SPF swim shirt/rash guard

[blumooned]

How do you know if it contains chemicals? Do any? Do they all? Or is it the actual fabric that is the sun protectant? If it contains chemicals would it say so on the label?

DS received swim shirt/trunks as a gift. I want to be able to use the swim shirt, as I think it would help prevent sunburn without having to use so much sunblock. (I'd still put sunblock on his exposed skin.) Just wondering about what gives them an SPF. I don't want to use it if it has chemicals in the fabric.

Thanks for any input!

[Past_VNE]

It is the way the fabric is woven. It's a fine thread, woven tightly together. It has no more chemicals in it than your average synthetic fabric does.

[ElaynesMom]

They can be chemically treated as well. I just purchased a uv protective suit from mamabargains yesterday. Today when I emailed I was told by the manufacturer that it was a combination of the tightly woven material and a chemical treatment. I'm waiting to hear back about what chemicals they use, if they'll tell me.

I believe there are some that do not contain any chemicals though, so I'd email the company you are wanting to buy from and ask.

[blessedwithboys]

some have zinc or something like that woven in. i love coolibar and the rashguard shirt company.

[ElaynesMom]

The company I purchased from got back to me and have said that the chemicals they use are proprietary so I'll be ditching the sun suit I bought yesterday and looking for something else. The brand I bought was made by SunSmarty.

[Past_VNE]

Wow, my apologies. I had read an industry article on them, so I though I had a pretty trustworthy source.

[ElaynesMom]

Originally Posted by Past_VNE

Wow, my apologies. I had read an industry article on them, so I though I had a pretty trustworthy source.

I'm actually super glad the OP started this thread because until I saw it I also thought it was just the way the material was made that made it UV protective. I had no idea some companies added chemicals. I'd be fine with added zinc like a pp posted, but i'm not ok with a proprietary chemical blend. I mean, who knows what's in it or if it could be absorbed at all. Now at least I can purchase one without chemicals included, though I'm a little bummed about the one I already bought.

[blumooned]

OP here - Thanks for the helpful input!
I went ahead & contacted the store (Younkers) where the swim set was purchased. I tried to contact the clothing company (Ruff Hewn) themselves, but there wasn't any contact info on their website. Younkers told me that there are no chemicals applied to the fabric, that the fabric itself is made to reflect UV rays. So, their stuff is chem-free!! It is polyester/spandex fabric, but I think most swim stuff is.

I wish they'd all leave off the chemicals, or use zinc. That is too bad, ElaynesMom, that you have to get a new suit. I wonder if there is a way to tell from the label whether or not they have applied chemicals.

[ShyDaisi]

Curious - do you think the chemicals on clothing are worse than sunblock? Putting on sunblock, which absorbed into the skin by nature seems to be worse than a fabric placed against the skin. I guess you would have to know what the chemicals are to make that determination, but it does have me thinking...

[ElaynesMom]

Originally Posted by ShyDaisi

Curious - do you think the chemicals on clothing are worse than sunblock? Putting on sunblock, which absorbed into the skin by nature seems to be worse than a fabric placed against the skin. I guess you would have to know what the chemicals are to make that determination, but it does have me thinking...

I use zinc oxide sunscreen, not chemical sunscreens, so chemicals applied to fabric definietly worry me more then zinc sunscreen. If it was a choice between chemical sunscreens or chemically treated clothes I guess I'd have to look at what chemicals were used.



Ok, now I'll stop monopolizing this thread

[ShyDaisi]

Originally Posted by ElaynesMom

I use zinc oxide sunscreen, not chemical sunscreens, so chemicals applied to fabric definietly worry me more then zinc sunscreen. If it was a choice between chemical sunscreens or chemically treated clothes I guess I'd have to look at what chemicals were used.



Ok, now I'll stop monopolizing this thread

I appreciate your response!

[blumooned]

Originally Posted by ElaynesMom

Ok, now I'll stop monopolizing this thread

Doesn't bother me - your input has been very helpful!

We also use barrier sunblock, very few chemicals, if any. If the clothing did have chemicals, I'd like to know what they were so I could compare them to the ones in the sunblock.

I did think about this more . . . if the chemicals applied to the clothing were made to stay on the fabric, even in chlorinated pools, hot sun, machine washing & drying, etc, maybe they aren't so terrible. I mean, if they're not going to come off the fabric, they're no worse than the chemicals in the fabric itself (polyester). OR, if they can come off onto the skin, they would be extra bad because they'd be mixing with chlorine, hot sun, etc!

Idk, I'm just glad some do not have chemicals!