What is spf?

SPF or "sun protection factor"  is a number that indicates the amount of protection offered by a sun protection product, or in other words, the amount of ultraviolet that your skin absorbs.  The SPF measures the effectiveness of a product at blocking UVB rays.  SPF is a percentage of the sun's UVB rays that are blocked, determined as follows:

SPF rating - 1  =  % of sun's rays blocked                                                                                                                                                                           SPF rating      

SPF 15 (93.3% of UVB blocked), or 1/15th (6.7%) of what you would absorb wearing nothing

SPF 45 (97.7% of UVB blocked), or 1/45th (2.2%) of what you would absorb wearing nothing

SPF 100 (99% of UVB blocked), or 1/100th (1.0%) of what you would absorb wearing nothing

As you may be aware, damaging ultraviolet rays include UVB and UVA, therefore, wide-spectrum sunscreen with label indications for both UVA and UVB is required.

Wikipedia comments:  "There is a popular oversimplification of how SPF determines how long one can stay in the sun. For example, many users believe that, if they normally get sunburn in one hour, then an SPF 15 sunscreen allows them to stay in the sun fifteen hours (i.e. fifteen times longer) without getting sunburn."  This is not the case, and sunscreen manufacturers & dermatologists alike would recommend that the PROPER AMOUNT of sunscreen be applied EVERY 2 HOURS.

Parents will appreciate the convenience & protection of Radicool Skins 100+spf WET or DRY rashguard suits, shirts & shirts.  The 100+spf, when the fabric is wet or dry, will ensure daylong protection when combined with a minimum 30+spf sunscreen for ears, nose, neck and face as recommended by the Canadian Dermatologists Association.  Check out www.radicoolcanada.com for further useful links! 

"Block the sun......not the fun!"