Is there such a thing as
a healthy tan?

We all enjoy being outside in the sun, doing what we love most, but unfortunately there are consequences for exposing our skin to the sun’s radiation.

The damage is not always immediately evident, and may take years to show in the form of premature aging, or various forms of skin disorders. Our skin has a memory and excessive sun exposure as a child is linked to skin cancer. Children as young as 14 years old, have been diagnosed with skin cancer in America. The message to all parents is to protect your kids from the sun, by teaching them healthy habits;
Wear sun protective clothing, hats and sun glasses, use suntan lotion, and avoid getting burnt!

About 11 years ago, we started to design and manufacture PLATYPUS, Sun protective clothing for children. We soon discovered that children love wearing our clothes because it keeps them cool in the sun, (and they don’t have to be smothered in suntan lotion) and it prevents sunburn.
Luckily, we are now seeing that people have started wearing suntan lotion and sun protective clothing.

Platypus, have a certified UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) classification system which allows users to gauge the sun protection from each garment. SPF (sun protection factor) is for sunscreens only. Anything with an UPF of 50+ blocks out 97.5% or more of the UV(ultraviolet) rays.

This is the maximum protection available.
The tightness of the weave stops the harmful rays, so swimwear, rash guards and other protective clothing which has an UPF of 50+ will protect the skin at least 50 times more against UV radiation than unprotected skin.
A white T-shirt, for example, will only block about 5-7% of the rays when dry and even less when wet.
Even in the shade, under an umbrella, the UV rays are at work.

The danger of wearing normal clothing in the sun is that, even though you don’t get burnt, it doesn’t stop the sun’s rays, which can still damage your skin.

Sun Smart Tips
- Use sun protective clothing as often as possible.
- Make sure it’s certified and carries a tag that explains the
certification system. Often rash guards can look like they
have an UPF, but they will not give you the protection you
need unless it has a very tight weave.
- Use UV protective cream on exposed areas which are not
covered by sun protective clothing.
- Hats & sun glasses protect the eyes, minimizing eye issues.

For more information visit www.platypusaustralia.com