UV Clothing Is Better Than Sunscreen? SPF Is Not Everything In Sun Protection!

It's summer and more than ever, people need protection from the harmful rays of the sun. With more people baring their skin at the beach, sunscreens are getting sold like hotcakes again. But sun protection is not all about putting on sunscreen, a new report says. 

According to US News, there are other ways to protect oneself from the sun's UV rays apart from sunscreen. Those who would rather not put only sunscreen or have another layer of extra protection against the sun can opt for UV clothing. 

UV clothing can be purchased from many mass retailers as well as sporting goods stores. Plain white t-shirt only has a SPF of 3, which is hardly enough to be protected against the sun's harmful rays. 

On the other hand, UV clothing like sunscreen, can have between SPF 30 to SPF 50 as well. According to Dr. Colette Pameijer, a surgical oncologist and associate director of translational research, these clothes are made with bathing suit fabric so they can even be worn in the water.

One benefit of wearing UV clothing is that it does not even need to be reapplied. It does not wears off like sunscreen. "The best sunblock is one that you will wear, so find one you like," said Pameijer.

Pameijer also debunked the idea that higher SPF is always the best way to go. He said that it is unwise to buy sunscreen with SPFs beyond 55 because it can make you believe you are protected adequately when in reality, you are not. They're also naturally more expensive. 

"You may end up paying a lot of money for diminishing returns, and it may lead to a false sense of security," she said. "The product needs to be used correctly -- reapplied every two hours -- in order to work. If you pay a lot of money for a sunscreen and then use it sparingly, you're not really getting the SPF you think."

She added that the best SPF depends on the person. "I think what a lot of people don't realize is that SPF is really a personal number," she said. "The amount of protection that I get from an SPF 30 is different than what someone else with a different skin type would get."

According to Patch, FDA actually said the same, that SPF number is not everything. The FDA said that any measurement above SPF 50 is unlikely to add more protection, even if that is naturally assumed.