K&J Sun Protective Clothing Review & Giveaway

Here are some scary facts:

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million cases in two million people are diagnosed annually.

The development of skin cancer has been linked to both intense, intermittent sun exposure, suchas beach vacations, and cumulative sun exposure, including daily outdoor activities (e.g., playtime at the park, recess, and running errands).

One blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.

A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more non-blistering sunburns at any age.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and potentially fatal. About 65 percent of melanoma cases can be attributed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

Diagnoses and treatment are delayed in 40 percent of childhood melanoma cases.

Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults 15-29 years old.

When my son was just six weeks old we were living in Texas and my in-laws came to visit.  They rented a boat and took us out on to Canyon Lake.  I was very protective of my newborn but our pediatrician had advised us not to use sunscreen until 6 months of age.  I kept my son in his carseat with the canopy up.  The car seat was also placed in the shade of the canopy on the boat.  He was never in direct sunlight.  When we got home that afternoon I was shocked and in tears to see that he had gotten a sunburn on his face.  The only way I can figure that this happened was that the sun reflected off of the water.  Luckily, the sunburn was minor and had mostly faded by the next morning.  Needless to say, I am now very vigilant on applying sunscreen to my kids and making sure they are protected in other ways as well.

I know a lot of people think that being covered with clothing protects them but the sun can penetrate fabrics, especially light colored or wet fabric. A typical white summer cotton T-shirt offers a UPF of 5 to 9 and does not offer adequate protection during exposure to the sun.  k&j Sun Protective Clothing is different.  k&j tees have a UPF of 50+.  These 100% cotton, chemical-free, tagless tees are the only everyday wear sun-protective shirts made for kids under the age of two.

k&j tees are as stylish as they are functional- just check out Parker wearing her “Rebel” tee in the picture above.  Isn’t it adorable?  The fabric of the tee is really nice, high quality cotton. It seems to me that the sizes might run a bit small.  Parker is wearing a size 6-9 months.  She’s 4 months and weighs about 13 pounds.  She is wearing a long sleeved onesie underneath but it’s still a bit tighter than I expected it to be.  I love that I can help protect my baby from the sun without the use of chemicals.  These shirts would be great for my toddler and preschooler as well!

k&j tees sell for $22 each at kjsunprotectiveclothing.com.

Enter to win your choice of tee by filling out the form below.  Also, be sure to check out all of our other giveaways here.

This giveaway is open until February 20, 2011 at 11:59 pm CST to U.S residents.

Please leave your name, address, email and answers to the questions (if any) in the form below. This is required for initial entry. Extra entries are optional. For more information on how to enter our giveaways, please see our contest guidelines page. There you’ll find options for extra entries, rules, etc.

Your information is confidential and used for contacting the winner and prize fulfillment purposes only.

A complimentary product/service was provided for this review, however, all opinions expressed are our own.  We were not compensated in any other way.  See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.