Tips for Choosing Sunscreen Clothing Wisely
The importance of sun protection cannot be underestimated. UV rays are one of the leading causes of skin cancer, and prolonged exposure to UV rays increases the risk of the disease. In addition, UV rays cause sunburn, solar dermatitis and hyperpigmentation, which accelerate skin ageing. Regular use of sunscreen products is not only effective in preventing these problems but also helps to maintain the skin in a healthy and youthful state, protecting it from damage and the worsening effects of other skin problems. Therefore, sun protection measures should be emphasized in both daily life and outdoor activities to ensure the long-term health and beauty of the skin.
Next, the six characteristics of sunscreen clothing tell you how to choose sunscreen clothing!
Sun protection: High-quality sunscreen clothing should have a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) level that can effectively resist UVA and UVB, and reduce the damage of ultraviolet rays on the skin.
Breathable: Made of special material that can block UV rays while allowing air circulation to help sweat evaporate and reduce stuffiness.
Quick-drying: Quick-drying fabrics can quickly remove moisture from the surface of the fibres, keeping clothes dry and reducing discomfort and weight gain due to wetness.
Washability: It means that after many washes, the colour and shape of the sun protection performance of the clothing can still be maintained well to ensure the service life.
Lightness: In order not to affect the flexibility of outdoor activities, sunscreen clothing is usually designed to be very lightweight, reducing the burden of wearing and allowing more unrestricted movement.
The sun protection of sun protection clothing is reflected by two parts: UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) and T (average UVA transmittance) AV.
UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor): indicates the textile's ability to protect against ultraviolet rays, especially the protective effect of UVB. The higher the UPF value, the stronger the protection.
T (UVA average transmittance) AV: T (UVA) AV is a measure of the percentage of UVA through the textile, the lower the value, that is, the less through. It is generally believed that when T(UVA) AV is less than 5%, UVA protection is good and the sunscreen is effective.
Reference value.
★★★★★: UPF>50 and T(UVA)av<4%.
★★★★: UPF>50 and T(UVA)av<5%
★★★: UPF>40 and T(UVA)av<5%
The breathability of sunscreen clothing can be simply visualized from the breathability rate of this value.
Breathability: refers to the rate at which sun protective clothing allows moisture emitted by the body (e.g. sweat vapor) to pass through the fabric. The higher the Breathability value, the better the breathability and the cooler the wearer feels.
Reference value.
★★★★★: Breathability ≥200/mm/s
★★★★: Breathability ≥100/mm/s
★★★: Breathability ≥ 50/mm/s
The coolness of sun-protective clothing is visualized by the contact coolness coefficient.
Contact coolness coefficient: it is measured when the fabric contacts the skin, giving people the a degree of instant coolness. The larger the value of the contact coolness coefficient, the more obvious the instant coolness of the contact, and the more intense the coolness felt by the skin.
Reference value.
★★★★★: Contact coolness coefficient ≥0.21J/cm²s
★★★★: Coolness coefficient on contact ≥0.18J/cm²s
★★★: Contact coolness coefficient ≥0.15J/cm²s
The quick-drying nature of the sunscreen clothing can be reflected in the water absorption rate, drip diffusion time, and absorption height of these aspects.
Water absorption rate: measure the ability of the fabric to absorb water, said the unit area in the unit time can absorb how many grams of water, such as g/m. High water absorption rate, said the fabric can quickly absorb water, conducive to quick-drying.
Drip diffusion time: refers to a drop of water falling on the fabric surface completely diffuse the time required, the shorter the time, that the fabric absorb moisture faster.
Core suction height: test fabric vertical water absorption ability, water from one end of the rise of the distance, the higher the fabric core suction the stronger, can quickly the bottom layer of moisture upward export.
Reference value.
★★★★★: Water absorption ≥ 150%, Drip diffusion time ≤ 2s, Core suction height ≥ 110mm, Drying speed ≥ 0.4g/h
★★★★: Water absorption ≥100%, Drip diffusion time ≤ 4s, Core suction height ≥ 90mm, Drying speed ≥ 0.3g/h
★★★: Water absorption rate ≥ 80%, Drip diffusion time ≤ 6s, Core suction height ≥ 80mm, Drying speed ≥ 0.2g/h
Sunscreen clothing washing resistance is mainly reflected in the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) and T (UVA average transmittance) AV these two values, whether there are significant changes in the clothes after washing.
UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor): indicates the protective ability of textiles against ultraviolet rays, the smaller the change in UPF value after washing, the more stable the protective power and the better the washing resistance.
T (UVA average transmittance) AV: T (UVA) AV is a measure of the percentage of fabrics through the UVA, generally believe that T (UVA) AV is less than 5% and that UVA protection is good, sunscreen products are effective. If the value changes less after washing, the better the washing resistance.
Reference Values.
★★★★★: UPF>50 and T(UVA)av<4%.
★★★★: UPF>50 and T(UVA)av<5%
★★★: UPF>40 and T(UVA)av<5%
The lightness of the sunscreen clothing is mainly reflected in the weight of the clothing piece of lightness.
Piece weight: usually refers to the net weight of a piece of sunscreen clothing, that is, a single piece of sunscreen clothing itself lightweight. Lightweight sunscreen clothing is more popular.
Reference Values.
★★★★★: M≤200g
★★★★: 200g<M<300g
★★★: M≥300g
