How to moisturize your back and shoulders
How to moisturize your back: apply body butter to damp skin straight after your shower, reach over each shoulder with a warmed scoop, then sweep up from the waist with the backs of your hands. For the stubborn middle, use a towel trick or ask someone to help.
It sounds fussy, but your back and shoulders deserve the same attention as your legs. Here is a way to do it without a twisted arm.
How to moisturize your back when you cannot reach it
Most of us can reach about two thirds of our own back. The trick is to use that reach well and treat the rest as a separate step.
- Step out of the shower and pat dry until you are damp.
- Warm one scoop of butter between your palms.
- Reach over your right shoulder with your right hand and smooth down as far as you can. Switch sides.
- Reach behind your waist with both hands and sweep upward, using the backs of your hands for the places your palms cannot get to.
- Wipe your hands, then check the middle strip between the shoulder blades.
Take your time on the first run. After a week it becomes automatic.
The reason to do it right after the shower is simple. Damp skin spreads butter thinly and evenly, and that matters on a big surface where you cannot see what you are doing. If you want the detail, read why you should moisturize on damp skin.
Shoulders deserve a second look in summer, when straps and bare skin put them on show. A quick pass of butter keeps them soft and smelling lovely.
What is the easiest way to reach the middle of your back?
The middle strip between your shoulder blades is the hard part. You have a few options.
The towel method works well. Put a little butter on a clean, damp hand towel, hold both ends, and slide it back and forth across your back like drying yourself. It spreads a thin, even layer.
A long-handled body brush or a lotion applicator also helps if you like gadgets, though it adds another thing to wash.
Or ask someone. A partner, a friend or a sister can do your back in thirty seconds, and for many people it is a nice small ritual. If you wear scent on your back and shoulders, whoever helps you will notice it up close.
Should you change the amount for a large area?
Yes, but not by as much as you might expect. Your back is a big surface, so people often reach for a second scoop. Start with the one scoop you use for the body and add a little at a time. Butter is dense and a little goes a long way. If you want a clear sense of quantity, the article on how much body butter to use has a plain guide.
Plan the order too. Do the shoulders and upper back first, while the butter is warmest on your hands, and finish with the lower back. If you rush the lower back last, you will skip it, and that is the part clothes rub against all day.
Always warm the butter first. Cold butter drags across your shoulder blades and stops halfway.
Does it matter which scent you put on your shoulders?
A little. Your back and shoulders are covered by clothes, and anything you put there releases slowly as you move. A large area of skin plus a heavy scent can add up. If you wear one of the louder scents, like Dark Tuberose or Crimson Amber, think about using less on a big area and keeping the stronger application for the neck and chest.
A fresher scent is easy to wear everywhere. Sea Sage is clean and bright, with sea salt, sage and grapefruit, and it works well on shoulders in warm weather. Paris Blush is another easy daytime option, with orange, rose and soft patchouli.
When you move up the shoulders to the top of the chest, you reach the part of your body where scent matters most. The neighbouring guide on skin care for the collarbone and neck picks up from there.
Quick answers
When is the best time to moisturize your back?
Right after a shower, while your skin is damp. The butter spreads more evenly and you need less.
How can I moisturize my back by myself?
Reach over each shoulder, sweep up from the waist with the backs of your hands, and use a damp hand towel for the middle strip.
How much body butter does a back need?
Start with the one scoop you use for your whole body and add a little more only where it looks dry.
Can I wear fragrance on my back?
You can. A lighter scent suits a large area, and you can keep the stronger one for your neck and chest.
If you want a scent that is easy to wear over a lot of skin, try a jar of Sea Sage.
