We spend so much time, money, and effort to perfect our skincare routines, but we often forget to take care of one other part of our bodies: our backs. They’re out of sight and out of reach but they need some extra TLC too. Many are wondering how to put lotion on your back.
The simplest answer would be to ask someone else to apply it for you. Before resorting to home items like a spatula, saran wrap, paint roller, or tube sock (?!), buy yourself a back lotion applicator.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways you can get lotion on your back. What we have in this guide are some of the most popular and easy ways to do it, plus some bizarre things people try.
In this article, we’ll go over the reasons why you should not forget about your back in moisturizing your skin. Then, we’ll walk you through our favorite methods of back lotion application.
Why Should You Apply Lotion on Your Back?
We spend time, effort, and money curating and perfecting our skincare routines.
The skin is the body’s largest organ. It forms a protective barrier for our bodies against the outside world filled with environmental hazards, pollutants, and bacteria.
And it doesn’t come as a surprise that we take extra steps to take care of the skin on our faces. After all, it’s always front and center when we go outside and face people.
When our skin starts feeling dry, tight, itchy, and irritated, we always find ourselves reaching out for a moisturizer, cream, or lotion to replenish. We spend time and effort moisturizing our face, arms, hands, legs, and feet – and rightfully so, since they’re the most exposed parts of our bodies.
But one part of our bodies that we often forget when it comes to self-care and skincare is our backs. They’re not as exposed to environmental hazards and let’s face it, it’s hard to reach them, let alone apply some moisturizing cream or lotion so we tend to just forget them.
Moreover, showering and bathing, especially with extra hot water, dries out the skin by stripping off natural oils. This is why you should aim to moisturize dry skin after hot showers, even if you don’t exactly have sensitive skin.
Even so, it doesn’t mean our backs don’t need the same TLC as the rest of our skin and body. Though typically unexposed, your back still gets affected by season changes and even by your clothes.
Applying body lotion, cream, and moisturizer all over – including the back – will prevent dry skin. It provides every inch of your skin with much-needed moisture so your skin is less likely to feel dry, tight, itchy, or irritated. Moreover, well-moisturized skin means better overall skin health.
How to Put Lotion on Your Back
If you’ve always had your heart set on applying lotion to your back for the proper moisture and hydration but have had trouble applying it, here are several methods you can try:
Recruit a second pair of hands
The simplest way to get proper moisture to the hard-to-reach area of your back is to ask and have someone else help and do it for you. A friend, sibling, or partner should be your safest bet.
But of course, having a second pair of hands to help you isn’t always possible, especially when you live alone. For this instance, try any of our hacks that follow.
Get flexible and use your forearms
One way to rub lotion on your back is to get flexible if you can.
Here’s how you can apply lotion to your back with your forearms:
- Apply lotion, cream, or moisturizer to the back of your arms, going from your elbow to your fingertips.
- Let the lotion just sit on your arms but don’t rub it in – it’s not for your arms, it’s for your back.
- Bend your elbows along your back. Rub the lotion by bringing your hand up and down your back.
- Repeat this until your back is properly covered and moisturized. You can also change arms if you feel it necessary to get as much lotion on your back as you can.
If you aren’t a very flexible person, there are other ways to apply lotion to your back with the help of other objects.
Use a spatula
This might sound odd and funny but your common kitchen gadget, a spatula, can help you apply lotion to your back.
- Grab a clean spatula and squirt a few drops of your body lotion on it.
- Reach over your shoulder and rub the product in using the spatula.
- Apply moisturizer in a circular motion to make sure every inch gets covered.
Try saran wrap
Another kitchen staple that is surprisingly useful in back lotion application is plastic wrap or saran wrap.
- Cut out a long piece of saran wrap.
- Lay the cut-out wrap on a table.
- Squirt a few drops of lotion or cream on the middle of the wrap.
- Then, turn your back against the saran wrap on the table. Reach your hands to hold the two ends.
- Swipe the lotion-filled wrap across your back – from left to right, up and down, making sure your entire back is covered with the moisturizing lotion.
Use a paint roller
Though it’s not the exact purpose of paint rollers, it can be handy in applying back lotion.
- Apply a strip of lotion across the length of a clean foam paint roller.
- Starting from your lower back, glide the roller from side to side and work your way up your back until your entire back is covered.
- Add more strips of lotion on the paint roller if necessary.
Try a tube sock
A clean piece of tube sock can also be a useful applicator alternative for back lotion.
- Lay the piece of tube sock on a table.
- Apply and squirt a strip of lotion along the length of the sock.
- With your back against the sock on the table, grab the two ends of the sock.
- Move the sock across your back, from side to side, and go up and down.
Get yourself a lotion applicator
Lastly, the next best thing to an actual hand in applying lotion on your back would be a back lotion applicator. Lucky for many, the market is saturated with various options.
Back lotion applicators typically have long, curved handles with a sponge or pad on one end. They could come in different sizes, lengths, and even designs for different needs.
Choosing the Best Body Lotion for the Back
The market is currently stacked with various choices for creams, moisturizers, and lotions that will do your skin wonders. To help you determine which one you should get, it’s important to know that there are three categories under this type of product:
Humectants
Humectants draw and trap water into the skin. They add hydration and moisture to the skin without being heavy, oily, or greasy.
Emollients
Emollients soothe and hydrate skin. They help manage itchy, scaly, irritated, or dry skin.
Occlusives
Occluives are oil or wax-based moisturizers that create a protective layer on top of the skin. This seals and locks in moisture, preventing further moisture loss.
Conclusion
Though they’re out of sight and out of reach, our backs need some taking care of as well. They’re still a part of us so we shouldn’t ignore them when we moisturize our arms, hands, legs, and feet. Many are wondering how they can apply lotion on their backs.
The simplest way to apply lotion on your back is by asking someone else to do it – but that isn’t always an option. Your alternative would be to do it on your own and use your forearm. You can also use staple home tools like a spatula, saran wrap, paint roller, or tube sock. And of course, you can get yourself a back lotion applicator.
That has been our detailed guide on the query, how to put lotion on your back. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us below for any more of your curious questions!
