Are UV-Blocking Clothes All They’re Cracked Up To Be? [Body Blog]

By Garnet Henderson

Here at CC, we’re all about healthy skin! And when it gets to be summertime, a big part of that is taking care of your skin in the sun. It seems that lots of readers agree with us – my post from last summer about why I choose not to tan is one of my most popular posts ever. And Caitlin does great sun safety videos for CC Beauty Live.

As tempting as it can be for the paler ones among us to work on perfecting that bronzed (Ed note: “bronzed”) summer look, we know it’s dangerous. By now, anyone who has access to TV or the internet is well aware of the dangers of skin cancer. And don’t forget about the premature aging that can be caused by the sun! But now that people are starting to be more careful about protecting their skin, it looks like some companies may be taking advantage of eager customers looking to prevent skin cancer.

So what’s the latest magical skin cancer prevention product? Turns out there are a lot of them. Clothes with special UV-blocking fibers, hair products and makeup with SPF, and get this – laundry detergent that will coat your clothes with UV-blocking chemicals.

These UV-protective products have been around for a while, but they were mostly marketed to skin cancer patients. Now, companies are hoping to sell these products to regular consumers. UV-blocking clothes are now sold at Uniqlo, the Gap, Izod, and Land’s End. TRESemmé sells a “climate control” shampoo that promises to protect hair against the sun’s damaging rays. And countless cosmetic companies sell foundations and powders with SPF.

But skin cancer experts are skeptical about these products. Dermatologists say that these UV-blocking fibers may not be any more effective than densely woven, dark materials. And they say that, in order to actually get sun protection benefits from makeup, you would have to cake it on.

So it looks like sunscreen and time spent in the shade are still your best bets for protecting your skin against the sun. Maybe someday, with a little more development, these products really could give you an edge over the sun’s harmful rays. But for now, don’t spend extra money on products that claim to protect you from the sun without doing a little more research. And stock up on sunscreen for the summer!

What do YOU think? Do you own any of these UV-blocking products?

Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

[Lead image via Wallenrock/Shutterstock]