THE SUN PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING BEACHWEAR
Author:
- 1 April 1990
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Australasian Journal of Dermatology
- Vol. 31 (1) , 5-7
Abstract
Summary: Clothing represents a significant though underutilised form of sun protection but the literature reveals few studies dealing with this subject. This study used a solar simulator to assess in vivo sun protection factors (SPF) for two clothing items of beachwear ‐ a synthetic surf shirt and a combination cotton/polyester T‐shirt. The tests showed that the T‐shirt had a relative SPF of 15, and the surf shirt an SPF of 36. This however decreased by a factor of 1/3 in both cases when the material was wet. Overall, this compares favourably with conventional sunscreens and also has the advantage of a wide spectrum of cover.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- The protection against solar actinic radiation afforded by common clothing fabricsClinical and Experimental Dermatology, 1981
- Protective effects of various types of clothes against UV radiationActa Dermato-Venereologica, 1980