The right kind of clothing is key to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays. For clothes to provide any help, the fabric should not be transparent, but dark and thickly woven, textile industry experts say.
Items should also be loose and light, with polyester fabrics offering higher protection than cotton. Experts recommend you shield your head with a hat and sunglasses, preferably with large brown or grey lenses to avoid sun rays hitting the eyes from the side.
It is important to remember that even in the shade the skin needs to protection from indirect sunlight. Often in the shade you are exposed to over half of the rays of the direct sunlight.
If you have light skin, you should use sunscreen of at least factor 30 on bare skin, and don’t forget to top up. Between 11 am and 3 pm, UV rays are most intensive and it is advisable to avoid the sun completely if you are light-skinned. – dpa
