Products and Resources To Protect Your Child From the Sun


As a JM parent, you’ve likely heard about the critical role that sun exposure and other environmental factors can play in juvenile myositis. In collaboration with leading experts, we have curated a list of products that can help protect your child from the UV rays that come from the sun and even harmful artificial light. 

“I think sunscreen should be a daily part of life for people with a sun-sensitive condition. So I think of this [sunscreen and sun protective clothing] as medicine. This is a medicine,” Dr. Kalyani Marathe, Division Director of Dermatology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, stated in a recent Cure JM “Ask the Doc” Town Hall. She also suggests that ultraviolet light from the sun can cause juvenile myositis to worsen. 

Cure JM Foundation does not officially endorse any of the products, companies, or websites listed here. While most of these products, companies, and websites have been recommended by doctors and foundations, please do your own research before buying products. If you have any questions regarding the interaction between your child’s JM and a specific product, your doctor may be able to guide you. The Skin Cancer Foundation offers many wonderful recommendations for sunscreen, accessories, clothing, outdoor shade options, and window coverings. https://www.skincancer.org/recommended-products/


ONLINE SHOPPING

Cabana Life – a website offering sun-protective clothing for all ages  https://www.cabanalife.com/index.php?cPath=2&osCsid=4ea2fb77410b9b511d0cf3061e326b5a

Columbia Sportswear – this outdoor store offers plenty of UV-protective clothing for men, women, and children www.columbia.com

Coolibar – this website, recommended by doctors and the Skin Cancer Foundation, offers both swimsuits and regular clothing for all ages www.coolibar.com

Free Fly Apparel – this company offers sun-protective bamboo clothing that is soft, quick drying, anti-odor, and breathable https://freeflyapparel.com

Lands Ends – search UPF clothing to find clothing that offers UV protection for all www.landsend.com

REI – this camping store carries popular UPF clothing like Columbia & as well as store brand clothing line; also a wide variety of UPF-rated hats – www.rei.com

Solumbra/Sun Precautions – this site offers UPF rated clothing  www.sunprecautions.com/shop/all

UVSkinz – this website offers clothing and swimsuits with UPF 50+ certifications; children’s swimsuits are also available at Costco https://www.uvskinz.com

Vapor Apparel – this company has earned the Skin Cancer Foundations Seal of Recommendation and offers a wide variety of sun-protective clothing https://vaporapparel.com

LOCAL RETAILERS

Academy – a sporting/camping store carrying various brands of UPF clothing https://www.academy.com/

Columbia – has a line of UPF protective clothing which is carried by several local sporting goods/camping goods stores, ie – Dick’s Sporting Goods,  Bass Pro Shops, REI, etc. https://www.columbia.com/

Land’s End –  a practical and comfortable clothing store that offers UPF clothing in the form of rash guards and swim apparel  https://www.landsend.com/

REI – this camping store carries popular UPF clothing like Columbia & as well as a store brand clothing line www.rei.com

Sunveil – Stores are located mostly in Canada, but they offer a range of sun-protective clothing for all ages https://www.sunveil.com/

WASH-IN

Rit Sunguard — a chemical UV protectant you wash in to clothing via washing machine -lasts for 20+ washes – $10.49/box = 1 load – better on cotton & cotton blends — sometimes available at Walmart or online at Amazon https://www.sunguarduv.com     

SWIMSUITS/RASH GUARDS

Boden – rash guards are available with sun protection  https://www.bodenusa.com/en-us

Coolibar – full-body suits also available  http://www.coolibar.com

Fun Sun Wear – An Australian company for one piece adult & child/baby-sized swimsuits, also includes sports clothing, sun hats & accessories https://funsunwear.com.au/index.php

StingRay – an Australian company for one-piece swimsuits, rash guards, swim pants, etc.  www.stingray.com.au 

ACCESSORIES (SUNGLASSES, HATS, UMBRELLAS/PARASOLS, STROLLER COVERS, SHAWLS, SUNSHADES, ETC.)

Baby Banz – http://www.banzworld.com 

Coolibar – www.coolibar.com

Solumbra/Sun Precautions – www.sunprecautions.com/shop/all

Sun Patch- a reusable waterproof sunblock patches for under the eyes https://sunpatch.com

Sunday Afternoons Hats – www.sundayafternoons.com

SUNSCREEN

Environmental Working Group – 2015 Sunscreen Guide – rated the efficacy & safety of 1,400 sunscreens, sun blocks, lip balms, and moisturizers on the basis of their advertising claims, etc., esp. in relation to their UV-protection claims. Lists include “Hall of Shame,” “Best of Sunscreens,” & “Find Your Sunscreen”. App for iPhone avail. www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen

For examples of great sunscreens for all colors of skin, watch our Town Hall with Dr. Angeles-Han and Dr. Marathe https://www.curejm.org/ask-the-doc-sun-protection-tricks-tips-for-summer-2023/

UV-MEASURING DEVICES

Apps are available on your phone for measuring the UV in your area.

CAR WINDOW TINTING

Types:
Shades attach with suction cups & raise/lower; fit side windows only – available via local stores.

Professional tinting companies can tint most car windows & provide manufacturer info for your to research re: UVA/VB before installation. Also be sure to know your local DMV regulations re: tinting. Every state has different laws about how dark the windows can be. Need a prescription to take the windows darker than the legal limit.


To learn more about the effects of light on JM patients, please watch the following insightful presentation by leading experts on this topic:

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Connecting with families can be a great source of knowledge and support. To connect with other families in your region, find your area below or contact Betsy Leon at info@curejm.org.

Pioneering JM Care – Integrating Research With a Multidisciplinary Approach to Care

Dr. Jessica Turnier of the University of Michigan / Mott’s Children’s Hospital is dedicated to creating new directions for JM research and wider perspectives on how it is treated. About the University of Michigan, she states, “When I came to Michigan, there were a lot of myositis patients, and I just developed a really strong connection with those patients.”

Nathanael’s Story

Nathanael was an active 7-year-old. In the summer of 2014, he played baseball under the Southern California sun, and that’s when the rash started. “He

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