Health: Clothing Options for the Sun

August-September 1998

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

by Jeanne Boldt

Sun protective clothing designed in Australia, now available in Canada.

You would expect that people living in, the tropics would have the highest incidence of skin cancer, but think again. Canada (yes, Canada!) rates second per capita in the world for skin cancer.

Perhaps the reason for this is that we live in the "North" and when the sun finally decides to grace our doorstep with some of that hot, sunny weather we have longed for during our winter hibernation, we tend to embrace it too enthusiastically.

Because it rarely gets overbearingly hot, we are able to enjoy outdoor activities--like kayaking--even in the middle of the day, when the UV rays are at the highest levels.

As a result, the Canadian Dermatologists' Association predicts that one in seven Canadian children will get some form of skin cancer in their life time. And childhood is the critical time since 80% of our sun exposure occurs in the first eighteen years of our lives.

Reducing ultraviolet damage to our skin is necessary for the rest of our lives.

It should begin as early as possible. Did you know it only takes one bad sunburn to double our risk of skin cancer?!

Did You Know?

UVB Rays = Rays that penetrate surface skin layers and burn.

UVA Rays = Rays that penetrate deeply, causing wrinkles.

However, having said that, remember that sun damage is cumulative and it is never too late to start protecting yourself. Wearing a hat, sunglasses and sunblock are obvious precautions. Staying out of the midday sun is also advised. Wearing more clothing is another option, but that doesn't mesh well with the desire to shed our usual duds when the sun shines. What to do?

Wendy Franklin, of Australia, wanted to do something to protect her children from the sun's damaging rays, so 10 years ago she invented a weave called "C-Tex" that was 100+ SPF wet or dry that does not allow the UV rays to penetrate.

The result is a non-chemical sun block that does not wash off, does not require frequent applications and covers the high risk areas of the body (face, ears, neck, shoulders, breasts and thighs).

That idea has caught on and other companies are now producing hats and clothing that offer us sun protection.

However, because Canada does not have any standard in place regarding this type of clothing, it is buyer beware. So make sure that the garment has an "SPF" rating not just a percentage of blockage, or a label claiming it to be "sun protective." Companies that do not provide you with an SPF rating are probably not giving you all the protection that you deserve.

Just as sunblocks are all rated on an SPF level, so should all sun protective clothing. Only then will the consumer know exactly how much protection they are in getting.

Remember that all fabrics lose half their SPF when they are wet. Salt water, chlorine, perspiration and washing are all properties that will bring down the level of SPF in a fabric over time.

Jeanne Boldt distributes 100+ SPF clothing through C-Shirt Canada. She can be reached at 250/380-6601