Can “Ice Sleeves” really cool down and protect the skin from the sun?

As the hot summer approaches, sun umbrellas, sunglasses, and sun-protective clothing have become necessities for women when going out, but they still cannot avoid being sunburned. Recently, many trendy people wearing “ice sleeves” have appeared on the streets of Jinan. The female newspaper reporter learned that the fans of “Run, Brother!” “Influenced by the celebrity benefits of “Ice Sleeves”, “Ice Sleeves” are considered by male and female drivers to be sunscreen artifacts.

“Bingxiu” is mainly sold through the Internet and purchasing agents, with prices ranging from a few dozen yuan to more than a hundred yuan. The Taobao index shows that the search index for “Bingxiu” has surged 440.4% month-on-month in the past 30 days, of which 63% are women. Shandong’s search volume ranks fourth in the country. What kind of material are ice sleeves made of? Does it really have the effect of cooling the skin and protecting it from the sun? The News Laboratory of Metropolis Women’s Newspaper conducted a simulation experiment.

Experiment: “Ice Sleeves” cannot cool the surface skin

Experiment time: July 14th-15th

Experimental supplies: infrared temperature tester, three “ice sleeves”, and three experiencers.

First, we collected three “ice sleeves”, numbered A, B, and C, and asked three people to experience them respectively. “The three ‘Ice Sleeves’ have an icy and cool feeling when worn,” all those who experienced it said.

Can “Ice Sleeves” cool down the skin? We gathered three experiencers in a room. They were wearing short-sleeved shirts, “ice sleeves” on their right arms, but not on their left arms. After half an hour, the skin temperature of their arms was measured using an infrared thermometer. As a result, the body surface temperatures of the left and right arms of the user wearing Sample A were: 31.2°C and 31.3°C respectively. The left and right temperatures for those who experienced wearing sample B were: 31.1℃ and 30.8℃ respectively. The left and right temperatures of the person wearing sample C were: 31.8℃ and 32.0℃ respectively.

The experimenters repeated the above experiment under sunlight. The body surface temperature of the right arm of the three experimenters wearing the “ice sleeve” was higher than that of the left arm not wearing it.

Experiments have shown that none of the three “ice sleeves” can significantly reduce body surface temperature.

Expert: Man-made fibers are not suitable for long-term wear

“Ice sleeves” cannot lower the body surface temperature, so why do people feel chilly when wearing them? Bao Huaimin, associate professor of the Fashion Design Department of the Academy of Fine Arts of Jinan University, said that ice sleeves are made of ice silk material, which is viscose fiber and is a man-made fiber. The reason why it feels smooth and cool after wearing it is because the moisture content of its synthetic materials is more in line with the physiological requirements of human skin. However, because the ice sleeves are tightly “covered” on the arms, and the breathability and hygroscopicity of man-made fibers are not as good as natural fibers such as cotton and silk, it is recommended that citizens not wear them for a long time.

In addition, a Hubei media purchased three “ice sleeves” and sent them to the laboratory to test their sun protection factor and ultraviolet transmittance. The result was that only one ice sleeve could be called an anti-UV product. On shopping websites, many people in the reviews said that the sun protection effect is not good, pilling, off-line, etc. Therefore, if you want to buy the same style as that of celebrities, you should keep your eyes open to distinguish the authenticity.