Take in the Sun Safely with Cabana Life Clothing

~ To facilitate this review, I received a sample Cabana Life Rushguard cover-up and Sun Hat. The views expressed here are entirely my own.

Finally! The sun has settled into its summer appearance in Boston after all of us have cringed through a winter that introduced a whole new level of cold with “Polar Vortex.” As the summer vortex hits, it’s irresistible to spend as much time outside as possible- especially as pools send out notices of summer openings and the beaches beckon. Alongside this clamoring to stretch out in the sun comes concerns about sun protection for ourselves and our kids.

For a number of years now, we’ve seen outdoor lines develop that offer up sun protection. But what has shifted is just how powerful the blockage can be, and how stylish the clothing, swimsuit and hat choices. Cabana Life offers up swimwear and cover-ups for grown-ups and all ages of kids in delightfully cool styles and fashion designs. Their fabrics have been constructed with a patented SkinSafe™ technology with built-in 50+ UV protection (the highest available in apparel). The fabrics also block 98% UVA & UVB rays, which means hours cavorting in the sun without the danger of burnt skin. So why not just rely on the cotton shirt thrown on over your swimsuit? What most of us never knew is that the typical white cotton tee offers up a protection level of only about SPF 5.

I tried out Cabana Life’s best-selling Ruched Rashguard, which can be worn as a cover up in the water or lengthened via side drawstrings into a dress at a pool party. The fabric is supple and smooth to the touch, and fits incredibly well around the contours of your body. It retails for $76.

I also tried out the Blue Cove Hat. The colors on this hat are radiant, and it’s oversized to keep the sun truly off your face, with the sun protection built into it’s fabric as well. It folds up well for travel, and has adjustable sizing to fit your head, and wire in the brim to hold it’s shape. This I adored so much on day one, that I ordered 2 extra hats for myself (I want to keep this as my lifelong sunhat!) and one for a friend with an upcoming birthday who had just had a melanoma scare of her own.

Along with its striking designs comes the poignant story of the company’s founder, Melissa Papock, a former merchandising editor at top magazines including Vanity Fair, Self and Allure and a melanoma survivor. She embarked on a quest for stylish clothing constructed with innovative sun-blocking technology. Her success with Cabana Life has included being featured in O Magazine as an Editor’s Choice, written up in magazines from Glamour to Child, and featured in media from The Today Show to the The View. Melissa also wanted public education about the dangers of sun exposure and melanoma to be core to her company’s vision. Along these lines, she shares these key tips from the Skin Cancer Foundation:

Take this simple test and see how much you do or don’t know before you go out in the sun today.

What percentage of skin cancer is caused by sun exposure?

90%: When proper protection is worn, sun exposure is decreased and so is a person’s cancer risk, along with a drop in skin damage and wrinkles.

True or False: Less than 33% of adults and children routinely use sun protection.

True: Shocking, isn’t it! That means 67% of people do not routinely use sun protection. Not using sun protection on a regular basis increases your chances for sun exposure and skin cancer. 

What form of skin cancer kills one person every hour?

Melanoma: This is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Most melanoma resembles a mole, and is mainly caused by intense UV ray exposure, which often leads to sunburn. If detected early, it is almost always curable. It is almost always fatal if left undetected, as it becomes metastatic, where the cancerous cells spread to other area in your body.

What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays?

Ultraviolet A is longwave and Ultraviolet B is shortwave. Both UV rays penetrate the atmosphere and cause skin aging, skin cancer and eye damage.

What are the peak hours for harmful UV radiation?

10 AM – 4 PM. Cloudy or sunny, the sun is the strongest and most likely to cause skin damage during these hours.

Great advice for those of us who want to keep ourselves and our families sun-safe this summer!

The Cabana Life collection can be found at cabanalife.com.