To get a beautiful tattoo, you must have it done by a skillful artist with good qualifications. But something else that is equally important is taking good care of your tattoo with aftercare products! Otherwise, the tattoo will take a long time to heal and can completely peel or fade – which nobody wants.
In this blog, you will be aware of the valuable benefits of owning an aftercare product and the reasons for their different kinds on the market. We have also made a list of the seven best tattoo aftercare products for your reference. Look over our suggestions to support your choice!
Why Do You Need Aftercare Products?
Those who will get inked on their body would think the most arduous and toughest time is suffering the needles in just a few hours.
But when you are ready and serious about getting inked, you will know that is not the only thing. Most tattooists repeatedly tell their clients to pay attention to caring for tattoos after they are done. It’s vital for helping lessen the soreness and protect the inked area free from infection.
This procedure commonly takes a long period of days and months to get done. Therefore, for the tattoo to be gorgeous without affecting health, in addition to a strict diet, choosing the right aftercare products is also essential for helping wounds heal faster and leaving no scars on the skin.
What Will You Have For Tattoo Aftercare?
For newbies, it can be tricky to distinguish what kind of tattoo aftercare should be used at different stages of the new tattoos. So we are here to help you with some key aftercare products needed to support your after-tattooing process.
Protective Film
When you have fresh ink on your body, you have to cover it and protect it. It’s good to use a tattoo film that works as a flexible and breathable protective layer on your tattoo. This step will keep your tattooed area secure from germs and allow you to stay active all day.
Foam Soap
After peeling the film off, you’ll have to wash your inked area. Make sure that you use a mild soap with clean ingredients. This product can help you clean your new ink safely and calms the eventual itchiness.
Balm
You surely want to use a product that keeps your tatts moist always, has regenerative healing abilities, and helps your aftercare process go through the first two weeks very quickly.
Lotion
Among regular skin aftercare products, a tattoo lotion is a must-have for ink enthusiasts who want their tatts to heal quickly and nourish their skin in the best possible way. It offers your body artwork a vibrant look and makes your skin soft and elastic while keeping your inked area healthy for a long time.
Cream or Butter
This product is comprehensive since it can be used before, during, and after the sessions. It moisturizes your skin before getting inked. Thanks to that, you will not experience excessive aches during the procedure of having a tattoo.
After the session, it can make your skin less itchy or irritated owing to its very dry soothing formula while supporting the healing process and preventing skin inflammation.
7 Best Tattoo Aftercare Products Reviews
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1. Hustle Butter Deluxe Balm – Best Overall
Our first pick in this list goes to Hustle Butter Deluxe, a primary and popular product used exceptionally in tattooing and aftercare. This balm has a very thick consistency, more like a ‘butter’ or cream. So it does not leak out of the jar nor cause your skin pores to be obstructed.
This product is good because it is completely vegan, certified by the FDA, and not tested on animals. Moreover, the butter is perfect for those with irritable skins, with fine ingredients that are plant-primarily based on components: shea butter, mango, papaya, and coconut.
With a highly moisturizing and lubricating formula, you can apply Hustle Butter at all stages – before, during, and after tattooing sessions. When used before the sessions, shea butter and coconut in the product moisturize and create a skin barrier to minimize possible reactions. It thus can reduce discomfort, helping your skin become very soft and well-lubricated.
Thanks to green tea and rosemary with anti-inflammatory properties, the balm facilitates limiting bleeding and lessens irritation, redness, and swelling when used during tattooing. Plus, the ink will look good because the cream won’t stain the stencils during tattooing!
Applying the balm after the sessions will help accelerate pores and skin healing with rich nutrients. In particular, Aloe butter offers a soothing effect and keeps the burning sensation at bay. With Vitamin E, the butter will protect wounds against infection and speed up healing.
Many users, including expert tattoo artists, love this product as it recovers the micro-traumas much more rapidly than comparable products.
The balm may be a bit sticky to your clothes due to its oily texture, and it takes time to absorb if applied on large tattoos. Those with dry skin need to use more butter to support effective healing.
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- 100% vegan ingredients
- Natural fragrance
- Minimize redness and irritation
- Refresh faded tattoos
- Quick healing
- It can be used before, after, and during a session
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- Slightly oily
- Need to reapply more for better efficiency
- Quite expensive
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2. INK-EEZE Green Glide Ointment – Best For Tattoo Artists
An aftercare item you must have to soothe your skin is a tattoo ointment from the INK-EEZE manufacturer, a proudly renowned brand of specialized products for the tattoo industry. Here in this list, we recommend INK-EEZE Green Glide Tattoo Ointment for some remarkable features that can make it worthy of buying.
Many tattooists encounter slippery conditions when using ointments while tattooing due to the viscosity and use of Lanolin, making it hard to ink correctly and smoothly.
So INK-EEZE’s solution is Green Glide Ointment, a salve developed for tattooing and aftercare practice on new tattoos. The product does not contain Lanolin. Instead, it has 100% organic ingredients, including Zemea Propanediol, extracted through sugar corn fermentation.
INK-EEZE Green Glide ointment is crafted with vitamins A, D, C, and E to repair damage to newly inked skin. Various plant-based extracts, namely lavender, licorice, green tea, and pomegranate, will also help moisturize and soothe the skin. That’s why this product is friendly to all skin types, benefiting a wide range of customers.
For artists, it is applied for lubrication to stimulate the ink to the body better during the sessions. It makes the tattooing process easier while eliminating any possible skin irritation risk. For clients, using a tiny amount of gel during recovery on fresh tattoos can give a mild cooling sensation and reduce swelling or redness.
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- Multiple vitamins added
- Great for nourishing fresher tattoos
- Reduce redness and soften the skin
- Help ink applied better when used
- Used during and after tattooing
- Suitable for all types of skin
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- Contain petroleum jelly that may cause clogged pores
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3. TattooMed After Tattoo Lotion Cream – Best For New Tattoos
When you are done with new artwork on your body, it is necessary to nurture and nourish it with a skincare item that can heal wounds and protect fresh tattoos. For those looking for a compact tattoo skin care regimen, TattooMed After Tattoo product will be a good choice to look after your tattoo at home.
The After Tattoo cream has been recommended by many reliable users as an optimal medical product that can aid the regeneration of skin cells after penetration from needles and tattoo machines.
It’s worth noting that the highest vitamin B5 concentration recorded in cosmetic products is 5.3% (2018). Thus, with 7% Panthenol or Pro-vitamin B5 – the superstar in the cosmetic industry regarding rejuvenating the vulnerable skin, you can witness a drastic healing progress with this product.
TattooMed says that the After Tattoo is an animal-friendly product with 100% vegan, so you can feel secure using the cream without worrying about the parabens contained. This item also satisfies troublesome clients because of smells, thanks to containing no perfume in the ingredients.
Besides adding healthy ingredients such as Vitamin E acetate and Panthenol to moisturize the skin and speed up wound healing, the cream contains citric acid and Cetearyl alcohol that can irritate the skin.
Some customers had unpleasant experiences with a stinging or burning sensation on tattoos when they applied them during the first days after getting tattooed.
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- Great for protection of fresh, colorful tattoos
- No containing essential oil
- Odorless
- Dermatologically-approved
- Dry pretty quickly after application
- Non-greasy formula and non-sticky
- Soften the skin
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- May have skin reactions to some extent
- No big size option
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4. H2Ocean Aquatat Healing Ointment – Best For Moisturizing
H2Ocean Aquatat tattoo care ointment is exactly a product created to work on your newly-tattooed skin for moisturizing.
It aids in fostering a good skin condition with its superior antioxidant and fundamental herbal substances to provide multiple vitamins to your skin, including A, B, C, D, and E. At the same time, the lotion enhances your skin’s natural ability to absorb nutrients.
An arguable component in the H2Ocean Aquatat is Petrolatum, a skin protectant used as a moisturizer. When properly treated, it is safe for use and has no health concerns. But it can also cause skin discomfort and allergies to some extent.
However, the product is alcohol-free and perfume-free, a piece of good news for those sensitive to smells. When applied, your tattooed area becomes rejuvenating, and the ointment does not cause any clog to the pores with the help of palm seed oil. By gently rubbing the healing cream with a thin layer, your new tattoo will look more vibrant and shiny with little scabs on the skin.
When it comes to user experiences, this ointment completely soaks and moistens your skin though it can trigger a little viscosity because of its greasy consistency.
Some can’t stand the oily or sticky feeling on the skin. Meanwhile, some may cherish it since this lotion cream permeates deeply and rapidly into the skin and simultaneously prevents skin inflammation.
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- Scent-free
- Easily apply and glide on the skin
- Fast absorption and healing
- Suitable for new and old tattoos
- Great for hydrating skin after tattooing
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- Not for super sensitive skin
- Possible rare signs of skin infection
- Leave a bit greasy on the skin
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5. Tattoo Goo Aftercare Kit – Best For Price
Next on our list is an affordable 3-in-1 aftercare kit from Tattoo Goo, a very popular brand delivering millions of the finest aftercare products in the tattoo and piercing industry.
The kit comes in a box with three different tattoo aftercare products: Tattoo Goo Antimicrobial Soap (3 oz) for protection, Tattoo Care Lotion (2 oz) for vibrant tattoos, and Tattoo Balm (75 oz) for faster healing.
To protect your new inked tattoo from bacteria and germs, use Tattoo Goo Antimicrobial Soap during washing when your skin is healed. Meanwhile, the balm tub and lotion tube must be applied after the first few days of inking.
These steps would help better keep the vibrant color of the new tattoos and reduce any swelling. For the pre-existing ones, this kit can also support reviving and regenerating the healed and faded artwork on your body that unexpectedly works.
All three products have undergone stringent tests to confirm their cruelty-free and dermatological quality. Tattoo Goo qualifies all tiers of the skin treatment procedure based on the research and development of skin care experts.
Apart from containing olive oil, Vitamins A, E, and B5 (Panthenol), Tattoo Goo products come in 100% natural ingredients to nourish and foster the healing process without any allergens from Lanolin or mineral oil.
This Tattoo Goo kit is another tattoo aftercare product that is good for both new and existing tattoos, which can heal up nicely and look awesome for years to come.
Beyond that, you don’t have to go to the store and buy every single product as it comes in one complete package to save your budget. It is the key feature to make many customers and artists in the body art community widely select and use it.
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- Antimicrobial effect
- Do not dry out the skin
- Rejuvenate old tattoos
- Economical option
- Do not clog pores
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- Lotion size is quite small
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6. Mad Rabbit Repair Tattoo Aftercare Soothing Gel & Moisturizer – Best For Colored Tattoos
We suggest you try at least one of the tattoo aftercare products made by Mad Rabbit, Repair Soothing Gel, a significantly incredible aftercare product when you have a brand new colored tattoo.
The Mad Rabbit soothing gel combines many clean ingredients to lift the bright color and protect your tattooed skin from soreness, swelling, and aging.
It comprises Aloe Vera that can prevent peeling skin under sun exposure and alleviate sunburn. Note that UV rays are colored tattoos’ enemies, let alone fresh ones. Moreover, thanks to Bisabolol extracted from chamomile, you’ll be less worried if your colored tattoo has to go under the sun.
This viscous oil works as a potent antioxidant that fights off free radicals generated by UV rays. Also, Bisabolol boasts an excellent soothing effect, an important benefit for colored tattoos that have endured more intense damage with more ink and poking.
When rubbing the gel on your skin, it leaves a vibrant, bright skin base for the color to shine and pop, credited to the add-on Vitamin C. With these extraordinary components, this product also works nicely with itchiness, stinging, or rash relief during recovery.
Aside from the positive feedback for this Mad Rabbit’s aftercare product, some customers have had unsatisfactory experiences using it within a certain period. In particular, those with sensitive skin have to suffer a burning sensation after applying the lotion to the body for a few tens of minutes.
Except for that annoyance, everything is good and worth a try.
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- Smooth on easily thanks to light texture
- Calm itching
- Quick dry and healing
- Repair damaged skin
- Promote remedy and restoration
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- Might discomfort sensitive skin when left on the skin for too long
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7. Mad Rabbit Tattoo Enhance Balm & Aftercare Cream – Best For Old Tattoo
The second Mad Rabbit series recommended in this list is the Tattoo Balm And Aftercare Cream, a product in a duo for new tattooed customers coming along with the Repair Soothing Gel. But unlike the earlier gel, the balm is only claimed to be used on fully healed tattoos, not a thing you should buy after getting a fresh ink.
What makes many people love this product is that it is made with a bunch of organic components, namely shea butter, cocoa butter, and sweet almond oil. The rich kinds of butter help enhance and make your tattoo ink more vibrant regardless of how old it is.
Additionally, you will find no parabens or toxic ingredients in this product; instead, you will see some essential oils such as lavender, cucumber, Vanilla coconut, and Frankincense, based on three fragrance options.
The scent of the balm could be something that gets mixed opinions. Some users may be unbecoming to certain smells, while others feel pleasant and happy with that.
Though its size and appearance look quite tiny and ordinary compared to any other oil-based products, the Tattoo Balm And Aftercare Cream offers shiny tattooed skin and smells nice when rubbed on it. Even when applied to sensitive body parts, Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Balm does satisfy all skin types of customers.
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- 100% natural ingredients
- Safe for any skin types
- Restore a barrier to the skin
- Offer good hydration and color-enhancement
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- Too small for those with heavy tattoos
- A little bit of greasiness
- Some may not like the scents
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Tips To Buy Best Tattoo Aftercare Products
It may be intricate to figure out how to take care of your tattoo because the care routine after tattooing calls for several steps and special attention. But another difficult task is what to look for when buying your tattoo aftercare product.
Read The Ingredients
It would be best if you searched for what’s in the product you intend to use for your tattoo. So please do not use it when that product does not have an ingredient list on a label because it could go wrong.
Natural components are good for your skin, effortlessly for your skin to soak up. Should you want safe and mild aftercare products, look for plant-based ingredients or products that are 100% vegan.
They should be free of chemical substances such as petroleum which may be dangerous and hard for your body to absorb. But if you want to shop for and use a petroleum-based product, make sure to find white or refined petroleum that is harmless to your skin.
Avoid Lanolin when you are prone to allergies. Also, some products may have ingredients, such as Aloe Vera, for better keeping the skin hydrated.
Good To Use Dermatologically-Tested Product
The next thing is to look for a brand behind the products dermatologically tested, and you should know whether they only develop skin care products for human beings.
The label “dermatologically confirmed” proves that you are a customer of a genuine and responsible brand. It will make you feel secure and carefree while using the product.
Avoid Scented Products
It’s better to choose all tattoo aftercare products that do not contain fragrance or essential oil. Especially when you just have got a brand new tattoo.
Scented lotions or creams can quickly ruin the tattooed skin. Harsh substances in scented products can fade the color of your ink, and soon, it will look faint. Not only producing smells, but these chemicals are also likely to trigger possible skin reactions when contacting the ink.
Final Thoughts
Investing in a good product for your skin has always been a profitable deal. With our complete guidelines, hopefully, you can find the best tattoo aftercare products that suit your needs without much struggle.
Good aftercare products not only heal but also keep the tattoo visually intact. Moreover, a properly healed tattoo will protect your skin from germs, pollutants, scarring, and infection. And thus, this thing is very significant for tattoo artists and clients in the body art community.
Our best choice on the list goes to Hustle Butter Deluxe coming with a highly moisturizing and lubricating formula. So far, we can affirm that it brings total and amazing value for use at different stages of a tattoo session. And the runner-up is Tattoo Goo Kit, which offers customers the finest items at reasonable prices.
- Read more: 8 Best Lotion To Keep Tattoos Bright