I imagine it will take a long time to coat all of the area that way because the spot that is itching and needs the treatment is about four inches in diameter. I can reach about half of it with a Q-tip. But lots of drops hit the floor and end up on the counter top and never make it to my back. Putting it in the right spot requires two mirrors if I do the treatment myself, one is hand held. I have a friend who comes over weekly to trade massages. She will put it on for me when she is here. I would like to be treating it 2-3 times per day, instead of once a week. Thanks for thinking about this with me. I appreciate your concern. It is a good idea and perhaps a porous wooden spoon would work better than a q-tip and cover a larger area. I am going to try it.