I have been pale pretty much since I can remember. Baby pictures reveal a platinum blond toddler with skin that rivals Snow White. Eventually, time turned the hair from blonde to brown–but the pale skin tone remained. I have vivid memories of nasty sunburns when I was a kid, back when it was not well-known the danger that this caused later in life. Even now, I can burn at a moments notice in situations my darker skinned compatriots wouldn’t even blink at; cloudy with no visible sun–burned, winter month with limited sunlight–burned, hiding out completely covered in shade–burned (damn you reflected rays, you get me every time). While my ability to burn has always been top-notch, little did I know, dysautonomia would somehow manage to up the ante.
I am not really sure why or how, but dysautonomia has seemingly managed to make me more sensitive to everything, and that includes sun and sunscreen. Combine that with the heat intolerance that is inherent to most dysautonomia conditions, and you have a recipe for summer hatred. And I was resigned to hating summer and become an “indoor girl”. . . until I had a kid. With the occasional exception, kids LOVE summer. Sure, you get a pass for the first year or two after they are born, but it is all love affair after that. Staying inside all summer is just not an option when you have kids.
I was a reasonably dedicated sunscreen user before dysautonomia–after all sunburns hurt! However, after multiple summers of rashes that I could only assume came from sunscreens, I was about ready to become a night worshiper. I needed to be able to take my kids outside, and specifically to the pool, in the summer but I was sick of itching for a week because of it. Fed up, it was either only go swimming at 8 PM or later (when I could get by without sunscreen) or figure something else out.
Thus, I turned to sun-protective clothing. A quick search on Amazon brought up several different companies that offer both short and long sleeve rashguards for swimming. However, very few of them carry plus sizes, at least for women. Apparently plus size women don’t need to worry about skin cancer. Anyway, after striking out with several companies that make sun protective clothing, I googled my way on to the UV Skinz website.
UV skinz offered a variety of sun-protective clothing ranging from babies all the way up to plus sizes for both men and women. It includes both swimwear and “regular” clothing. Most importantly, they offered a variety of styles and colors in a women’s plus size–no more making a mens shirt “work” leaving me with my choice of black, grey, or navy. Pink! Teal! Baby Blue!
UV Skinz states it’s clothing is UPF 50+. For those not familiar with sun protective clothing, UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) is different from the SPF (Sun Protective Factor) we are used to seeing on sunscreen. Per the American Melanoma Foundation, UPF measures both UVB and UVA radiation are blocked while SPF is a measurement of UVB radiation only. While UVB is the one most often thought of in the ‘sunburn’ sense, there is increasing evidence that UVA plays a role in both skin aging and skin cancer.
Obviously, I have no way of testing to determine if the clothing is, in fact, UPF 50+. There are no FDA regulations for sun-protective clothing. However, all advertising claims ARE regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Clothing and accessories that are labeled “sun-protective” should have a numerical value between 15 to 50. No clothing item with an Ultraviolet Protection of less than 15 can be labeled “sun-protective”. If a manufacturer adds a hangtag with a UPF 15-50+ rating to any product, it must adhere to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. If it has a hangtag, you can be pretty much assured it has been tested.
For reference, here are the UPF categories and how well they block UV radiation
And a chart showing where common materials used in clothing fall on the UPF spectrum (in general, not in any particular brand)
My first purchase from UV Skinz was the pink long sleeve rashguard (Sun & Swim Shirt). I wanted to avoid having to put sunscreen anywhere on my arms, as this was the most common place for me to develop a rash with sunscreen. I ordered my normal size and it fit pretty true to size. Being a rashguard, it was by nature going to be a bit more snug that other clothes in my size. However, it was not tight enough to make me self-conscious about my imperfections being on display. I paired it with a underwire bikini top (worn under the rashguard) and men’s trunks that covered me down to my knees.
(Pink Rashguard/Long Sleeve Sun & Swim Shirt)
The arms are form-fitting enough that they do not move or slide up in the water. The shirt trunk is less fitted than the sleeves, and it can occasionally drift up in pool. However, I personally prefer having to occasionally pull it down than have it be tight-fitting around my stomach (aka, one of my “problem” areas). After half a summer of use, the white sleeves still seem pretty white–will make sure to update if that changes. When wet, the rashguard does show a little bit of my bikini top pattern (a black and white chevron, so pretty distinct) but does not show anything else. The white on arms becomes more see-through than the pink; it is possible an arm tattoo or similar might show through.
(this, but in pink)
After trying out the pink rashguard a few times, and spurred on by a sale for Melanoma Monday, I decided to order the Swim Jammerz and Water Jacket my second time around. I was not really digging the men’s swim trunks I was wearing and was looking for something I could wear as a lightweight jacket that could cover my torso but would not be too hot. I got the Jammerz in black and Jacket in teal (dysautonomia awareness color! or at least pretty close).
I have really enjoyed the jammerz; they are a big step up from the mens swim trunks. The color (black) helps makes up for the tighter fit, as does the fact it is fully lined. My normal size was once again a good fit, though the jammerz have a higher waistline than I prefer (mid-rise is more my taste, probably generational). I still wear bikini bottoms under the jammerz, though you really do not need to–just never been much for that ‘commando’ feeling. It provides coverage that goes down just past the top of the knee, which also puts me right in line with the “neck to knees” protection so often advocated for.
I have not had as many chances to use the water jacket yet. While it is made to use in the water (similar to the rashguard) I mainly got it as a sun protective jacket. There is enough room in it that I can use it as a jacket (e.g. wear other clothes underneath), but wearing anything baggy does look a little weird. It works best when you are wearing something not too long and form-fitting underneath. The jacket itself, however, is not particularly form-fitting and probably even a bit looser fitting than the rashguard. The teal color does seem to be a bit more see-though than the pink, which is not surprising considering how bright the pink is.
(everyday “normal” UPF clothes)
I have not yet tried any of the ‘normal’ clothes from UV skinz, but would be open to it in the future. The products I currently have feel like swimsuit material, which makes sense since they are all made to be able to use in the pool. Whether the ‘normal’ sun protective clothing feels less ‘swimsuit like’ I can not say. They have some really cute designs for girls, but I am less impressed with what they have for the boys. And since I have boys, I have not tried any of their kid clothing. But I would not be opposed to trying it in the future, especially with some design and color updates (dark colors are still hot, even in sun protective clothing).
(they got the kids covered too)
I have definitely enjoyed having my UV skinz swimsuit this summer. But I am not going to lie, I do get some weird looks. Nobody has ever been rude enough to say anything, but I catch the occasional double glance. Whether they are looks of confusion, derision, or envy I will never know. I would probably get fewer stares if I was on a coast or near a beach, where the problems of long-term sun exposure are more visible on a day to day basis. Sadly, taking care of you skin is not as popular as it should be, especially among the young (see the entirely idiotic SunburnArt trend). Often only myself and my kids are wearing rashguards at the pool. But frankly, I just don’t care. I would rather gets stares then burn or get rashes from sunscreen. Dysautonomia has forced me to swallow my pride about a lot of things, but so far, this one has been pretty low on that list.
(putting on sunscreen . . . always a fight)
And, I have to add, I LOVE not dealing with the sunscreen hassle anywhere but my face, and I REALLY LOVE not having to deal with the sunscreen hassle with my kids (who have UPF swimsuits from a different company). Seriously, even if I didn’t get dermatitis from every sunscreen (or lotion, or perfume, etc.) known to man, I would probably opt for the UPF clothing just because it is so much easier than the sunscreen hassle. Throw it on an go. No waiting/getting it on 30 minutes beforehand. No reapplying every 60-80 minutes. No trying to figure out which sunscreen uses the best non-toxic chemicals while still providing good protection (seriously, google it, it will make your head spin). It is just easier, which is a big help when energy conservation is the name of the game like with Dysautonomia.
UZ Skins UPF50+ Sun Protective Clothing, various sizes and prices, available at www.uvskinz.com
Dysautonomia Dorothy 