Sun Safety

Just how damaging can the suns rays be? 

90% of skin damage occurs prior to adolescence. As few as six sunburns as a child will greatly increase the probability of skin cancer as an adult.Skin cancer in Australia costs the taxpayer twice that of any other form of cancer including those that are smoking related. Two in every three Australians and two in every five Americans will contract skin cancer throughout their lifetime. Over 90% of sun damage is preventable.

What are SPF and UPF? 

Both these measure the rate at which you will be protected from burning by ultra violet radiation. SPF is measured on the skin and will assess the rate of protection of any sunscreen that is applied to it. UPF is the measure of how much UV radiation passes through fabric. An SPF of 10 is exactly the same as a UPF of 10.

What does SPF or UPF actually mean to me? 

If it normally takes 10 minutes for you to get sunburnt then an SPF or a UPF of 10 will extend that by 10 times. It is critical to understand that when you are exposed to UV radiation you will start to burn inside the first minute and be burnt by the 100th minute in this example (being 10 times 10).

What are the limitations of bottled sunscreen? 

It can be applied too thinly. It needs to be reapplied regularly. It can be washed, wiped or sweated off. Some areas of the body may be missed during the application process. It has limited ability to protect against UVA widely known as the principal cause in Skin Cancer. Some chemicals in sunscreens can irritate the skin.

What are the key advantages of sun protection swimwear? 

It addresses all of the shortcomings of bottled sunscreens. Provide a much more effective protection level. Will provide protection against jellyfish in the covered areas. No detrimental side effects.

Are there any limitations with sun protective swimwear? 

Some brands use standard weight lycra which do not provide the best possible protection particularly when wet, stretched, close to the skin and have been worn. This creates some doubt as to the actual level of protection in a shirt or suit especially when wet or stretched or aged or close to the skin.

Are they hot to wear? 

The fabric itself does breathe so the chance to get hot is minimised. Over the years we have never had feedback that they are hot to wear as they are generally worn when swimming.

Why choose Radicool 100+ products? 

Radicool Australia has developed a unique fabric that combines a special knit and yarn combination to delivers a much higher SPF/UPF than standard lycra. All Radicool products are tested to ensure they achieve an SPF/UPF of 100+. The much higher protection level provides a greater level of confidence that the very best protection will be maintained for the life of the garment. Radicool Australia is a specialist sun protective swimwear manufacturer with over ten years experience.

When is a UV tent not a UV Tent? 

When Trading Standards Say So! Sun Tents – The Truth On the 22nd June ‘05, the issue regarding the effectiveness of Sun Tents caught the publics attention through articles released in The Times and the London Evening Standard newspapers with additional TV coverage throughout the day on BBC 1. In the article prepared by Simon de Bruxelles of The Times newspaper titled "Beach tents are 'worse than useless' against sun", attention was drawn to the false claims provided by some manufacturers of Sun Tents claiming to offer protection from the suns harmful UV rays. The following extract is taken from The Times: “POPULAR beach tents supposed to protect children from the sun could be worse than useless, according to a scientific study. Only one of 11 tents tested by trading standards officers (equivalent to CPSC North America) provided as much protection as a factor 10 sun lotion. Even the tents that claimed to meet the minimum European standards failed to provide adequate protection. Only one, from the high-street chain Mothercare, provided the recommended sun protection factor of 40 (supplied by The Ninja Corporation..) “The survey was carried out by trading standards officers from ten local authorities in the South West.” Paul Thomas, from Devon Trading Standards, said: "Whether or not there is a specific statement on the product claiming a sun protection factor, we are concerned that the way the shelters are marketed suggests they provide protection. These beach tents are now the subject of further investigation." “Testing of sun protection products became an annual event for trading standards departments in the South West after a test two years ago on a child's sun hat found that it provided almost no protection.” Roy Connelly, of Devon County Council said: "We were concerned about how confusing the messages about sun protection have become. It is clear from our tests that some clothing and cover-ups that people could reasonably expect to protect them are actually providing very little protection at all." “Exposure to ultra-violet radiation is responsible for skin cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Britain. Medical experts say that people who get sunburned in childhood have a 50 per cent greater chance of developing melanoma in later life. Melanoma is the third most common cancer in 15 to 39-year-olds. Doctors believe that four out of five cases could be prevented by proper sun protection. As 80 per cent of the average person's total lifetime exposure to ultra-violet rays occurs before the age of 18, children who have delicate skin are particularly vulnerable.” The Ninja Corporation has worked over several years to perfect their range of UV Pop-Up Sun Shelters and used extensive tests in Australia to ensure that claims of a 50+ UPF rating really meant what it said.