With a focus on Greater Philadelphia small businesses and entrepreneurs, "The Creators" is a weekly feature presented as a part of PHL Inno. Check back each Monday for a new story on a local business. Have a story you think we should know about? Email associate editor Lisa Dukart at ldukart@bizjournals.com.
As a mother, Erum Ilyas worried about her children’s sun safety. Was their sunscreen washing off in the pool? Were their clothes properly protecting them? Did they slather on SPF before heading to the beach with friends?
As a doctor, those concerns extended to her patients. The most common cancer in the U.S., an estimated one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.
Seeing the frustrations her patients had with finding adequate protection from harmful UV rays, Ilyas began formulating an idea. “There's always this assumption that if I'm wearing clothing, my skin underneath the clothing should be just fine. I just have to worry about the exposed areas,” said Ilyas, who practices at Schweiger Dermatology Group in King of Prussia and Audubon. “There's a false sense of security.”
She experienced it herself one day while driving home in 2014. Having worn a sleeveless top, Ilyas found herself tucking her left arm out of the way when stopped at lights, trying to escape the rays of the sun.
Coupled with her patients’ struggles of wearing sunscreen on a daily basis — leaving a white hue on skin or marks on clothing — Ilyas knew there had to be a better option. So over the next couple of years, she began researching textiles.
Naturally drawn to clothing, Ilyas soon discovered sun-protective apparel that was treated with chemicals or otherwise didn’t feel appropriate for everyday wear. “It felt like parachute material almost,” she recalls.
When she learned that certain textile weaves actually are protective against UV rays, she began formulating her company AmberNoon. Officially launched in August 2017, the name is a play on her daughter’s name and afternoon. Starting as a women’s line, Ilyas’ goal was to create fashionable clothing that offered protection of about UPF 50, which is available online and at her store in Wayne.
Since launching, Ilyas has also been tapped to sell an exclusive line for West Chester-based retail giant QVC. Ilyas is wrapping her second season with QVC, where she sells the AmberNoon II by Dr. Erum Ilyas and is slated for a third season next year. That line launched with about a dozen items and has since tripled to about 33 styles. “Next year, we're expanding it even further,” she said.
Working with a designer in Los Angeles, Ilyas has expanded the AmberNoon line considerably, too, from about 13 styles in her first year to over 60 today. She’s also working to patent the textile, something Ilyas anticipates happening next year.
Ilyas declined to disclose AmberNoon's annual revenue.
Both AmberNoon and AmberNoon II by Dr. Erum Ilyas run the gamut in styles from dresses and tops to swimwear. Her AmberNoon line also features men’s and children’s apparel, plus sunscreen and skincare products. A forthcoming teen line dubbed AmberSun is expected to launch in spring.
Why the focus on a textile?
I felt really strongly that I had to find some sort of textile that would allow that UV protection to be there through 40 washes, to hold true to the standard, but not because it washes out, only because the integrity of the weave of the textile allows us to stay. I have a UPF tester, we have our own lab. … We're all living in an age where people are trying to avoid chemicals and trying to limit their exposures to the unknown.
Why 40 washes?
Most clothing items, especially the fast fashion trend, they really only test the durability through seven or eight washes. And that's only for the durability of the style. For UPF, we are putting it through 40 washes to ensure that the sun protection doesn't wear off. It depends on the item, but if you're talking about everyday clothing, that really could be a year or two. If you're talking about things you're wearing occasionally, it could be much longer.
Why the addition of children’s apparel last year?
My real passion was children's clothing. That's what we launched right before Covid-19. The kids line meant the most to me because children are the ones I worry the most about — at recess, on playgrounds. They're out there wearing T-shirts — the average SPF of a white T-shirt can be as low as three. I just worry that they're the ones getting most of the sun through their clothing.
How did your skincare line come about?
The sunscreen is our main product. We formulated it right before Covid-19 as well, where we really wanted to create a mineral-based sunscreen that had a lotion base so that it could rub in easily. One is just a plain lotion, and one has a hint of tint to suit most skin types. … We decided to add several things to complement the sun routine. We have a detox night repair cream meant to soothe your skin after exposure to the sun during the day, and a cucumber eye gel, again soothing that delicate skin around the eyes.
