In the scorching summer, when traveling outside, sun protection is the most concerned issue for everyone. So, how to choose suitable sun protection products to achieve the true effect of resisting ultraviolet rays? Let's take a look together below。

Scientific View of Ultraviolet Radiation

Ultraviolet radiation is harmful to the skin, not only causing blackening and peeling, but also accelerating skin aging and promoting the formation of skin spots. In severe cases, it may even trigger skin cancer. The ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight are the most harmful to human skin. UVA belongs to long waves and can penetrate clouds and glass. It exists even on cloudy days and can act on deep layers of the skin. Its effect is slow and can cause one-time blackening. It is also the main culprit of skin aging and cancer. UVB belongs to the mid wave category and acts on the surface of the skin, causing redness. Both UVA and UVB can cause sunburn and tanning of the skin. Of course, ultraviolet radiation is not always harmful. For humans, appropriate ultraviolet radiation can help synthesize vitamin D and prevent rickets. In production and daily life, it can also be applied to sterilize the surface of objects.

Sunscreen is a complete system: sunscreen, sunglasses, umbrellas, sun protective clothing, and so on. When choosing sunscreen products, people are most concerned about the sunscreen effect. The indicators for judging the sun protection effect are SPF (sun protection factor) and PA (sun protection index).

Sun Protection Factor (SPF) and Sun Protection Index (PA)

The most commonly used evaluation criteria for sun protection products on the market are sun protection factor (SPF) and sun protection index (PA). SPF is determined based on the lower dose of erythema on the skin. The skin turns red after sun exposure, medically known as "erythema", which is the slightest reaction of the skin to sun exposure. The lower dose of erythema is the shortest duration of sun exposure for the appearance of erythema on the skin. The higher the SPF value, the longer the protection period. Most people stand in the sun without any precautions, and their skin begins to show redness after 15 minutes. If you choose SPF20 sunscreen, your safe time in the sun is 300 minutes (15 × 20).

PA refers to the effectiveness index of preventing UVA. The defense effect is divided into three levels, namely PA+, PA++, and PA+++. PA+represents effective, PA++represents quite effective, and PA+++represents very effective. A good sunscreen product should balance both UVB and UVA protection. But the higher the SPF value and PA protection level, the greater the irritability, and the more unsafe factors it brings. Therefore, consumers should choose sunscreen products with appropriate protective strength based on their exposure to sunlight.

Attention should be paid when using sunscreen products

1. Application time: Apply sunscreen 15-20 minutes before going out, so that it adheres evenly and tightly to the surface of the skin when going out.

2. Application amount: When applying sunscreen products, it is necessary to ensure sufficient amount. Under normal circumstances, the product can only reach the sunscreen level indicated on the label when the dosage reaches 2mg/cm ². In addition, it can be reapplied every 2 hours.

3. Application method: When applying sunscreen products, gently pat them, do not rub back and forth, and do not massage vigorously to prevent the powder sunscreen in the product from being deeply pressed into the skin lines or pores, causing blockage of pores and difficulty in cleaning.

Yike Testing reminds you:

Sunscreen cosmetics belong to special purpose cosmetics in China

The country implements approval management

The product label should indicate the approval number

Consumers can visit the official website of the National Medical Products Administration

Or download the "Cosmetics Supervision" app on your mobile phone

Search through approval number and other information

Evaluation criteria and labeling requirements for sunscreen clothing

The national standard GB/T 18830-2009 "Evaluation of UV Protection Performance of Textiles" makes the following provisions:

Among them, UPF represents the UV protection coefficient, which is required to be greater than 40; T (UVA) AV represents the ratio of transmitted radiation flux to incident radiation flux, abbreviated as "transmission ratio", and is required to be less than 5%.

The sun protection principle of sunscreen clothing

Sunscreen clothing is made of high-quality polyester fiber material, and the sun protection factor of various fibers is: polyester fiber>cotton fiber>artificial cotton, silk.

Most sun protective clothing is made of UV resistant fabric with added sunscreen agents, and a layer of sunscreen coating is applied to the inner layer of the clothing, just like a sun umbrella. One piece of sunscreen can isolate 95% of ultraviolet light. However, after being soaked in water or washed several times, the sun protection effect of such sunscreen clothing will weaken until it disappears.

Some high-end sun protection clothing fabrics use a combination of sun protection ceramic fibers and polyester fibers to increase the reflection and scattering of ultraviolet rays on the surface of the clothing, preventing ultraviolet rays from penetrating the fabric and damaging human skin. This type of sunscreen clothing is less affected by immersion and washing, and its sun protection function can be maintained for a long time.

Clothing made of legitimate sunscreen fabrics will have clear sunscreen parameters marked on their clothing labels. In addition, prolonged washing or stretching may lead to a decrease in the sun protection performance of clothing. In this case, it is necessary to replace or re add additives to the clothing. Please refer to the relevant instructions of the product for specific methods.

Tips for choosing sunscreen clothing

1. Additives

Cotton sunscreen clothing and "skin clothing" sunscreen clothing both contain titanium dioxide sunscreen agent. Sleeve style sun protection clothing, on the other hand, has no sunscreen at all. The sunscreen added to "skin clothes" is more than that of cotton, which means the sun protection effect is better.

2. Material

Choosing polyester>silk>cotton viscose, nylon, or acrylic materials for sun protection clothing has better results. High quality sunscreen fabric is lightweight and breathable, and the breathability of sunscreen clothing is also a factor to consider when choosing.

3. Color

Deep red and navy blue>other colors (it is worth noting that light colored clothes have poor protection against ultraviolet rays, especially those cotton clothes that are dazzlingly white and often contain fluorescent whitening agents)

4. Tags

According to the label, legitimate UV protection products should be labeled with the national standard number and UPF value. If the measured value of UPF is greater than 30 and the transmittance of UVA is less than 5%, it is marked as 30.

5. Patterns and translucency

The finer and denser the texture of the sun protection clothing textile, the better the sun protection effect. The less light transmission, the better the UV protection effect.

sun umbrella

A sun umbrella is one of the essential sun protection tools for outdoor activities or travel. The current recommended standard GB/T 23103-2018 "Sun Umbrella" requires that "when UPF>40 and T (UVA) AV<5%, it can be called a 'UV protection product'".

Sun umbrella purchasing tips

1. Look at the umbrella ribs

The currently popular aluminum skeleton is lightweight, convenient, and easy to carry. If wind resistance is considered, straight steel skeleton is superior.

2. Check the organizational structure and fabric

Fabrics with tightly woven and thick structures generally have better UV resistance than sparse fabrics, with satin weave being superior, followed by twill and plain weave. Under the same conditions, polyester fabric is superior to other fiber fabrics, among which nylon fabric and viscose fabric should be noted for their materials

3. Check the coating

UV resistant fabrics generally come in two forms, with the addition of UV resistant functional fibers. This type of fabric is considered superior; The second most common is coated fabric. Some sun umbrellas have coatings on the outer layer, which may peel off after exposure to light or rain, not only affecting their appearance but also directly affecting their UV resistance. The coating applied to the inner layer of the umbrella can not only reflect the ultraviolet rays reflected by the ground again to reduce the damage to the skin, but also be beautiful and practical. The most commonly used coating is silver gel, which is silver gray in color, opaque, and has a good anti UV effect.

4. Check the label

A sun umbrella that has been tested after production will be accompanied by a protection level label. There are two standards related to umbrellas in China, GB/T 23147-2018 "Sunny Umbrellas" and GB/T 23103-2018 "Sun Umbrellas", which require the UPF of the umbrella surface to be greater than 40 and the UVA transmittance to be less than 5%.

5. Price

The price and UV protection performance cannot be directly proportional. The price of a sun umbrella is related to its umbrella rib material, brand effect, and other factors. However, an umbrella with anti UV performance cannot be bought for less than 20 yuan. In addition, the anti UV effect of lace or hollow parts on the umbrella mask needs to be considered. Ultraviolet rays will directly contact the inner layer of the umbrella through the hollow parts, affecting the anti UV effect.

Yike Warm Reminder:

Sun umbrellas are different from sun protection clothing, as the erosion of rainwater and the tension of use can affect their UV protection effect. Therefore, it is better to use umbrellas and sun umbrellas separately. Solar umbrellas with coatings may also experience detachment after multiple folds, resulting in a decrease in UV protection performance. So it is necessary to replace the new product in a timely manner.

Partial content source: China Textile Joint Inspection