How To Protect Your Skin From The Sun
We all learn in grade school that our largest organ is our skin. We’re covered in it from head to toe, and we need to protect all of it from UV damage. Exposure to the sun’s UV rays harms your skin, so follow our tips to protect your skin from the sun. Skin protection starts with a plan and continues with the combination of broad-spectrum sunscreen and UPF 30 - UPF 50+ shirts and apparel.
Protect Your Skin with Proper Planning
Better planning = better protection. It’s not flashy or exciting, but it works. Planning for your skin’s sun safety starts with an awareness of the most dangerous time of day for sun exposure: 10 AM - 4 PM. During these hours, you’ll need to be extra diligent with your skin protection. Fortunately, however, you don’t need to avoid the sun. Use the available shade, keep hydrated, set reminders and take note of how long you are in the sun. And always remember to reapply sunscreen every 1-2 hours.
Protect Your Skin with Broad-spectrum Sunscreen
The next critical piece in protecting your skin from harmful UV rays is using broad-spectrum sunscreen. Don’t use any sunscreen that isn’t labeled as “broad-spectrum” as only broad-spectrum sunscreens protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Each of these types of UV rays is harmful, and your skin needs to be protected from both. UVA rays are linked to many types of skin cancer, and UVB rays are most likely to cause sunburn. We recommend a water resistant lotion with at least SPF 30. Approximately 30 minutes before going out in the sun, apply a quality sunscreen generously to any exposed areas. Lastly, and this is key: remember to reapply every 1-2 hours, or sooner if you are sweating or spending time in the water.
Protect Your Skin with UPF 30+ Shirts
Your skin’s next defense against sun damage is UPF apparel. This is clothing made with special fabric blends, like viscose from bamboo, that absorbs UV radiation and shields your skin. We recommend clothing rated UPF 30 or greater as this offers the best protection, blocking over 98% of UV rays. For added skin protection, trust lightweight UPF shirts with long sleeves, or even our hooded variation.
Furthermore, another benefit of protecting your skin with UPF 30 through UPF 50+ sun shirts is time and money savings. You’ll save time because UPF apparel doesn’t have to be reapplied, so you don’t need to worry about your shirt’s UPF protection wearing off throughout the day. Also, you’ll save money by not needing to spend so much on sunscreen (which isn’t cheap) since UPF shirts are more effective than broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Despite your best efforts, if you do accidentally get sunburn, here’s a helpful video about how to properly treat your skin:
With the right plan, and a healthy combination of broad-spectrum sunscreen and UPF 30 - UPF 50+ shirts, you can safely head out into the sun knowing your skin is protected. For additional advice specific to protecting your face, check out our companion post. Avoid the negative consequences of damaging UV exposure, like sun spots, sunburn and skin cancer, and start protecting your skin now with Rayward Apparel’s UPF sun clothing.
