What is sun proof clothing?

Question

Any exposure to the sun causes my face and both arms to break out into an itchy rash.

Answer 1

If you go to a 'outdoor' clothing center you will find trousers, blouses with sun factor protection ratings. I have many and find them excellent.
Ideally you want clothing that covers a lot of the body and blocks virtually all UVR but is still light and comfortable to wear. And that is exactly what the new generation of sun protective fabrics from Australia and South Africa do. Sun protective clothing (SPC) and sun protection swimwear is made from specially developed hi-tech fabrics that block UVR much more effectively than traditional summer outdoor and swim wear. The ultraviolet protection generally comes from the tightness of the weave and not from special chemical treatments, although some garments offer both.
The UPF rating is a measure of a garment's protective ability, based on how much UVR can get through a fabric to the skin. The ultra violet protection factors go much higher than sun creams. The higher the UPF score, the higher the protection. The highest rated garments offer Factor 50+ protection which means less than 1/50 th (or less than 2% penetration) of the UVR reaches the skin. At the other end of the scale a UPF of 2 means 1/2 gets through and so on. So with a 50+ garment you could theoretically stay in the sun 50 times longer before getting burned - but you'd still need to apply sun cream to any exposed skin.
I use Regatta Clothing.

Answer 2

I have the same problem you do. They did a study recently that said that the most sunproof fabrics are things like denim and wool. The worst thing you can wear is cotton because the sun will go right through it. Since wool can be horribly uncomfortable in the summer, I would suggest you stick with denim jackets and hats whenever you can.