If you’re concerned with keeping your skin as healthy and youthful as possible, you need to involve sun protection in your skincare routine.  The best defense against the damaging effects of UV rays? Slather on sunscreen AND wear UV protection clothing.  Let me remind you why you should protect your skin from UV rays every day (yes, every day!).  Sun and UV damage can happen at all times of the year, not just in the summer.  In the winter, you might not feel like the sun is out, but it is, and it’s UV rays are just as able to cause damage as any other time of year. The sun emits ultraviolet (UV) rays, a type of invisible radiation that can harm your skin and lead to premature aging or skin cancer.  So if you have skin (regardless of age, gender, or location), I recommend you wear sunscreen at least SPF 30 and make sure you reapply after 80 minutes, because it does not last longer than that.  I usually apply before going to work and the before leaving from work, but I’m going to step it up to every 80 minutes.  Secondly, make sure you get some UV protection clothing.

If you are like me, you may not have even known that UV protection clothing existed, unless you are a professional surfer or cyclist.  Yes, it is true that any type of clothing will shield your skin from UV rays, but UV protection clothing can add additional protection from UV rays through the use of different types of fabrics and special materials.  While outdoors, use sunscreen, long sleeved shirts, long pants & a wide brimmed hat that is at least 3 inches wide.  It will help to protect your ears, neck and face.  If you don’t wear long pants or long sleeves, apply the sunscreen to where the skin is exposed.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission oversees and regulates manufacturers to ensure they adhere to their UV protection claims. Sun protection clothing carries a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) rating that’s designed to provide more protection.  Just like SPF in sunscreen, the numbers range for UPF in clothing, from 15 to 50+.  Some of UV-protective clothing has a rating based on fiber density and structure, like thread count per inch, while other items are pre-treated with a UV-inhibiting ingredient.  I recommend a UPF label of 50, which allows less than 2 percent of UV transmission to come through the clothing. A  regular white T-shirt only has about about 5 to 8 UPF, which means 20 percent of UV radiation passes through to the skin.

When UV clothing is tested for its ability to protect, the fabric is placed under a UV lamp that is attached to a UV sensor. The lab technicians can then see how much UV light is sent; after which, the sensor measures how much is absorbed. The leftover difference shows the result of how much the special fabric absorbs. In this way, the protection level can be measured. Currently, the highest type of protection offered by UV clothing is 50. This means that less than two percent of the UV light reaches the sensor. The more the UV goes through, the lower the protection. All bu products offer this top level protection for children and adults.

BU gifted me a UPF 50+ Women’s Long Sleeve Crew Neck – Sun Protective Heather Grey for testing purposes & I love it! It is super comfortable, and I love that it has thumb holes!  I got a size medium and I found that it was very comfortable.  The fabric was smooth and soft, stretchable and not too tight or too loose. I was able to exercise both indoors and outdoors without the fabric chafing skin or sweating.

Does UV clothing work? Yes it does, but you need to make sure you buy a good quality brand from a company like bu. You can feel confident in knowing your skin is getting the best type of UV protection available. It’s a good idea to stay away from generic shirts that say they are UV safe but do not have a clear UPF testing claim. These imitation materials can deflect some of the sun’s rays, but they are not nearly as effective as quality UV clothing from bu. In addition, bu has worked hard to create simple, yet trendy UV clothing that looks great in all kinds of settings.

UV clothes do not protect the face, neck, hands, or feet which is why you still need to apply a good sunblock. But rather than pondering the question, Does UV clothing work– why not try a bu product out for yourself at https://buscreen.com/ ?