What to use on a fresh tattoo? It’s a question that gets asked over and over, with answers varying wildly among different groups of aficionados.
While there’s no one product that everyone agrees on, there are certainly rules that it’s wise to follow, and first among them is that you shouldn’t use any just old moisturiser, lotion or hand cream on a freshly worked tattoo.
That’s because you want to avoid the tattoo getting irritated at all costs and most ordinary moisturisers contain standard ingredients that can cause your delicate healing skin to get inflammed, itchy or rashy.
Don’t use a lotion or cream that contains any of the following ingredients:
- Petroleum jelly or paraffin is too heavy for new tattoos, and don’t allow skin to breathe
- Fragrance -
whether it’s listed as parfum, perfume or fragrance, and whether it’s natural or not, fragrance is best avoided as it is likely to irritate the skin
- Alcohol - can dry out the skin or cause a reaction
- Other synthetic ingredients - can also cause a rash or a flare-up
- Lanolin can be found in hand creams and nappy creams and can also trigger a reaction
This means that your ordinary hand cream is probably not a good moisturiser to use on your new tattoo! If you do want to use a hand cream for tattoo aftercare, make sure it’s free from all the above. Balmonds Intensive Hand Cream would work as an aftercare lotion, but we’d still recommend you use the balm first.
Recommended Product:
Skin Salvation
Use Skin Salvation for the first
month and thereafter Balmonds' Daily Moisturising Cream.
BUY NOW
Important Note
If you require medical advice we recommend you always contact your healthcare professional.
If you or someone you are caring for seems very unwell, is getting worse or you think there's something seriously wrong, call for emergency services straight away. For general medical advice, please contact your healthcare professional, this article does not contain or replace medical advice.
Do not delay getting help if you're worried. Trust your instincts.
Find out more on Tattoo
Other Info Hub articles you may be interested in:
Do you have a newly-inked butterfly on your back, or a fresh and colorful daisy-chain climbing up from your wrist? Or maybe you're planning to have your baby's birthdate enshrined on your formerly-pregnant belly? When you have a new tattoo, aftercare is key in order for it to heal properly, and to keep it as vibrant as possible. And an important step in that process is using the right lotions at the right time.
“As soon as a tattoo is done, it’s like a big open wound,” says tattoo artist Mike Nomy, owner of South Shore Tattoo Co. in Amityville, NY. Dermatologist Mona Gohara, M.D., associate clinical professor in the department of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine, agrees: “If someone said, how does your skin feel after you drag needles through it, one would think, ‘Not so great.’ The skin is inflamed, irritated, and reacting to a whole bunch of microtraumas,” she says. Yes, definitely sounds like something that needs a dose of TLC!
These two experts agree that it's important to use lotion on a fresh tattoo. “You want to minimize the risk of infection and protect against outside germs, as well as speed up the process of healing,” says Nomy. Dr. Gohara adds, “It’s important to use a barrier cream, because the process [of getting a tattoo] compromises our protective skin barrier. Replacing essential fats and proteins that are jostled in the process is a must.” If you don't use one, Nomy says, the healing time may take longer. And, adds Dr. Gohara, “It could further compromise the skin barrier, leading to scarring, redness, irritation and inflammation.”
Even before the step of using lotion, a tattoo artist may take steps to protect the new tatt. “At my shop, before we have people put the lotion on we use Saniderm, which is basically a clear, semipermeable membrane — kind of like a clear bandage,” says Nomy. “It keeps the tattoo moist and protected for about three days, without putting anything foreign on it. It’s a sterile environment.”
After that, it's time to protect the tattoo with lotion. Here are expert-recommended tattoo aftercare lotions, sunscreens and other products to consider, along with the best ways to use them.
1
Aquaphor
Healing Ointment
3
First Aid Beauty
Ultra Repair BarriAIR Cream
4
Eau Thermale Avène
Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream
5
Lubriderm
Daily Moisture Body Lotion
6
Neutrogena
Deep Moisture Body Lotion
7
EltaMD
UV Restore Sunscreen SPF 40
8
Aveeno Kids
Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
9
Nature Made
Vitamin E 180 mg (400 IU) Softgels
10
Neutrogena
Liquid Fragrance-Free Gentle Facial Cleanser
Lisa Bain Executive Director Lisa (she/her) is the executive director of the Hearst Health Newsroom, a team that produces health and wellness content for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman’s Day.