Umbrellas protect you from more than rain

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Keep this in mind as the weather begins to warm and the sun begins to bake: If it’s streaming sunshine outdoors and the sunscreen isn’t handy, grab an umbrella. Researchers (at Emory University) found the little device could help shield skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays. They found that any fully-functioning handheld umbrella can block more than three-quarters of UV light on a sunny day. Black ones seem to do the job especially well, blocking at least 90 percent of rays.