FAQs

UV rays is short for Ultra violet radiation (UVR). In 2012, natural as well as artificial UVR was classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a group 1 carcinogen (cancer-causing) to humans. 

We are exposed to UV rays daily when we step outside in the sunlight. We also are exposed to artificial UV rays when placing are hands in nail lamps to dry the gel polish.

UVA (ageing) rays penetrate deep into the dermis, the skin’s thickest layer and are primarily responsible for premature skin ageing, brown spots, wrinkling, and blotching. While UVB (burning) rays are are shorter and penetrate the outer most layer of the skin called the epidermis.

UVA rays have been shown to cause skin damage at the cellular level and indirectly to the DNA.

Unprotected exposure can lead to premature skin ageing and wrinkling (photoageing), and lead to some skin cancers.

UVA rays are present even on a cloudy day and can penetrate through window glass, so it is important to use sunscreen year round to protect against UVA rays. UVA rays are the type of UV radiation emitted from gel nail lamps.

UVB rays are more intense rays that usually burn the superficial layers of your skin and damage the outer layers of the skin. UVB rays play a key role in the development of skin cancer.

Gel nail lamps, both UV and LED lamps, emit UVA rays. The same ageing rays emitted by the sun. The formulation of the gel polish requires UV light to cure or harden the polish. However, when you slide your hand into the lamp unprotected, you are also exposing the backs of your hands to the UV rays, which is harmful to your skin.

Cumulative unprotected exposure to UV rays contributes to premature skin ageing and increasing risk of skin cancer.

Our hands are one of the first parts on the body to show signs of premature ageing due to poor UV protection compared to the face. Now add the UV exposure from repeated gel manicures and you are accelerating the ageing process.

Research has shown that skin damage can occur within an average of 12 uses depending on the nail lamp. The intensity of UV rays emitted from lamps varies drastically and you can't tell by looking at them which is worse. So gel nail lovers who get their nails done regularly (every 2 - 4 weeks) may start to damage their skin in 4-8 months.

Protecting your skin during a gel manicure is important to keep your hands healthy and looking youthful for longer. One of the major protective measures to reduce risks for skin damage from UV rays is wearing UPF fingerless gloves.

They are easy to slide on, and provides instant and reliable UVA and UVB protection.

Disclaimer: This is where our inner-nerd will come out 🤓

In the world of research, the amount of research currently available on the topic of skin damage or skin cancer risk, and the use of gel nail lamps is limited and controversial.

This means more research needs to be completed for scientists to fully understand the true biological impact, nail lamp UV rays have on our skin. Based on the available research, which primarily consists of irradiance studies and mathematical models, estimates the skin cancer risk of nail lamps to be low to moderate, when used in isolation.

That being said, it is a known fact that unprotected natural and artificial UV exposure is a carcinogen (cancer-causing), as classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Also, cumulative UV exposure is responsible for premature ageing and increased risk of cancer. So looking at the UV risk of gel nail lamps in isolation, is short sighted. We need to look at it as additional exposure to our daily outdoor UV exposure. It all adds up, so it is wise to protect your skin in all scenarios.

MANISAFE prides itself on staying up-to-date with available research on this matter. We hold a bank of current journal articles related to the topic.

Should you like further information please visit our The Science page here.

MANISAFE London UV protective gloves are UPF 50+ rated providing excellent UV protection. Our gloves are designed to be worn during a gel manicure but our customers find them suitable for many light duty recreational activities, where sun or UV protection is needed for your hands including:

• Driving

• Walking / Running

• Cycling

• Water sports

Or any other activity you enjoy outdoors!

Yes absolutely. If you experience photosensitivity you should limit your exposure to UV rays and protect your skin when you are out in the sun or using gel nail lamps, which emit UV rays.

MANISAFE UV protective manicure gloves are UPF 50+ rated which means they block out at least 98% of both UVA and UVB rays. This is the highest rating that can be achieved for UV protection clothing, so you can have piece of mind when wearing MANISAFE.

Photosensitivity, commonly called "sun allergy" is when a person's skin has an exaggerated reaction to sunlight or artificial UV light, and can burn quite easily or develop a sunburn-like rash. This can put you at higher risk for lasting skin damage and skin cancer. You need to take extra care to safeguard your skin health when you have photosensitivity.

When outdoors, driving or getting gel manicures, be sure to protect your hands with UV protective gloves or a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or more.

According to the US Skin Cancer Foundation, there are many things that can cause photosensitivity such as:

Oral medications:

Oral contraceptives (birth control), Antibiotics, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines and certain heart medicines and statins for lowering cholesterol can make you more sensitive to UV light.

Herbal Supplements:

St. Johns Wart.

Auto-immune diseases:

Lupus erythematosus

Metabolic disorders: Porphyria.

UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and the gold standard for UV protective clothing is UPF clothing.

UPF is kind of like a SPF rating for clothing. Clothing with a UPF rating indicates how much of the sun’s UV radiation is blocked by the fabric before it reaches your skin.

UPF50+ is the highest rating achievable, which all of our gloves are rated. This means that at least 98% of UVA and UVB rays are blocked by the fabric and cannot damage your skin. MANISAFE gloves act as sunblock that you wear. The best bit is there is no greasy residue 🙌

UPF is the protection rating given to Fabrics and SPF is for Sunscreen.

A UPF50+ is the highest UV protective rating available in the world for fabrics and blocks both UVA and UVB rays.

SPF only refers to the sunscreens ability to block out UVB (burning rays). As UVA rays (ageing rays) are present year around and make up the majority of the rays that reach the earth's surface it is extremely important to choose a broad spectrum sunscreen with a PA+ or UVA star rating.

You need to wear sunscreen on areas which are not covered by your MANISAFE gloves.

Manisafe's level of sun protection exceeds all worldwide published standards for UPF 50 ratings.

This means when we test our gloves for their ultraviolet protection factor, it far exceeds the protection level of 50.

So the Australian standard (AS 4399:2020) by which our gloves are rated, indicates that we go above and beyond by using the “+” symbol. This informs you that our gloves can block more than 98% of UV rays.

MANISAFE London gloves are made from 4-way stretch poly-elastane fabric, meaning it is very accommodating to different hand sizes.

Through our rigorous product testing process, the one size fits most design was suitable for all testers.

Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

If you believe your MANISAFE gloves do not give you adequate coverage, please get in touch with our customer service team via email at hello@manisafe.com and we can arrange a return for you.

If we find there is large demand for additional sizes we will be sure to expand our size range.

MANISAFE London's UV protective manicure gloves are made from a speciality UV protective poly-elastane fabric, that is lightweight, breathable and 4-way stretch for a comfortable fit.

Made up of 90% polyester (which is 59 pre-consumer recycled polyester) and 10% elastane.

Making our fabrics an eco-friendly choice compared to gloves made with solely traditional polyester.

MANISAFE gloves are a reusable garment to protect your skin again and again.

Please follow the washing instructions on the care label.

Please note the label does suggest tumble drying is suitable but we recommend line drying your gloves.

We absolutely love our collection of London-inspired prints but we are keen to know if there is other prints you would like to see available.

Please reach out if there is a print you would love to have for your next pair of MANISAFE gloves. You can email us at hello@manisafe.com.

We will definitely consider it in our next round of design and development!

We currently ship to the following regions:

United Kingdom

Republic of Ireland

Mainland Europe

Canada

United Arab Emirates

United States of America

Saudia Arabia

Our goal is to eventually ship worldwide. So check back for updates, as we will add new shipping destinations when available.

We use Royal Mail as our courier within the UK and Internationally.

We are a very small business and aim to fulfill you order within two business days.

We often dispatch quicker than this goal but please note from time to time we will have exceptionally high order volumes that will prevent this. We will strive to get orders dispatched as soon as possible.

Once dipatched to our courier their delivery aims are as follows:

UK:

1st Class: 1-2 business days, Tracked 24: 1-2 business days

Europe:

International Tracked: 3-5 business days.

UAE & Saudia Arabia: 5-7 business days

Canada & US

International Tracked: 5-7 working days

Please note holidays may impact these schedules.

We are not responsible for any shipping deliveries that may be affected by customs, natural occurrences, air and ground transportation strikes or delays, nor any extra fees, customs or back-end charges once the package has exited the United Kingdom.

Not quite right? Return your items free of charge within in the UK.

We are happy to offer a return on items that are in perfect condition and with proof of purchase.

Returns requests must be made within 30 days of receiving the product. Please email on hello@manisafe.com with your order number and details of your request and we’ll get back to you within 72 hours. All unused and faulty products will be accepted.

Optimal UV protection for your skin is our utmost priority and impacts our ability to choose a 100% sustainable fabric. The poly-elastane fabric requires important technical qualities to meet a UPF 50+ rating for UV protection.

That being said, we have managed to source fabric with over 50% pre-consumer recycled polyester. Which significantly reduces its environmental impact compared to traditional polyester.

The handy wrist pulls and finger loops are made from vegan suede and the carry pouch is made with vegan leather. Therefore, our products are cruelty free.

Absolutely!

Shipping:

We have partnered with GoodShipping to decarbonize our shipping. GoodShipping changes fossil bunkering into bio bunkering. They do not offset, but actually reduce CO2 emissions without any struggles. We cover the fuel premium for a biofuel volume corresponding to all of our freight, resulting in Manisafe's shipping to be climate neutral.

This way we prevent 5000 kg of CO2 emissions on an annual basis.

Packaging:

Our swing tags and product cards are made from recycled paper and are recyclable. Also, our postal packaging is completely plastic free and 100% recyclable.