A Port Severn woman is hoping to revolutionize swim and cottage wear for people of all ages.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jen Scobie launched Sun Safe On The Lake Ltd., a UPF 50+ swim and sun protective clothing line.
"I was on maternity leave with my youngest and we spent a ton of time outside," she explained. "You're not supposed to put sunscreen on babies under six months, so I kept trying to find the proper sun gear and clothing for him."
Scobie, 37, couldn't find anything suitable for her child. Every article of clothing she found rode up his legs and left exposed skin.
"One night on the deck I started sketching my own baby sun suit that had longer legs and arms to fold down to protect the hands," she explained. "It snowballed from there."
Scobie began researching and designing products for people of all ages.
"I'm a bit of a perfectionist," she admitted. "I wanted to incorporate my values in the brand which is why it was important for me to have it made in Canada, to be made from recycled material, and ethically sourced."
It took Scobie two years of hard work before she officially launched the final product.
"I didn't want it to be something that was chemically treated for sun protection," she explained. "I wanted it to naturally cover everybody through the weave of the fibre in the fabric."
Scobie started selling her products at local markets to get the word out. Today, she ships products to Nova Scotia, B.C., and New York.
"There were a few things along the way that helped me grow it to where it is today," she said. "It's come a long way and it's doing great."
Scobie says parents love her products because they grow with children.
"It's not meant to be skintight," she explained. "It's meant to be looser with room to grow because kids grow so quickly."
Scobie says the high-quality materials hold up for kids playing in the sand, swimming, and all the summer activities that children enjoy.
Sun Safe On The Lake Ltd. is currently a "side gig" for Scobie, but she hopes to one day make it her full-time job.
"I'm seeing how far I can take it before I let go of my 9 to 5," she said. "As I keep growing it there are so many ideas and people are always making suggestions which is amazing."
Scobie is most proud of her products for keeping people "sun safe."
"It's so important to have sun-protective clothing," she said. "It gives consistent protection in and out of the water."
Scobie is working with the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation to bring more awareness to the need for sun protection.
"It's a preventable cancer," she said. "You have to start young because the damage from burns is cumulative over your lifetime."
Scobie is donating two percent of sales to the neo-natal intensive care unit at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital.
"We are quite happy to give back," she said. "It's supporting local and trying to make it bigger than just making money."
For more about Sun Safe On The Lake Ltd and its products, click here.
