Sunscreen clothing is an IQ tax? I advise you not to worry, after reading this article, step on the thunder!

Rumors

The weather is getting hotter day by day, the sun is getting bigger, and during the "May Day" holiday, people who love beauty wear sunscreen in addition to sunscreen. However, some people will say that wearing a long-sleeved jacket can protect you from the sun, and sun-protective clothing is completely an IQ tax.

In fact, compared to ordinary clothes, sun-protective clothing has a better sunscreen effect.

analysis

Why do clothes protect from the sun?

Clothing plays an important role in preventing the human body from being damaged by ultraviolet rays, and the clothing fabrics worn daily actually have certain anti-ultraviolet functions.

When ultraviolet rays irradiate the surface of clothing, reflection, scattering, absorption, and transmission will occur, so that the surface of human skin will be less damaged.

The UV protection effect of clothing fabrics is related to the fiber material, the tightness of the weaving structure, the thickness of the fabric, the depth of the color and other factors.

For example, the anti-ultraviolet effect of cotton and silk in natural fibers is average, wool is slightly better, flax is the best, and polyester (also known as polyester fiber) in chemical fibers has the best anti-ultraviolet effect;

However, everyday clothing has limited protection against UV rays, and if you are exposed to strong sunlight for a long time, you need sunscreen clothing with high UV protection.

Specialized sun-protective clothing reduces the amount of UV rays that penetrate the fabric to the skin's surface by improving the ability to reflect, scatter or absorb UV rays.

How does sun-protective clothing protect against the sun?

Sunscreen clothing fabrics generally follow two principles to achieve sunscreen function:

(1) Shielding principle: enhance the reflection and scattering effect of the fabric on ultraviolet rays, such as coating the inner layer of the fabric, or adding a shielding agent to the fiber of the fabric;

(2) Absorption principle: enhance the absorption of ultraviolet rays by fabrics, convert energy into heat energy release or harmless low-energy radiation after ultraviolet absorption, such as choosing dyes with better absorption of ultraviolet rays when dyeing fabrics, or finishing the fabrics with anti-ultraviolet absorber coatings.

So, to what extent can sunscreen be called sun-protective clothing?

According to the provisions of the national standard GB/T 18830-2009 "Evaluation of UV Resistance Performance of Textiles", UV-proof textiles must reach UPF>40 and UVA transmittance <5% before they can be called UV-proof products.

The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) refers to the ratio of the average effect of ultraviolet radiation calculated when the skin is unprotected and the average effect of ultraviolet radiation calculated when the skin is protected by fabrics.

UVA is the longest wavelength part of ultraviolet rays, has a strong penetrating power, can directly reach the dermis layer of the skin, destroy elastic fibers and collagen fibers, the smaller the UVA transmittance, the better the anti-ultraviolet performance of textiles.

Expensive sun-protective clothing

Is it an IQ tax?

Fortunately, everyone's awareness of sun protection has increased now, and many people will also buy sunscreen clothing. But how to choose sunscreen clothing from tens to thousands of prices?

In fact, we only need to look for a logo and consider the price comprehensively, and we can get it done.

According to the provisions of the national standard GB/T 18830-2009 "Evaluation of UV Resistance Performance of Textiles", UV protection products should be clearly marked on the product, and the label content must include the following parts:

- the number of the standard, i.e. GB/T 18830-2009;

- When the UPF of 40 < ≤ 50, it is marked as UPF40+. When UPF > 50, it is marked as UPF50+;

- The protection provided by the product may be reduced over time and in the presence of stretching or wet.

Sunscreen clothing that meets national standards must have the above logos, which is also the most direct basis for consumers to purchase sunscreen clothing.

So, how expensive is the right sunscreen clothing?

In fact, from the overall consideration of the cost of fabrics, design and craftsmanship, sunscreen clothing with more than 100 yuan and the above logo can be purchased with confidence, and it is not recommended to buy sunscreen clothing that is too cheap.

Some sunscreen clothing is sold at a high price, and a large part of it includes factors such as brand premium and design style, and its UV protection function on the skin is not much different if it meets the national standard.

However, we may also have a feeling that even though we have bought a brand-name sunscreen clothing, it is still a little boring to wear, and why is this? In fact, this is mainly determined by the material and process, and in fact, the designer has put a lot of effort into it.

Sun-protective clothing

How can I breathe?

At present, the most common sunscreen clothing fabrics on the market are polyester (also known as polyester fiber), followed by nylon, or fabrics made of polyester and nylon, and a small amount of spandex is usually added to improve the elasticity of the fabric and improve the comfort of wearing.

Polyester and nylon are the two most common chemical fibers, both of which have outstanding mechanical properties, and the woven fabrics have high tensile strength and good wear resistance, which are widely used in the production of outdoor protective clothing.

The anti-ultraviolet ability of polyester fabric itself is more prominent, and the various anti-ultraviolet treatment technologies of polyester are very mature, and the moisture absorption and perspiration ability are strong, making polyester the preferred material for the production of sunscreen clothing.

Nylon has strong moisture absorption and perspiration ability, large thermal conductivity, can provide a more obvious instant cooling sensation on contact, and is also widely used in sunscreen clothing.

Sun-protective clothing usually has a tighter weave structure, because the tighter the fabric, the less UV light is transmitted.

Generally speaking, the structure of woven fabrics is tighter than that of knitted fabrics, and the tight fabric structure and the fact that many sunscreen garments use the finishing method of fabric coating to improve UV protection performance, which will reduce the breathability of the fabric. There are also many sun-protective clothing made of knitted fabrics, which are more breathable than woven fabrics.

In addition, sun-protective clothing is also designed with technical treatments to increase breathability, such as the use of fabrics with mesh structures in areas that are not exposed to direct sunlight, such as the underarms and undersleeves.

Some sun-protective clothing is designed as a wide shawl style, which increases the air layer between the sun-protective clothing and the body, which is conducive to heat dissipation and reduces the feeling of stuffiness when the body is exercising.

When choosing sun-protective clothing, it is recommended to choose sun-protective clothing with cold-colored fabrics as much as possible, and when washing sun-protective clothing, try to wash it gently by hand to avoid rubbing vigorously to destroy the sunscreen finishing effect of the fabric, or cause the fabric structure to loosen.

If, after a period of use, the sunscreen clothing has obvious light transmission and loose fabric structure, it should be replaced with a new one.

conclusion

Everyday clothing has limited protection against UV rays, and if we are exposed to strong sunlight for a long time, we need sunscreen clothing with high UV protection.

Specialized sun-protective clothing reduces the amount of UV rays that penetrate the fabric to the skin's surface by improving the ability to reflect, scatter or absorb UV rays.

Source: Science refutes rumors