Sun protection and hand hygiene are often overlooked in public spaces, despite their significant impact on health. Many forget sunscreen at the beach or suffer from dry hands after frequent washing, yet accessible solutions like dispensers remain rare. This idea focuses on bridging that gap with automated, strategically placed lotion dispensers.

How It Works

Imagine sensors that dispense sunscreen at beaches or moisturizer in office restrooms—no coins, no mess. For outdoor areas like parks or pools, SPF 30+ sunscreen could be dispensed in single-use amounts for free or a nominal fee. Indoors, touchless lotion stations adjacent to soap dispensers could help combat dry skin. The hardware could be modular, swapping lotion types based on location, and feature advertising space to offset costs.

• Outdoor use: Sunscreen at beaches, with UV sensors to signal peak times for application
• Indoor use: Moisturizer in restrooms, paired with existing handwashing stations

Why It Matters

Public health stands to benefit significantly. Skin cancer risks drop when sunscreen is readily available, while better hand care reduces dermatitis from overwashing. Businesses hosting dispensers—resorts, malls, or offices—could attract more visitors and showcase corporate responsibility. Local governments might support it as a low-cost health initiative. One way to test viability could involve piloting dispensers at a single beach, monitoring usage and maintenance needs before expanding.

Making It Sustainable

Revenue could come from microtransactions (e.g., $0.50 per sunscreen dose), ads on dispensers, or sponsorships with lotion brands. For example, a sunscreen company might fund dispensers in exchange for branding. Maintenance hurdles like refills could be managed by partnering with nearby businesses tasked with oversight—say, a beach cafe refilling units in return for prominent logo placement.

By adapting familiar dispenser technology to underserved needs, this idea could turn forgetfulness into prevention, one pump at a time.