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Coolibar provided me with a swim top, swim leggings, and sun hat to assist with sun protection on our Hawaiian vacation. All opinions are my own.
Conversation Snippet
Someone Else: “You have a sun sensitivity, and you want to spend two weeks in Hawaii?”
Me: “Absolutely! I’m not going to let that stop me from enjoying fun in the sun with my family!”
Sun Sensitivity Hawaii Edition – Mainstays with a New Twist
Over years of having sun sensitivity, I’ve found several things that allow me to still enjoy outdoor activities with my family & friends. Hawaii’s tropical sunshine takes all of that to a new level.
My sun sensitivity swimwear mainstays are: hat, long-sleeved rashguard & (fingerless) gloves, swim leggings, swim socks, sunscreen for exposed skin, and shade.
I’ve been a big fan of Coolibar clothing & swimwear since 2009. When I first researched sun protective clothing, Coolibar rose to the top, and they have been my go-to ever since then.
I love how many of Coolibar’s new swim tops have thumbholes for extra hand protection from the sun. The swim top above (in “purple rose”) also has side ruching for a flattering look.
Coolibar’s new high-tech swim leggings go all the way to my ankles, which is the level of sun protection that I need! They provide some compression and feel great! I never wore any other swim leggings the entire trip, even though I had taken some others along!
Coolibar’s Shapeable Sun Catcher hat was, other than my family, my constant companion. I wore this hat almost every day of our two-week trip. I had two other hats with me (the one I took to SE Asia last year & a Coolibar swim hat), but I loved this Coolibar Shapeable Sun Catcher hat so much that it’s the one I chose every time. It has a wide brim that shades my face, ears, and even back of my neck. The chin strap (yes, chin strap!) probably saved my hat a dozen times due to the sometimes strong ocean breezes. Plus, there’s a pretty design on the underside of the brim that adds to its appeal.
Since we couldn’t ship our E-Z Up to Hawaii (go figure!), we found this folding canopy chair at Target.
The beach area we frequented (Ko Olina) doesn’t allow beach umbrellas.
They will, however, allow canopy chairs (and/or hand-held umbrellas).
(Make sure you AirTag everything you take to the beach!)
This folding canopy chair was perfect for providing me with extra shade at the beach.
It even sheltered me from a downpour on our last main beach day, although it would’ve been fine to get rained on.
It was just kinda fun to be under the canopy with my kids while everyone else hightailed it off the beach!
In regard to sunscreen, we brought Blue Lizard sensitive sunscreen, a spray sunscreen, and Pacifica lip sunscreen.
Our first full beach day was spent enjoying the water and re-applying sunscreen at appropriate intervals. My husband and kids had been using the spray sunscreen on their legs specifically. At the end of the day, however, the three of them all had sunburn on their legs!
After this failure of the spray sunscreen, we headed back to Target and bought leggings for the girls to wear in the water, so their sunburned legs could get a break from the sun. (Pro Tip: At the Target check-out, we were charged $2.00 more for each pair of leggings than the indicated price on the items. Supposedly, the price shown on the item is the “mainland price.” Without question, however, the price was adjusted for us. Just pay attention to what you’re being charged, and ask for any appropriate price adjustments.)
We clearly ditched the spray sunscreen after that and stuck with the Blue Lizard sensitive sunscreen and Pacifica lip sunscreen.
Blue Lizard sensitive sunscreen protected our skin each & every day. It has an interesting feature, in that the bottle turns blue in UV light. Here’s the bottle indoors.
Here’s the bottle outside in the Hawaiian sun!
We had never tried Pacifica lip sunscreen before, but we loved it! It went on smooth and protected our lips in the tropical sunshine.
New Items in the Sun Sensitivity Hawaii Edition Repertoire
Beyond my normal sun protection gear, I added a few new items to my repertoire on this trip. I thought I had planned pretty well for the intensity of the Hawaiian sun. I had a great hat, swim tops with thumbholes, sun protection (fingerless) gloves, swim leggings, swim socks, and portable shade!
After our first full beach day, however, the skin on part of my neck and the tops of my fingers (yes, seriously!) was itching.
I went to TJ Maxx and found a neck gaiter. Fluorescent orange was the only color option, natch…but I’ll go for sun protection & funny looks any day! My husband said he liked it though…haha!
The neck gaiter also provided additional protection for my entire face, when toward sunset time, finding shade was next to impossible.
To find full finger gloves, it was Target to the rescue again! The gloves I found are not meant specifically for sun protection, but they were the only full finger gloves I could find anywhere. They did the trick, but I’ll be more prepared next time!
Here’s the full look in action! Hat, neck gaiter, swim top with thumbholes, full finger gloves, swim leggings, and swim socks!
Non-Beach/Pool Days
Amazingly enough, being in the Hawaiian tropical sun each and every day, the only spots that had trouble with the allergic sun reaction were my neck the first day (without the neck gaiter) and the tops of my fingers (yes, seriously!) before I got the full finger gloves.
On non-beach/pool days, I protected my neck by wearing my favorite shirts (Columbia Silver Ridge long-sleeve), folding up the collar, and buttoning the top button. Not super trendy, I hear, but hey…no itch! Here I am sporting the look with Duke in Waikiki.
I continue to do all I can in the way of sun protection. Here’s another water activity where my sun gloves and sun protection clothing were mandatory.
Also looking toward the future, we can’t wait for our next trip back to the 50th state!
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Full beach attire! I get it. I don’t have sun sensitivity, but it don’t like the sun. I can get “burn” easily. The hat sounds like a wonderful piece to have. Going to look at that sunscreen too. Glad you enjoyed your day at the beach!
It looks like you all had a super fun trip. Sun protection is so vital. I’m always trying to find the balance between sunscreen and allowing a little sun for Vitamin D! I love the lip care protection suggestion. We often forget to protect our lips from the sun!
I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a sensitivity to the sun. That’s great that there are so many products out there to cover your entire body. Do you get really warm or over-heated in all that gear while being in the sun? I’m assuming most of that gear if pretty breathable.
Hi Noel! Good question! The swimwear isn’t breathable, so I get in the water, drink water, and stay in the shade. The sun protection clothes that I wear are very breathable, but I still try to drink water & stay in the shade as much as possible.
You know, I am so glad that even with your sensitivity that you find a way to get out there and still enjoy yourself! Good for you!
Thanks, Kayla!
i like covering up a bit when out in the sun but never full on like you! i’m still working on remembering sunscreen for those times when i do have an outdoor event. hopefully those clothes weren’t too hot either and there was a nice beach breeze! good job protecting yourself! 🙂
I have Lupus and being in the sun makes me so sick, but I am really trying to get over my pride with needing to be so covered. It’s my first year dealing with the sun sensitivity. I want to go to the beach so badly wth my family. Seeing your post and positive attitude is very helpful!
I love your honesty, Mindy! I hope to be an encouragement to all those with sun sensitivity. I hope you enjoy many beach days this summer with your family!