Clothes tagged "UV protection" certification labels can be seen more and more on retailers’ shelves and clothing racks in Finland.
The country’s skin cancer rate is among the highest in the world. By World Cancer Research FundFinland ranked tenth in age-adjusted skin cancer incidence rates.
Sun damage is often the cause of skin melanoma, which is the 17th most common type of cancer worldwide. World Cancer Research Fund International.
Although the clothes have agreed UV protection standards, there is no official certificate, and the products are not monitored by a third party in the EU.
According to the seller of the clothing store Lindex in the western part of Vaasa, UV-protected clothing is especially popular in the children’s swimwear department.
Customer UIla Ahowho was with her children at Lindex, said that she always chooses clothes marked with UV labels instead of clothes without them.
"If the clothes have sun protection, we definitely buy them. It is very important," Aho told Yle.
However, since the UV protection certificate is not standardized, the labels do not provide much information to consumers.
The EU is currently considering increasing the regulation of the UV protective clothing market, but possible rule changes may take several years.
In any case, people don’t necessarily need to choose clothes marked with UV protection to protect themselves from the sun, he says Carl KyrklundDermatologist at Helsinki Dermatology Hospital.
The protection of clothing from skin damage caused by the sun depends mostly on how thick the clothing is and how much light is allowed through it.
"You can expose the garment to light to see how much it transmits," Kyrklund explained.
However, UV-protected swimsuits can differ, Kyrklund said, noting that the protective properties of swimsuits are tested.
"The UV protection of similar artificial fabrics is generally good, even if they get wet," he said, adding that non-UV-rated swim trunks can be as protective as rating agencies and that it depends on the type of material.
The difference between regular clothes and clothes with UV protection labels is that the latter group is actually tested.
Some UV-protected clothing is chemically treated, but this is not necessary for the clothing to earn an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF).
"Regular clothing provides some protection against UV radiation, but materials, fibers, and density all affect how well it protects against UV radiation." said Riikka VรครคnรคnenDirector of the Agency for Safety and Chemicals (Tukes).
According to EU legislation, fabrics must be tested and have a UPF rating of at least 40 in order to be marketed as UV protection.
Various test standards are used in the UV protective clothing industry, but there is no actual third-party certification for the products, Vรครคnรคnen pointed out.
"So even if the products have the same UPF rating, depending on the test standard, the clothes may need different ones [chemical] pre-treatments, which means that the products are not fully comparable," Vรครคnรคnen explained.
Questions regarding the UV protection of clothing are being clarified at the EU level, and it is possible that the relevant rules may change in the future.
However, when that might happen is up in the air, but it could be several years Pirje Lankinenministerial assistant at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
In 2016, the EU mandated that sun protective clothing be classified as personal protective equipment (PPE) and subject to certain regulations. Intertekinspection testing and certification company.
Source: The Nordic Page