Sunscreen Vs UPF

Sunscreen vs. UPF Clothing: Why UV Protective Clothing Often Works Better

Protecting your skin from the sun isn’t just about avoiding sunburn — it’s about reducing long-term UV exposure, which contributes to photoaging and increases the risk of skin cancer. Two of the most common sun-safety tools are sunscreen and UPF-rated clothing.

At Some Sun, we love both sunscreen and UPF clothing, however we are bigger fans of UPF as we have seen it work better than any sunscreen we have ever tried. Don't take our word though, here is what the science says and why we are such huge fans:

How Sunscreen and UPF Clothing Work

Sunscreen protects by creating a topical barrier—either chemical or mineral—that absorbs or reflects UV radiation before it hits your skin. Its effectiveness is expressed as SPF (Sun Protection Factor), which primarily measures protection from UVB rays that cause sunburn. Higher numbers (e.g., SPF 30, SPF 50) block a higher percentage of UVB. Skin Cancer Foundation

UPF clothing, on the other hand, is fabric engineered to block ultraviolet radiation before it reaches your skin. UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and reflects how much UV radiation passes through fabric. A garment with a UPF 50 rating allows just 2% of UV radiation through. Skin Cancer Foundation

Head-to-Head Scientific Comparisons

1. Clothing Outperforms Sunscreen in Laboratory Tests

A 2022 study published in Cancers directly compared modern sun-protective textiles with broad-spectrum sunscreens (SPF 30 and SPF 50). Key scientific findings:

All tested UPF fabrics provided higher SPF and UPF protection than the sunscreens, even under ideal sunscreen application conditions.
UPF fabrics blocked more UVB (sunburn-causing) and UVA (aging and deeper skin damage) radiation than sunscreen.
Even the best sunscreen tested (SPF 50 at full application thickness) did not block UVA as effectively as the lowest-performing UPF fabric.
The fabrics also met or exceeded “broad-spectrum” criteria for UVA protection, whereas sunscreen performance varied significantly with real-world application levels. PubMed

Source: “Slip versus Slop: A Head-to-Head Comparison of UV-Protective Clothing to Sunscreen” (PubMed) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35158810/ PubMed

2. Protection Consistency vs. Application Challenges

Real-world sunscreen performance is often much lower than its label SPF would suggest.

Sunscreen must be applied at a specific thickness (~2 mg/cm²) to achieve the claimed SPF. Most people apply far less, drastically reducing effectiveness.
Sunscreen wears off with sweat, swimming, friction from clothing, and time — requiring reapplication every two hours for sustained protection. (source: American Academy of Dermatology Association)

By contrast, UPF clothing doesn’t rely on reapplication and continues blocking UV as long as it is worn.

Why UPF Clothing Often Works Better in Real Life

1. Built-In Protection That Doesn’t Wear Off

UPF fabrics behave like a physical barrier—like a shade or tinted window. Once the garment is covering your skin, it continues to block UV without effort. Sunscreen, in contrast:

Must be applied correctly and often
Can be missed in spots
Can rub, wash, or sweat off
Degrades quickly

UPF clothing sidesteps all of these limitations.

2. Better Broad-Spectrum Coverage

The Cancers study mentioned above found that UPF fabrics blocked both UVA and UVB more effectively than sunscreen. UVA contributes to deeper skin damage and aging, yet many sunscreen formulas—even labeled broad-spectrum—vary in UVA blocking. UPF fabric inherently blocks across the full UV spectrum. PubMed

3. Reliable in Active, Wet, or Outdoor Conditions

Activities like swimming, hiking, gardening, or exercising increase the chance sunscreen will wear off.

Limitations of Each Method (And Why a Combined Strategy Is Best)

Neither approach is perfect:

UPF clothing protects only where it covers skin — areas like hands, face, and neck still need topical sunscreen or accessories (hats, sunglasses).
Sunscreen is essential where fabric won’t reach — and remains a key tool in a layered sun-safety strategy.

Many experts agree that combining UPF clothing with sunscreen on exposed areas gives the most comprehensive protection.

The Bottom Line

UPF clothing often provides more reliable, consistent, and broader UV protection than sunscreen alone, especially in real-world settings.
This is because:

UPF fabric blocks UV continuously, without reapplication.
It blocks both UVA and UVB more consistently than sunscreen in laboratory comparisons.
Sunscreen effectiveness is heavily dependent on correct application and reapplication.

For more durable everyday sun protection, many dermatologists and researchers suggest using UPF-rated clothing as the foundation of your sun safety, with sunscreen supplementing coverage on exposed skin.