Darker colors, such as blue or black, absorb more UV rays than lighter shades like whites and pastels. This means the UV rays are less likely to reach your skin.
Sun Protection: Black clothing can provide better protection against UV rays. Dark colors absorb more heat, but tightly woven fabrics in black can shield the skin from sun exposure more effectively than lighter, loosely woven fabrics.
The Cancer Council in Australia suggests that darker colors absorb UV rays, which helps block them from your skin. That's why dark blue, black, and dark red are the best colors for sun protection compared to white or pastel colors of the same fabric.
The best color to block the Sun would be something dark and opaque, such as black. Black absorbs more light and heat than any other color, so using black material to block the Sun would be the most effective in preventing sunlight from passing through.
Earth- and neutral-toned colors such as cream, beige, and gray are more resistant to sun exposure and absorb less heat.
Dark colors like black, dark brown, deep navy, and charcoal gray absorb more sunlight and heat than lighter shades. This absorption can make you feel hotter and less comfortable in high temperatures. Dark-colored clothing tends to trap heat close to the body.
Black objects look black because they absorb all visible wavelengths of light. When they absorb light, that energy has to go somewhere or turn into something else. Usually it turns into heat, which is absorbed by the black object. White objects look white because they reflect all visible wavelengths of light.
Unbleached cotton contains natural lignins that act as UV absorbers. Shiny polyesters and even lightweight satiny silks can be highly protective because they reflect radiation. High-tech fabrics treated with chemical UV absorbers or dyes prevent some penetration from UV rays.
AVOID DARK COLORS
Dark colors like black, navy, and brown absorb sunlight, which can make you feel even hotter. These colors tend to increase body heat and can lead to uncomfortable heat buildup. Try to avoid them on hot days and opt for lighter, brighter colors instead.
Dark or bright colors, including red, black and navy blue, absorb more UV rays than lighter colors like whites and pastels. For example, an everyday white cotton T-shirt has a UPF of only about 5. As a rule of thumb, the more intense the hue, the better protection the clothing will provide.
Choose light colors: Wearing light colors that reflect the sun's rays rather than absorb them (as dark colors can) helps keep you cool. Look for shirts, shorts, pants and hats in white, tan or khaki.
Like a calm day at the beach, blue is a color of peace and protection. Potter also says that blue can be used for matters of communication and clarity. "To make sure that you are communicating your ideas fully and truly use blue," she says.
As a black shirt absorbs all of the light that hits it, it converts that light into other forms of energy, usually heat. It then emits that heat, some into the environment and some directly into your skin.
Of all colours tested, dark blue offered the best levels of UV protection, making it the best colour to wear in the sun. Contrary to the popular belief that they are the coolest colours in the sun, white and yellow were the worst performing colours in terms of UV protection.
Black, with its strong, definite presence, can create a sharp contrast against the soft, cool complexion of Summers, potentially leading to a washed-out appearance. This stark contrast can accentuate shadows and lines on the face, making the wearer appear older or more fatigued.
Darker colors, such as blue or black, absorb more UV rays than lighter shades like whites and pastels. This means the UV rays are less likely to reach your skin. But bright colors, like red, can also absorb UV rays.
Light Colors Reflect UV Rays Better Than Dark Ones
Light, bright colors tend to be the most effective at blocking UV radiation from reaching your skin. Whites, off-whites, light grays, and pastel shades of pink, yellow, blue, and green reflect the sun's rays away from your body better than darker colors.
While you're getting over a bad burn, dark-colored clothing is your best friend. Remember the old trick of wearing white to look more tan? Well, it also makes you look more sunburned. Tight clothes will rub on your burn and create blisters, while skimpy skirts and tops will expose your burn to more sun.
It will absorb all the wavelengths and hence will appear black for any colour as it absorbs all the wavelengths of light. Note: It must be noted that black objects absorb all wavelengths of light hence all colours of light.
Some consider white to be a colour, because white light comprises all hues on the visible light spectrum. And many do consider black to be a colour, because you combine other pigments to create it on paper. But in a technical sense, black and white are not colours, they're shades.
If you have ever wondered why the fashion industry markets dark-colored clothes during colder months and light-colored clothes in the summer, it has to do with heat absorption. Light-colored garments absorb less light, therefore, producing less heat.
The National Weather Service in Kansas City has found certain clothing colors can help you feel a little cooler during those high temperatures. Dark colors will attract more heat, so it's best to avoid dark colored clothing like black or maroon.