It used to be that we were carefree when lying around on the beach under a scorching hot sun. That’s because we didn’t understand the dangers. We are now more aware what dangers are presented by too much exposure to the sun. Everything from minor irritation to more serious problems such as blistering and in some cases even skin cancer. The good news is though that because we are more educated regarding the dangers of sun exposure there are more things available to help us combat the effects. At the end of the day, sunburn is to be avoided and should never be allowed to occur with children. A lot of people make the incorrect assumption that a t-shirt will protect them or their children’s skin. This, in most cases, is simply not the case.
Most clothing will act as a barrier of some from the sun but the problem lies in the area of UV, or ultra-violet radiation from the sun. A standard t-shirt will probably give you the equivalent sun protection factor of somewhere between 7 and 15. This is much reduced if the t-shirt gets wet. This is way below the recommended minimum protection you need.
