CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Though it is still spring, step outside on any given afternoon and it will feel like we are in the dog days of summer.
Record heat is expected in the Coastal Bend Monday and throughout the week and it is not only important to keep hydrated, but to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
If you've been to a store recently, you know there are several choices when it comes to sunscreen. It can feel overwhelming. Dr. Gregg Silverman joined First Edition Monday to explain what type of sunscreen works best.
"It is important that when you go outside you use some sort of sunscreen, and you don't need the highest level, you just need to repeat the level," Silverman said.
There are two different types of sunscreen to choose from- chemical or physical.
"A chemical sunscreen actually prevents this, where as the physical sunscreen is just a barrier- that is, it is layered on thick," Silverman said.
Choosing between the two depends on what outdoor activity you plan to do.
"If you're out there playing in the sun, you kind of want the chemical that doesn't quite reflect it off, you want the one that absorbs it rather than that white sticky kind of stuff," Silverman said.
Reapplication is important throughout your time outdoors, Silverman said.
"At least every about two hours, and if you're doing more things in the sun- that is if you're out there playing in the sun or playing volleyball or sweating or even getting in and out of water- it's important to probably do it every hour.
"It is important that you reapply the stuff if you're sweating it off. Even though they say they're sweatproof- that is not really the case.
"There are no differences between sunscreens for kids and sunscreens for adults. It just has to do with the amount of sunblock, the UPF factor, which is the amount of rays that don't get to your skin over a certain amount of time.
"You don't need the 100, you need the 30, but you need to keep reapplying it every so often."
For more information on choosing a sunscreen, click here.
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