When it comes to the very best products for healing tattoos, we're giving top honors to the classic
Aquaphor's all-purpose ointment won a top spot in the 2022 Good Housekeeping Beauty Awards for its nourishing glycerin and panthenol formula. It creates a protective barrier that allows skin to heal and prevents moisture loss, according to the GH Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab's data evaluation.
Bepanthen is by far one of the most highly recommended tattoo aftercare products and is the go-to ointment for most tattoo artists and studios. Typically used as nappy rash ointment, Bepanthen has been around for a long time, and its gentle formula is used to treat babies with irritated skin.
According to Goold, Aquaphor is a go-to in most tattoo shops, since it's super effective at soothing and moisturizing fresh ink. “It's great for both the initial healing period and afterward,” she says.
In our 17 Best Tips To Heal New Tattoos blog, point number 7, "Never use excess creams or lotions," covers this point. As you can see, there are quite a few reasons why not to use A+D Ointment, Bepanthen, Aquaphor, Vaseline, Bacitracin, or Neosporin on your fresh ink. These products are not safe for tattoos.
Bepanthen Tattoo Aftercare Ointment is dermatologically tested to help heal and protect tattoos. It contains Pro-vitamin B5 which helps to keep your tattooed skin moisturised and protected. The breathable protective layer provides the moisture level needed to help the skin to regenerate from within.
Bepanthen's designed as an anti-rash treatment for babies. This may indicate that it'll be useful for treating sensitive skin, but it's not! Bepanthen isn't suitable for tattoos because it contains many harsh chemical additives: Petrolatum.
Be sure your artist covers your new tattoo in a thin layer of petroleum jelly and a bandage. Remove the bandage after 24 hours. Gently wash the tattoo with antimicrobial soap and water and be sure to pat dry. Apply a layer of antibacterial/Vaseline ointment twice a day, but don't put on another bandage.
You should start moisturizing your new tattoo right away and not stop for some time. Love says there's an immediate need to keep a new tattoo moisturized: Moisturizing helps to prevent scabbing and promote healing. "During the healing process, you should moisturize your tattoo three to six times a day," Ladna says.
Bepanthen is not formulated as a Tattoo cream, with Bepanthen only being primarily designed as a nappy rash cream. Bepanthen For Tattoo is very different then a specialised Tattoo cream, which is formulated with natural healing benefits for the skin.
Do not use Savlon, Sudacrem, Bepanthen or any other creams that contain Lanolin or (Liquid)Paraffin on your new tattoo. These creams are not suitable for use on tattoos as they are too thick and can block the pores in the skin, potentially causing an infection.
On the fourth day, wash it like normal, let it air dry and from that day stop wrapping it in cling film and stop using Bepanthen. Now start moisturising it. I use E45 moisturising lotion. It works for all different skin types.
Here's what someone should avoid when it comes to tattoo aftercare: Soaps and moisturizers with any fragrances or harsh chemicals. Even if a product does not normally irritate the skin, it may irritate the tattooed area. Picking at scabs, as this can cause scar tissue to form.
Coconut oil offers many health benefits that aid in the healing process of a tattoo. For example, coconut oil is made up of a number of nutrients that are natural antiseptics, meaning they can help keep the skin safe from microbial infections—a big potential risk with tattoos.
Without moisturiser, there's a risk that healing skin will get very dry, tight and itchy, and itchy skin that you can't scratch - that in fact you shouldn't touch at all - is not much fun! If you do itch then you risk damaging the new tattoo.
You may also see redness, swelling, and some mild bleeding. DAYS 3-14 (or until healed): After the first 2-3 days, your tattoo should begin to feel dry and tight.
You'll want to keep the tattoo wrapped for at least the first night because it will take a while for it to settle down and stop leaking. You don't want an open wound like that touching your bed sheets, getting blood everywhere, or dirt and dust getting into the wound itself.
I'd say Cocoa Butter did an amazing job so I would highly recommend it for anyone. However more of my Twitter followers appear to still prefer Bepanthen. What do you prefer to use on healing tattoos? Click on the above Tweet to read some advice in the replies and a product that Lush would recommend.
You should apply Bepanthen Tattoo Intense Care Ointment up to four times a day as part of your personal skincare routine. Follow your tattoo artist's advice for how to best care for your tattooed skin.
What NOT to do? DON'T re-bandage your tattoo, rub, scratch or pick at your new tattoo. DON'T apply alcohol, Neosporin, Vaseline, or petroleum jelly (they can trap dirt and germs and cause infection).
-Ointment such as Bepanthen first aid, or a tattoo specific aftercare product such as supreme crème. (Do not use anything with aloe in it, antiseptic/iodine ointment, Lubriderm, Chapstick, Vaseline or haemorrhoid cream).
The product helps to stabilize the protective barrier of the skin, to reduce the skin irritation, to stimulate the skin regeneration and to promote the wound healing. In an in-vitro study Bepanthen® "Wund- und Heilsalbe" triggered wound closure significantly faster compared to Vaseline.
Bepanthen® is so gentle, it can be used at every nappy change to help the most sensitive of skins, including that of premature babies. Bepanthen® contains Provitamin B5 which gently helps sensitive skin to repair its natural protective barrier while keeping it soft, smooth and moisturised.