Dear EarthTalk: Is there really such a thing as “sun-protective clothing?” If so, does it mean I can dispense with oily sunscreens once and for all?
-- John Sugarman, San Diego, CA

While there will always be a place for high-quality sunscreen on body parts exposed to the sun, covering up elsewhere—ideally with clothing designed to absorb or shield the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation—can minimize a person’s skin cancer risk significantly.

With recent news about the inadequacy of many sunscreens—the nonprofit Environmental Working Group found that four out of five name brand sunscreens offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain potentially carcinogenic ingredients—covering up instead of smearing is looking better and better to many people. A handful of clothing manufacturers are responding to the increased demand for shirts, pants, dresses and hats bearing “SPF” (sun protection factor) ratings with stylish sun-protective duds.

The granddaddy of them all just might be Sun Precautions Inc., which was started 15 years ago by avid downhill ski racer and outdoors enthusiast Shaun Hughes after he was diagnosed with skin cancer at age 26. The company’s Solumbra line of sun-protective casual and outdoors clothing blocks upwards of 97 percent of all UVA and UVB radiation it encounters, and is recommended by thousands of dermatologists.

To test that its product line offers the kind of protection the company advertises, Sun Precautions subjects all of its Solumbra clothing to 500 laundry cycles, then snips out fabric samples which are exposed to the equivalent of 500 days of UV rays. If the samples pass muster, the line can be shipped.

Another leader in the fast growing field is Coolibar, which boasts a 50+ SPF rating for all of its garments. Its clothing, including wide-brimmed hats and long-sleeved bathing suits among many other items, is crafted from a proprietary tight-weave yet breezy fabric it calls Suntect. Another top purveyor is Sun Protective Clothing, which makes its casual and sporting clothes from a proprietary fabric blend called Solarweave, which fends off UVA and UVB rays yet maintains a light cottony “summerweight” feel.

Some hardcore environmentalists shun sun-protective clothing because it is usually made from polyester, Lycra or nylon—all which are petroleum-derived and are can contain some nasty chemicals. But Marta Phillips of SunGrubbies.com feels that it is better to wear the clothes than to smear chemicals directly onto your skin via sunscreen. That’s why her company sells a wide variety of sun-protective pants, jackets and hats, as well as specialty items such as cover-ups, sun gloves, sun sleeves and nose scarves.

If getting a whole new wardrobe of sun-protective clothing is out of the question, washing your existing clothes with Rit’s SunGuard, a product that treats fabric with a compound that imparts 96 percent UV protection through about 20 washings, might be the way to go. Also, sun lovers shouldn’t forget about protecting their eyes. A good pair of 100 percent UV protection sunglasses doesn’t cost an arm and a leg anymore; everyone in your family needs a pair.

CONTACTS: Environmental Working Group, www.ewg.org; Coolibar, www.coolibar.com; Sun Precautions, www.sunprecautions.com; Sun Protective Clothing, www.sunprotectiveclothing.com; SunGrubbies.com, www.sungrubbies.com; SunGuard, www.sunguardsunprotection.com.

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6 Comments

1. 1. jaqcp 03:31 PM 5/13/09

   How much protection does a good 'ol-fashioned long sleeved cotton shirt provide? I have worn them most of my life, as did millions of working men, when I worked outside. That and a wide brimmed hat (cowboy hats and sombreros work fantastic if wind allows!) do a great job of keeping the sun off and the body cool.

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2. 2. Ellipsoid 05:56 PM 5/13/09

   I assume that most of these SPF numbers come from the companies that created the products. Has anyone actually verified these claims? Also, I echo the call to compare these sunblock garments with clothing that was not designed for this purpose.

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3. 3. gs_790 01:40 PM 5/14/09

   If I recall correctly, although it is not expressed explicitly in this article, that the line "inadequate" is in reference to protection against UVB radiation. SPF in regards to UVA seems to be reasonably consistent (although I have no idea if there is some outside agency to verify such claims)
   
   Personally, I've always found it interesting that I burn less using No Ad SPF 30 and get singed to a crisp with No Ad Spf 40 and above (same application same exposure) Although I must say I'm on a quasi-hippie kick and plan my days to avoid sunscreen as much as possible

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4. 4. stellap 05:00 AM 4/20/10

   The sun protective clothing for kids is really a very good complement to the normal sunscreens. We have always used it for our kids as we have learned the sunscreens do contain a lot of chemicals. There is a swedish brand of sun protective clothing that also offers sun protective clothing produced in fabrics not using child labour. see their site: <a href="http://www.sunblock.se/gp/>Sun protective clothing.</a>

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5. 5. Sun Advocate 02:43 PM 6/9/10

   I have been a reader of Scientific American for many years. I have tried not to wear any sunscreen, but it just doesn't hard. Last week I didn't wear sunscreen, but when I got back to my apartment I felt a real burning feeling all over my face. I would say play it safe and complement it by wearing sun protective clothing. I found most of my sun protection while browsing this site http://www.sun-protection-and-you.com with lots of good information.

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6. 6. bldtylry 07:29 PM 4/23/12

   Sure you could wear a wide brimmed hat or long-sleeve cotton shirt to protect yourself against the sun but some people like myself are not that lucky. I'm very sensitive to the sun and my skin will turn red even if I was sitting under a patio umbrella. For me sun protection is more than a fashion statement and is important in my daily life. I personally would not by anything as cheap as Coolibar or Sun Grubbies as they are purely cosmetic; kind of like putting on sun screen and thinking that you don't have to put more on after a few hours...not true! If you want to understand about Sun Protection, Sun Hats, Sun Shirts, and Swim wear that protects you against the sun you can only buy one product, Solumbra, as it is tested and proven to protect.

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