Sun Protection zone review and giveaway!

I recently got the opportunity to do a review for Sun Protection Zone. I have always had fair skin, and have always had to slather on the sunscreen. Now that I have a baby, I am always careful not to have him out in the sun too much without some sort of protection.
We all know how harmful the sun can be for our skin, and we should try to protect it. Fortunately, there are products on the market to do just that. Sun Protection Zone carries sun protective clothing, hats and more for the entire family.

They sent me a boys sunskinz for Jack to try out! I love that I can save money on sunscreen (on the covered parts at least!) and it is cute!


SunSkinz are tightly woven with proprietary high-density yarn.
Four way stretch fabric is comfortable to wear, dries quickly and stands up well to chlorine and salt water.
100 SPF / UPF 50+ Maximum Broad Spectrum UV Protection

Sun Protection That Doesn't Wash Off!

What's the difference between UPF & SPF?

SPF
SPF is the ratio of time required to produce minimal erythema (redness) when a sunscreen product has been applied compared to the time required to produce the same amount of erythema without the sunscreen. This means, if skin reddening takes 20 minutes with a person who is using no protection, theoretically, the use of a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 would prevent reddening 15 times longer (about 5 hours).

UPF
Australian researchers introduced the term Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) in 1996. It defines the amount of Ultraviolet light (UVL) that penetrates a fabric. UPF is a ranking of fabrics according to how much UVL penetration occurs based on standardized criteria. For example, a UPF rating of 30 would indicate that 1/30 of the UVL hitting the fabric acturally penetrates it. Therefore, fabric with tighter weaves and thicker fibers will have a higher UPF.

Factors Affecting the Rating
Tightness of knit or weave: basically the tighter the weave, the higher the SPF/UPF. When a fabric is stretched, the tightness of the weave diminishes, resulting in increased UVL transmission. Thicker fabrics habe higher SPF/UPF than thinner fabrics. When fabric gets wet, its SPF/UPF can decrease dramatically. Wet cotton can lose up to 50% of its SPF/UPF. This is because water reduces the scattering of UVL, thereby increasing its transmission of harmful ultraviolet rays. Dark colors are more protective than white. In a study of identical fabrics, which were either white or dyed, it was found that white cotton fabrics had an UPF of 12, whereas a similarly constructed black fabric had UPF of 32. In testing polyester, the studies showed that a white polyester was a 16 UPF and black polyester was a 34 UPF. The popular view that white is more sun protective than dark colors is erroneous.

Buy It!

You can buy the SunSkinz for $18.

The Giveaway

How would you like to win a Sunskinz short sleeve shirt? I have one to give away to a lucky reader!

How to enter

1. (mandatory) head over to Sun Protection Zone and tell me a product you'd love to have. This step must be done before you can qualify for extra entries.

2. Follow my blog

3. Follow Sun Protection Zone or Me on Twitter (1 entry each)

5. "Like" Sun Protection Zone or My Life as a Married Girl on Facebook (1 entry each)

6. Subscribe via email to my blog (on right sidebar. Must be verified!) (2 entries)

7. Tweet about this giveaway. Make sure to mention @sunprotectzone and @katrinawelch (1 entry)

8. Blog about this giveaway. Make sure to link to sun protection zone and this post. (valid for blogs with at least 25 followers, thanks!) (3 entries)

9. Put my NEW blog button or Etsy button on your site (1 entry each)


I will verify all entries, and non valid entries will be deleted! Good Luck!

Giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents! Must be 18 or older to win.
Giveaway will end on August 6th.