Avoid using Sunscreen with Little Leaves Clothing (Review)

Suffering  one or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing potentially-deadly melanoma later in life.” Skin Cancer Foundation¹

It always seems like transitions with little children are the hardest.  This past winter was a struggle trying to get them to wear their  sweaters and big snow gear in the -20C weather. I kind of thought we were done fighting to get ready but then the blaring sun reminded me that while our snowsuit battle was over, our sunscreen one had just begun.  Then Little Leaves Clothing Company  came into the picture with their long sleeved, lightweight shirts that provide 98% protection from the sun.

Want to try out Little Leaves Sun Protective Clothing? Then use  the code  BTBA10 for 10% off here!

Little Leaves Clothing Company

Little Leaves Clothing  Company was founded by  Drs. Carlos and Carley Gomez Meade a couple based out of Austin, Texas. They created the company after  having children when they realized that there were little options for sun protection clothing besides  swim wear.  As doctors who are experienced in skin health and  children, it seemed only natural that they would fill the need.

*I was given compensation in exchange for my review but all  views are 100% my own.

Review of the  Little Leaves Protective Sun Shirts

My two daughters and I both received a long sleeved sun shirt from Little Leaves Clothing company. To really test the product we went on a strawberry picking adventure  in 25C. Our adventure  changed since the place we went to go strawberry picking actually only had prepicked strawberries for purchase. Instead we spent the morning eating strawberries (lots of them) and exploring the farm in the blazing hot sun that eventually reached 30C.

We have also used the shirts on everyday adventures in our backyard and at the park. I also wore the shirt on the beach after surfing on my most recent surf trip to Tofino without the kids. That trip was amazing  BTW but a story for another day!

Blocks the Sun’s Harmful Ultraviolet Rays

Did you know that a white cotton shirt only provides a UPF of 5-10? Little Leaves Clothing has an   all natural ultraviolet protection (UPF)  of 50+, which blocks 98% of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. This means that you are protected and do not need to wear any sunblock where the shirt is covering your body.  I loved not having to slather the kids in sunscreen and they were really happy too.  My skin also thanked me since it tends to react negatively to sunscreen.

Scientifically Tested

When a company says that they protect you from sunburns it does not mean that you are necessarily protected. Well… Little Leaves Clothing has the documentation to prove that their clothing WILLprotect you. They   received the seal of approval for sun protective apparel from the Melanoma International Foundation (MIF) and their fabric has been independently tested for ultraviolet protection by the standard testing for sun protective clothing  AATCC Test Method 183  (Association of Textile, Apparel & Materials Professionals).

Lightweight and Breathable

Inititally I was worried that the longsleeves would make us feel hotter than if we wore a tank top or t-shirt but this was not the case. The clothing was  breathable and lightweight. My two girls seemed completely fine wearing them in the hot weather. I really only started to feel really hot in around 28C weather. This is not really surprising since over 28C usually makes me feel extremely hot regardless of what I am wearing.

Made in the USA

Little Leaves Clothing is made in the USA.  While they are still using fabrics from overseas I think it is great that they have elimanated one of the steps from sourcing products abroad.

Natural and  Hypoallergenic

Little Leaves clothing is a completely natural sun protection with no chemicals. They use water based dyes, super soft natural bamboo and cotton, and their shirts are tagless. They feel so so soft and I literally wanted to snuggle up in my shirt when I put it on. Also, as someone who has suffered from extreme eczema it  is a nice break to be protected from the sun without  developing either a sunscreen rash or a sun rash.

What you should know/Things that I wish they had:

• Read more about their fabrics and testing here. 
• The shirts are a loose fit which also helps them to be breathable. The kids shirts worked well on them. I had a size small shirt and it was quite loose on me.  I did not mind it for hanging out on the beach or berry picking but I almost could have used the size xsmall.
• Their shirts are made in the USA but there fabrics are sourced from China.
• While this is more of a personal preference, I do not love the designs on the women’s shirts. They are fine for wearing on the beach or while playing outdoors with the kids but  I do wish they had  some more options. As a new company I am sure they are planning on creating more but I would love some  cool mountain designs so that I can wear them out on some mountain adventures (hint. hint.)

Want to try out Little Leaves Clothing? Then use  the code  BTBA10 for 10% off here!

References:

1. Cancer Foundation. 2013, July 2. Childhood Sun Exposure Increases Skin Cancer Risk Later in Life. http://www.skincancer.org/media-and-press/press-release-2013/kids