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Ladies' Home Journal® Magazine
By Erica Metzger

Your clothes can help protect you against skin cancer, and the degree to which they do depends on the fabrics' ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), the measure of their ability to absorb radiation. The type of fabric, weave, and color affect the rating; for example, a white cotton T-shirt has a UPF of 7 (which drops to 3 when wet). A range of 25 to 50-plus UPF is ideal.
Other options: Wash clothes with additives that boost UPF to 30 or buy clothing pretreated with long-lasting sunscreens. (Check skincare.org for a list of brands.)