Dutch design studio Belén has created a line of all-natural, textile-based products that are designed to be used in place of sunscreen lotions and polyester sunshades. 
Designed to harness the positive effects of exposure to the sun, the textile-based products include clothing, accessories, parasols and tents. They were all conceived as part of SUN+, a research project into sun protection.
The products were presented at Alcova, a design show in a former panettone factory, during Milan design week.
Bélen's textile-based products include clothing, accessories, parasols and tents that were all conceived as part of  SUN+, a research project into sun protection
"Overexposure to sunlight is harmful, but so is overprotecting," explained Belén founders Brecht Duijf and Lenneke Langenhuijsen. "Sunscreen products currently on the market, however, come with serious disadvantages that outweigh their usefulness in the long run." "Chemical suncreams and lotions can damage the skin and are bad for the environment," they added, highlighting that empty bottles of sunscreen often end up in the ocean where they form a plastic soup on the water's surface, blocking the UV that is needed to support local maritime ecosystems.
Factor 8 is collection of ultra-light wearables. It includes the SUNveil hat, which explores different cultural attitudes towards sun protection
The studio's SUN+ research project aims to come up with design-based solutions for these...