So you can play outdoors with confidence.
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UVA vs UVB Sun Damage
UVA and UVB rays are both damaging to one's long-term health. Previously, the focus was on protection from UVB rays but experts are now realizing that UVA rays are dangerous over long-term exposure, as well. That is why it is important to ensure your sunscreens, sunglasses and sun protective clothing are "broad spectrum" or UVA/UVB protection.
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UVA - is thought to contribute to premature aging and wrinkling of the skin and has recently been implicated as a cause of skin cancer.
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UVB - more dangerous than UVA and has been implicated as the major cause of skin cancers, sun burning and cataracts.
SPF vs. UPF
Both SPF (Sun Protection Factor) and UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) are standards used to measure sunburn protection from UVA and UVB sun rays. SPF, the standard used to measure the effectiveness of sunscreens, has been around for many years. The UPF system is relatively new and was created specially for sun protective fabrics.
SPF, is a gauge of how much time a person can be exposed to the sun before getting burned. For example, if you burn in 10 minutes without sunscreen and you apply a liberal dose of sunscreen with a SPF 30, you should be protected from a sunburn for 300 minutes (this will vary based on exposure to water and sweat).
UPF rating indicates how much of the sun's UV radiation is absorbed by the fabric. For example, a fabric with a UPF rating of 50 only allows 1/50th of the sun's UV radiation to pass through it. This means that this fabric will reduce your skin's UV radiation exposure by 50 times (98% UV block) in areas where the skin is protected by the fabric. A normal light t-shirt may only provide a UPF 5 sun protection whereas a light-weight sun protective shirt would block 98% of the sun's harmful rays and keep your skin cooler.
Unlike sunscreens, the UPF sun protection does not wash off or lessen in it's effectiveness so you can remain confident in your protection all day long. Another advantage of the UPF standard is that both UVB and UVA are measured.
Our Products
All of our sun protective clothes at SunSational Style are tested and approved with the highest rating of UPF 50+. Our StingRay sun protective clothes are endorsed by the Skin & Cancer Foundation Australia. All of our sun protective rashguard shirts, swimsuits and UV protective clothes are light-weight, fast drying and high quality.
Our Shady Day SPF 30 sunscreen wipes and SunEssence SPF 30 aromatherapy sunscreens are all broad spectrum and protect against the UVA and UVB rays.
Our Baby Banz kids sunglasses are also UVA/UVB protective and endorsed by the Skin & Cancer Foundation Australia, the Melanoma International Foundation and winner of the 2008 iParenting Award.
If you have any other questions, we'd love to hear from you!
Contact us Monday-Friday at (877) 823-6438 or (602) 510-3900.