If you spend a lot of time in the sun, it's important to prioritize skin health in the face of UV exposure. While the sun can boost your intake of Vitamin D, it can also increase your chances of developing serious health problems like skin cancer and speed up the physical signs of aging.
Is sunscreen enough? Sunscreen might offer you the protection you need for 30 to 60 minutes, but if you're outdoors often, you may need to increase your protection.
How can you use UV clothing as part of your skincare routine? What are the best ways to incorporate UV clothing into your wardrobe?
Read on to learn about UV clothing, how it can protect your skin, and the best ways to use UV clothing.
How Does UV Clothing Work?
Most fabrics have the ability to provide some degree of UV protection. However, your typical apparel isn't going to provide nearly as much UV protection as UV clothing. For example, while a typical cotton t-shirt gives you about a UPF of 5, UV clothing provides a UPF of 30-50+.
How does this work? Quality UV clothing is made of lightweight synthetic materials that have been lab-tested for UPF protection. As long as your UV clothing is in good condition and purchased from a reputable brand, it will protect the skin it covers from both UVA and UVB rays. (Sunscreen, on the other hand, does not provide UVA protection.)
How to Best Incorporate UV Clothing Into Your Skincare Routine
Adding UV clothing to your wardrobe is already a step in the right direction. However, we have a few tricks up our sleeve that will help you to make the most of your UV clothing and maximize your skin's protection from the sun. Let's take a look at the best ways to include UV clothing in your skincare routine.
Look for UPF 50+ Fabric
As we mentioned earlier, you can find UV clothing with anywhere from UPF 30 to UPF 50+. UV clothing has to offer protection of UPF 30 or higher to receive the Skin Care Foundation's Seal of Recommendation.
While 30+ UPF protection is far better than nothing, we recommend wearing UPF 50+ clothing, which will block out over 98% of UV rays. This level of protection is ideal when you're spending hours outside when the difference between 2% and 3% exposure to UV rays is monumental.
Find the Apparel That's Right for You
When UV clothing first hit the market, the focus was primarily on waterproof shirts and shorts that you could wear while swimming or surfing. Now, there are all different types of UV clothing, from swim shirts to yoga pants to golf polos. Think about the outdoor activities you partake in most frequently and pick the clothing that is best suited to those activities so that you look great and feel comfortable no matter what you do.
What if you're heading outdoors for a non-sporting event? We even offer long sleeve mock zip tops, crew neck, dresses and polos that are perfect for an afternoon out on the town.
Continue to Wear Sunscreen
The great thing about UV clothing is that once you put on your garments, the skin below is protected consistently. This isn't the case with sunscreen, which you have to continue to apply throughout the day. That said, wearing UV clothing doesn't mean that you should forgo sunscreen.
UV clothing can only protect the skin that it covers. You should still apply sunscreen to exposed areas like your face, neck, and hands. In fact, the skin in these areas is thinner and more sensitive, which means that you should lather up with SPF 50+.
Replace Your UV Protective Clothing as Needed
Some UV clothing is dipped in UV protective chemicals, which can fade with wear and washing. If you purchase dip-dyed UV clothing, you will need to replace that clothing after several washes.
To avoid this problem, purchase UV clothing from companies like BloqUV, which won't fade with use. Our UV clothing is designed to last for years.
Accessorize for UV Protection
As we mentioned earlier, areas like your face and neck are particularly sensitive to UV exposure. This is one of the reasons that we often see signs of aging on the face and neck even when the arms and legs look vibrant and healthy. In addition to applying sunscreen to your face and neck, add some accessories to your wardrobe that will shade your face and neck from the sun.
Of course, this includes things like sunglasses and large sun hats. It also includes UV accessories like UV bandanas and UV blanket wraps that you can toss on at a moment's notice for some extra protection.
Don't Ignore Sunburn
When we're talking about a skincare routine meant to protect your skin from the sun, preventative measures are key. However, you should also be prepared to treat skin that is already damaged or sunburned. It's tempting to ignore sunburn and let it heal itself, but there are steps you can take to ensure faster and more thorough healing.
Take a look at the American Academy of Dermatology's guidelines for treating sunburn. Use aloe-infused moisturizers, drink extra water, and keep your UV clothing on while your sunburn heals.
Add UV Clothing to Your Skincare Routine for Better Protection
If you're looking for new and improved ways to enjoy the outdoors without overexposing your skin to UV rays, it's time to invest in UV clothing. With this guide, you can make the most out of your skincare routine with the help of UV-protective clothing and garments.
Looking for UV clothing at a discount? Shop our entire inventory and save a few bucks by looking at our sale items. You won't want to miss out on the opportunity to add more UV protection to your wardrobe!
