How to Put Sunscreen on Your Own Back

The setup

"Can you get my back?" is the most-asked question at any beach. Alone, there's no one to ask, and the stripe between your shoulder blades is the one spot guaranteed to burn.

Why it's hard alone

Arms reach the top of your back from above and the bottom from below, and neither reaches the middle. Lotion squeezed into your palm ends up on your arms, not your spine. And you can't see what you missed until it's red.

The solo method

1. Do it at home first. Apply before you get dressed, standing in front of a mirror, with time to reach. Let it dry 15 minutes before you go out.
2. Use the over-and-under reach. One hand goes over the shoulder and down, the other comes up from the lower back. Between them, most people can cover all but a small strip.
3. Spray for the middle. Hold a spray sunscreen close to the skin, spray over the shoulder, then spread it with your hand or an applicator. Don't spray in wind or near your face.
4. Use a stick for the edges. A sunscreen stick drags easily over the top of the shoulders and the back of the neck.
5. Reapply on schedule. Every two hours, and after swimming or sweating, per dermatologist guidance. Set a phone timer.
6. Or just cover it. A UPF swim shirt or rash guard protects your entire back without any reaching. Often the easiest solo answer.

What nobody tells you

The usual miss isn't the middle of the back; it's the band just below the swimsuit straps and the back of the neck. Go over those twice.