Always wear sun protection outdoors.

REI has a great article on in-depth sun protection.  It covers many of the things that most articles or publications we have come across don’t answer.  It answers some really good questions and is a great read if you may have some detailed questions about UV rays, what are the most vulnerable skin types, and how washing your UV protective clothing affects it’s lifespan:

“Three types of UV rays exist:

• UVA (320-400 nanometers, or one-billionth of an inch): Causes premature skin aging, wrinkling and potentially skin cancer. Penetrates skin more deeply than UVB rays. Can impact skin during any hour of daylight. Can penetrate clouds and untreated glass.
• UVB (290-320 nm): Causes sunburn; also contributes to premature skin aging and potentially to skin cancer. Causes most impact between 10am and 4pm. Can penetrate clouds, but not glass.
• UVC (200-290 nm): Deadly to humans. Fortunately, it is absorbed by atmospheric gases before it reaches the earth’s surface.

Excessive UV radiation weakens the body’s immune system in addition to causing cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States—an estimated 1 million nonmelanoma cases are diagnosed annually. The majority of skin cancer cases, up to 90%, are sun-related.

Many skin-care experts believe clothing shields skin more effectively from UV light than sunscreen. Key reasons: Many of us often apply sunscreen lotions too thinly, giving our skin less protection than the sunscreen’s available SPF rating, and we neglect to reapply it.

Q: How do I interpret UPF ratings?

A: UV-protection claims for clothing were first formalized in the 1990s in Australia, where skin cancer is a widespread concern. Researchers there developed the first fabric testing procedures for UV transmission and…”

Read the rest of the article here.

Source: REI.com