UV Protection

What is UV radiation?

The sun emits light (visible radiation), heat (infrared radiation) and UV radiation (invisible to the eye and touch). UV radiation can be further broken down in to its different wavelengths of UVA, UVB and UVC. Short-wavelength UVC is the most damaging type of UV radiation. However, it is completely filtered by the atmosphere and does not reach the earth's surface.Medium-wavelength UVB is very biologically active but cannot penetrate beyond the superficial skin layers. It is responsible for delayed tanning and burning. The relatively long-wavelength UVA accounts for approximately 95 per cent of the UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. It can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and is responsible for the immediate tanning effect.

Why do i need to protect against UV radiation in the winter?

Normally you don't, but if you are going on a skiing holiday or mountaineering then you need to protect yourself. At altitude there is less atmosphere to filter UV rays. With every 1000m , UV intensity increases by 10-12%. So your skin can burn more quickly on the slopes than at sea level. Snow reflects around 85% of the sun's UV rays so you may burn in unusual places. Look out for the underside of your chin and your ears in particular. Up to 80% of the sun's UV rays penetrate light clouds, and what gets through can reflect back and forth between the clouds and the snow. So even if it's cloudy it's important to protect yourself.

Protecting against UV radiation?

Cover up: The best way to protect yourself is by covering up with clothing. Try wearing a long-sleeved jacket with a zip-up collar, hat and gloves. All Sub Zero garments are tested for UV protection and are scored using the SPF scale.
Protect your eyes: Wear wraparound sunglasses or goggles that offer 100% protection from UV. Snow blindness or Photokeratitis is a painful eye condition, caused by exposure of insufficiently protected eyes to UV rays.
Sunscreen: Sunscreen is handy for protecting the skin on your face that is still exposed. Choose one that is at least SPF 15 and protects from UVA and UVB rays (labelled 'broad spectrum').

What is the SPF Scale?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and is a measure of how well a product will protect your skin from UV radiation. Sub Zero garments offer the maximum protection available with a UPF50+ rating, which means they block out over 97.5% of all UVA and UVB radiation.