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SunSmart clothing and accessories
As a simple rule, to be SunSmart, you must wear clothes that cover as much skin as possible. Shirts with collars and long sleeves and long trousers or skirts give you the most protection. Remember to look at the style of clothing as well as the fabric.
Look for clothing made of a closely woven material - the tighter the weave of the material, the better protection from UV radiation. Darker colours give slightly more protection than lighter colours but can be hotter to wear during warmer weather. Some clothes are labelled with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF). The UPF number is a guide to how much protection the fabric provides from UV radiation. Look for a UPF 50+ for maximum protection.
Hats Wear a hat that gives plenty of shade to your face, neck and ears – these are common sites for skin cancer.
Cancer Council recommends 3 styles of hats for good protection.  A broad brimmed hat with a brim width of at least 7.5 cm. A legionnaire style hat where the back flap meets the side of the front peak. A bucket hat with a deep crown that sits low on the head and has an angled brim, which is at least 6 cm wide.Sunglasses
Eyes can also be damaged by UV radiation. Damage includes degenerative changes, cataracts and pterygia.
Cataracts cloud the lens of the eye and are one of the most common types of eye damage in Australia – mostly due to sun exposure. Untreated cataracts can lead to blindness.
Which sunglasses should I choose?
Choose sunglasses that don’t let light in around the frames, especially at the sides, and make sure the frames fit close to the face. Sunglasses are given an Eye Protection Factor (EPF) from 1–10. Sunglasses labelled EPF 10 provide 100 per cent UV protection. Sunglasses sold in Australia must meet the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1067:2003.
All sunglasses must have a protection category label. Look for category 2, 3 or 4 and/or a lens description that states “good UV protection”. Category 0 and 1 are fashion glasses and provide only some UV protection. Polarised lenses reduce glare.
There is usually some sun protection information on the label. Look for the EPF or the protection category.
Should children wear sunglasses?
Yes. Children’s sunglasses should fit closely to their faces and be wrap around in style to protect their eyes from UV radiation. Find out more
Read Skin protection and young children
Ultraviolet and the eye from the Optometrists Association
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Prevention & early detection 
