People often ask me where the idea for the BackBliss back lotion applicator came from, well, it all started in about 1998 on a beach.

I had forgotten to ask my partner to put suntan lotion on my back before he went off on an afternoon fishing trip and since I am one of those people who burn really easily in the sun, it was essential for me to be covered in sun tan lotion.

So, I had to lie on my back all afternoon with just the front of my body exposed to the sun.  I couldn’t turn over as that would mean my back would be exposed to the sun’s strong rays.  Getting burnt was not an option, as I knew (from previous experience) how painful it would be.  I couldn’t risk flipping over onto my front even for a few moments.

I literally lay there all afternoon seething and cursing myself for not remembering to get my back lotioned before he left.   I certainly wasn’t going to ask a complete stranger to lotion on my back either.

Later than evening in our hotel room I cobbled together the first version of my lotion applicator by using a hotel coat hanger and a bath sponge.

The contraption didn’t look nice but did reach even though the sponge absorbed far too much of my sun tan lotion.

I used this on the beach the following day and it was reassuring to know that I was independent and didn’t have to think of asking anyone (including my partner) to cream my back.

If the truth be known, even when he did do it, he often did it begrudgingly, not very well, or I had to wait until an appropriate moment to ask.

Not I could be fully protected against the sun under my own terms.

Not surprisingly, my cobbled together contraption had a number of flaws with its design, but it did the job for those few days….and it got me thinking……………