With temperatures soaring back up into the 90s and possibly reaching the triple digits for heat indexes today and tomorrow, it’s a good idea to remember to wear sunblock.

Greene County Public Health Director Becky Wolf recommends using sunblock that includes SPF 30. She says you can go a little bit above SPF 30, but you don’t get any additional benefits or extra protection. She suggests people use sunblock often to prevent their skin from getting sunburnt.

“You need to make sure that you can see it on your skin and let it absorb in and apply it often. If you’re going to be sweating a lot or you’re going to be swimming, it wouldn’t probably be a bad idea to apply it every hour or two, especially if you’re in the water. Because the rays reflect off of the water and that increases the intensity of sun exposure.”

Wolf points out that her department has once again teamed up with the Iowa Cancer Consortium to provide free sunblock to the public. She says they received three one-gallon jugs of sunblock and are rotating those around to different public areas of the county including parks and swimming pools. Free packets of sunblock are also available at most pharmacies and clinics in the county as well.