My Journey Around (and Under) the Sun
I spent the majority of my 20’s living in Hawaii. Although it was truly paradise, I was experiencing massive amounts of sun exposure compared to my upbringing in the Midwest. I wore SPF sunblock religiously, but always rocked a bikini and was careless about reapplying throughout the day. Fast forward a few years – I’ve seen several beach buddies from Hawaii battle cancerous cells in the early stages of melanoma, which really hit home. My fair Irish skin took a beating from the sun as well, so I began annual dermatology appointments two years ago to get certain birthmarks or moles tested (which I highly recommend for everyone!).
Now as a busy mother of two in Texas, wearing proper sun protection can be as much of a variable as eating breakfast is for me. I’m aware that it’s the most important meal of the day and need the energy to get through the morning. Yet, after the morning rush of ensuring the kids are fed, dressed and out the door to our daily activities, I frequently realize hours later that I haven’t eaten at all.
Similarly, applying sunscreen and gear for a day at the beach, pool or splash pad can become an afterthought despite knowing the significant long-term consequences. After speaking with other moms, it sounds like a common habit. But, we need sun protection just as much as our kiddos do to stay in their lives.
UV Skinz Saves Lives One Suit at a Time
Mamas, UV Skinz has come to your rescue! With all of the company’s clothes at SPF 50 – which blocks out 98 percent of the sun – women praise UV Skinz for providing sun protection without sacrificing style. The stylish swimwear, athletic and leisurewear company features men’s, women’s and children’s suits in addition to sun hats and accessories. Founded by CEO Rhonda Sparks after losing her 32-year-old husband to skin cancer in 2001, the widowed mother’s mission was to raise awareness about the disease and get kids covered all over the world. The nationally renowned brand has since been featured in InStyle, WSJ, the Today Show and dozens of other media outlets.
My mother-in-law introduced UV Skinz to us the first time we brought our toddler Adelaide to Florida to visit at 3 months old. Carolyn has been wearing the women’s line for years and gifted Addie a long-sleeve sun suit to wear in the hazardous Florida rays, which always prevented sunburns while reducing work for us trying to lather her from head-to-toe in sunblock. Now that both my kids are outfitted in their adorable UV Skinz suits, it was time to get my own so we can be a sun-safe family!
We are an active family that loves water sports, so I chose an outfit that would allow me to play with the kids in the water, stand-up paddle, kayak, etc. I ordered the women’s long-sleeve half-zip ruched sun shirt in the beach glass splash color and the women’s active swim shorts to match, both in a small. Addie’s 2T UV Skinz suits were getting a bit tight, so I selected a gorgeous 3T set for her from the new Sunny Daze collection: the Girl’s Zippy Long Sleeve Sun & Swim Shirt in bubblegum diamond and the Girls Sport Swim Skirt to match.
Lake Life – Living in Our Skinz
Our outfits arrived just in time for our excursion to Canyon Lake in Texas Hill Country, which is an hour north of our new home in San Antonio. With temps reaching 107 this past week, a lake day was certainly in order to cool off and take a break from unpacking moving boxes.
As mentioned, one of my favorite things about wearing the UV Skinz suits is the convenience of applying less sunblock on myself and the kids. It seems trivial, but putting sunscreen on unwilling toddlers can take upward of 10-15 minutes – time I’d rather spend in the water! After slipping into our suits, hats and applying sunblock to our exposed areas, we were ready to hit the crystal blue waters.
I’m not used to wearing so much material in the water, so I thought the sun shirt may feel heavy. On the contrary, the soft material felt amazingly light on my skin as I dipped into the pristine lake. After a few swim strokes, I forgot I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt. The ruched, true-to-size top was flattering in all the right places to hug my curves, but not so tight that I had to suck in for pictures (we all do it sometimes!). I did wear a white bikini top underneath, which I would recommend as the material is thin without a bra lining.
The women’s active swim shorts have a 6-inch inseam and were the perfect length for me. They fit similar to other swim kits I’ve worn for triathlons and didn’t ride up, even after testing them out with a trampoline adventure in the middle of the lake. The shorts, as well as the top, stayed firmly in place during a swim to, challenging climb up and dive off the aqua trampoline. For those who appreciate a little more coverage, UV Skinz has an assortment of Jammerz shorts with a 12-inch inseam. When the gang was ready for lunch, it was a nice surprise to feel my outfit keeping my skin cool on the beach as the temps sailed into the hundreds.
As for Addie’s sweet bubblegum pink outfit, she had no complaints throughout the day. This says a lot, since she is going through an “endearing” phase where she only wears dresses and changes at least three times before we head out the door. The quarter zip at the top of her sun shirt made it easy to change in and out of at the lake, and the skirt was just as easy to slip off for potty training. It left me with peace of mind knowing that she was protected from the sun and feeling the same cool sensations as me despite the sun’s blaze. Another wonderful quality about all of UV Skinz’ material is that it’s chlorine and salt water-resistant, so the products last a long time.
Whether your family is headed on vacation to the beach or spending the last moments of summer at the community pool, UV Skinz has ideal products to protect your loved ones from the sun. Now that we’ve seen Canyon Lake, our next trip will be to the Texas beaches along the Gulf Coast…..and I’ve got my eye on the brand’s stunning line of sun-safe sundresses to bring along. Take a peek, and please cover up!
This review was written as a sponsored partnership with UV Skinz. Opinions are my own.