higher the UV Index, the higher your risk of skin damage, and the faster you could burn. A UV Index of 3-7, for instance, indicates a “Medium to High” risk. An Index of 8-12 represents a “Very High to Extreme” risk. The higher the UV Index, the more critical your UPF hat and shirt become.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the UV Index, or watch this short video:
3) Many Surfaces Reflect UV Radiation
Did you know that ultraviolet radiation doesn’t just come directly from the sun? In fact, damaging UV rays also reflect off nearby surfaces. By now, most people know that water, snow and ice reflect UV rays, but did you know that sand, cement and even grass reflect enough UV rays to cause skin damage? This makes your UPF hat, UV apparel and broad spectrum sunscreen an important combination. Together they’ll help shield you from both direct and indirect (reflected) UV radiation.
4) Sun Protection is Essential for Every Skin Type & Color
It’s true that people with fairer skin are at a higher risk of sunburn and skin damage, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is off the hook. While some people are more susceptible to sunburn, anyone can get skin damage, sunburn or skin cancer. Whether your skin is black, white, or any shade in between, you need to protect it from UV damage. Start by wearing a UPF clothing and a UPF hat, followed by sunscreen on any remaining areas of exposed skin.
5) UPF 30+ Apparel Is the Surest Form of Sun Protection
Sunscreen is essential for sun safety, but UPF apparel is a better bet for sun protection. As great as they are, sunscreens still have several drawbacks. They need to be applied thoroughly, and this needs to be done 30 minutes prior to sun exposure. Sunscreen also needs to be reapplied every 2 hours. Plus, and most confusing of all, sunscreen ingredient labels are hard to understand and it’s not clear what is safe for you or coral reefs. The surest sun protection comes from the simplest sun protection: UPF 30+ hats and shirts. UPF-rated apparel is always broad spectrum and doesn’t have any of sunscreen’s drawbacks mentioned above. Choose a UPF rating of at least UPF 30 to meet minimum recommendations of the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Now that you know even more about sun protection, we hope you’re feeling ready for “More Adventure & Less Exposure.” The next time you’re going to be in the sun, we recommend a UPF hat, sun shirt, sunglasses and sunscreen. To shop Rayward Apparel’s UV-protection clothing, visit our online store today.
