Beyond Sunscreen

By Janice M. Horowitz

For people with really sensitive skin, sunscreen sometimes isn't enough. More manufacturers are offering clothing--some fashionable, some burqaesque--specially designed to protect skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Solar Eclipse sells a "driving sleeve" for arms that hang out of car windows. Sun Precautions has a nose-to-neck ventilated mask (above). And Coolibar offers a kid's cap with a protective neck drape.

Do these duds do the job? Unlike sunscreen, which falls under the FDA's watch, sun-protective clothing is largely unregulated. Even so, the industry has its own voluntary standards. The weave in sun-protective clothing is extra tight, so ultraviolet rays can't penetrate. Some companies treat fabric with chemicals that reflect or absorb UV beams, in several cases using the same compounds that keep car seats from fading. That's not to say ordinary clothing can't do the trick. Off-the-rack blue jeans, for example, provide an SPF of more than 1,000. --By Janice M. Horowitz