Have you recently gotten a tattoo, and you’re looking for the best way to care for it so that it will look great for years to come?
One of the most important steps in caring for your tattoo is knowing when to switch from Aquaphor to lotion?
In this article, I’m going to talk you through when you should make the switch to lotion from Aquaphor, to act as a layer of protection, as part of your tattoo aftercare process for all skin types.
Top Tattoo Aftercare Tips To Look After Your New Tattoo
Taking good care of your new tattoo is important to ensure that it heals properly and looks as vibrant as possible, for years to come. These top tips will help you keep your new tattoo looking great:
- Cleanse the area – Make sure you clean the area with a mild antibacterial cleanser twice a day to remove bacteria and dirt. Use lukewarm water and gently pat the area dry with a tissue or bath towel.
- Moisturize your tattoo – Applying a thin layer of hypoallergenic lighter moisturizer in a circular motion, can help keep your skin moisturized, especially during the peak healing period of 24–48 hours after getting your tattoo, acting as a protective layer.
- Avoid direct sunlight – Don’t expose your new tattoo to direct sunlight for at least two weeks after getting it done; this may prevent fading and discoloration of the design over time, ensuring that it looks as vibrant as when it was first inked onto your body.
- Say no to swimming and hot tubs – Swimming pools are full of bacteria, so avoid any contact between them and your fresh ink for at least two weeks until fully healed. Even then, make sure you shower immediately afterward to get rid of any chlorine residue on the skin, which could also cause discoloration over time too.
- Avoid tight clothing – You don’t want to wear any tight clothing, as that can hinder the healing process. So, stick with cotton clothing that won’t damage tattoos and healing skin.
- Avoid picking scabs – After a few days of healing, small scabs may form along edges where lines meet. These should be left alone, however tempting it may be because if they break off prematurely, this can damage underlying layers, meaning there’s more risk that ink will fade your tattoo, or bleed out over time, leaving gaps in what once used to be solid lines within an image.
Taking care of a new tattoo requires some patience, but following these steps above should mean that you have no problems looking after yours; resulting in long lasting artwork adorning whatever part of your body you choose.
Why Is Aquaphor Effective To Moisturize Your Tattoos?
Aquaphor is a highly effective topical ointment loved by tattoo artists and enthusiasts alike. But why is it so popular?
Aquaphor is made from a blend of mineral oil and petrolatum, which helps to lock moisture in the skin and prevent it from drying out.
This is especially important for tattoos because a dry tattoo will take longer to heal properly. Aquaphor Healing Ointment helps to form a protective barrier over the tattoo, reducing the risk of infection.
Plus, Aquaphor contains ingredients such as lanolin and glycerin, which are both natural moisturizers that help to keep the skin soft and supple even during the healing process.
This ensures that any scabbing or wrinkling of the skin is minimized and that the skin remains in optimal condition.
The ointment also helps to soothe the skin. After a tattoo, it will often be red and irritated, which can be uncomfortable and slow down the healing process.
Aquaphor has proven to be a particularly helpful and effective remedy for soreness and redness, for your healing tattoo.
Aquaphor is incredibly easy to use, it’s also non-sticky and non-greasy, so you can apply the ointment directly to the skin without causing any unpleasant mess.
What Are The Benefits To Use Aquaphor Ointment For Tattoos?
Aquaphor for tattoos can be incredibly beneficial for people wanting to keep their tattoos looking vibrant and healthy.
Aquaphor is a healing ointment made from ingredients like lanolin, oxyquinoline, mineral oil and petroleum jelly.
The combination of these ingredients helps to keep the skin hydrated while also protecting it against further irritation or damage.
This can be especially important when having a new tattoo done because the area needs to heal properly to look its best.
As well as helping with healing, Aquaphor also helps protect against fading over time by providing a barrier between the ink and the elements that could cause it to lighten quicker than normal.
The product locks in moisture on a deeper level than regular lotion or moisturizers, helping to add additional protection from environmental factors such as sun exposure or windchill.
Those with sensitive skin may find that Aquaphor works better for them as it does not contain any harsh chemicals found in some other brands of aftercare products for tattoos that can irritate their skin even further.
By using Aquaphor, you’ll be able to prevent dryness, which is vital for maintaining your tattoo’s vibrancy over time.
This includes replenishing lost oils while keeping bacteria away so that any blowouts are kept at a minimum during healing times.
Keeping up with regular applications will ensure optimal results long-term and prevent any unwanted scabbing of colors over time due to excessive dryness from air exposure or harsh cleansing products.
Why Is Aquaphor Better Than Lotion For A New Tattoo Area?
Aquaphor is often the preferred choice of product for new tattoos. Tattoo artists recommend Aquaphor, as it is a healing ointment that contains petrolatum, lanolin, mineral oil and glycerin.
These ingredients all work together to help soften and protect skin while retaining moisture. Petrolatum helps form a protective barrier on the skin, which prevents bacteria from getting in and causing an infection.
Lanolin acts as an emollient that adds moisture to the skin without feeling greasy or heavy. Mineral oil also helps act as an emollient that forms a protective barrier on the skin while helping retain its natural moisture balance.
Glycerin works as a humectant by attracting water molecules from the environment and from underneath the top layer of skin, helping to keep it hydrated and supple throughout the healing process.
All these ingredients make Aquaphor more effective than using lotion when it comes to caring for a new tattoo because it does not clog pores like other products might, so, use the Aquaphor, and it will help in reducing damage to freshly healed ink.
Plus, the creamy texture allows it to be applied in thin layers, which further avoids any unnecessary wear-and-tear on delicate tattooed areas compared with thicker lotions that could potentially cause peeling or flaking after consistently being rubbed into the same area multiple times daily during the healing process.
When to Switch from Aquaphor to Lotion?
When it comes to caring for a new tattoo, the type of product used can make all the difference. When switching from Aquaphor Healing Ointment to using a lotion, there is no universal answer, like I should apply lotion on my tattoo from the fifth day, for example. Switch from using ointment to using lotion, whenever your skin is ready.
However, in general, it’s recommended that you switch after 1–2 weeks. Once the scabbing or peeling has begun, and your tattoo has healed, apply lotion for the remainder of your healing period.
When applying lotion to a fresh tattoo, be sure to lightly pat or dab rather than rubbing vigorously. This ensures that too much force won’t cause irritation or damage any ink particles from being wiped away.
It’s also important to opt for a gentle and hypoallergenic product free of fragrances or artificial dyes, since these can further irritate sensitive skin.
Be sure that skin is clean—it’s best not to use moisturizer over dirt or sweat as this could lead to infection given the open wound nature of a fresh tattoo. So wash your tattoo regularly, for a clean tattoo.
It’s essential to keep tattoos hydrated during healing, but be careful not to over saturate with ointments or creams; even if they are intended solely for use on skin.
Whatever product you choose should never be applied thickly as too much moisture may prevent proper healing at 4–5 days post-tattoo when areas need extra protection from friction and outside contaminants like dust, dirt and debris.
During the initial stages of healing, avoid sun exposure completely until fully healed (4+ weeks) as UV rays are damaging in many ways.
From burning out delicate colors more quickly (before it has had time to hone in on true tones) to potentially causing scarring due to inflammation brought about by intense heat radiation.
Remember: protect your canvas. Put lotion on a tattoo, in this instance, since products with SPF layers help fight off UV penetration while ensuring there’s no breakage in continuity with the protective barrier while still allowing skin to breathe/permeability both inside and out.
What Are The Benefits Of Lotion For New Ink?
Once your tattoo has gone past the initial healing stage, it’s important to keep it moisturized. Doing so can help your tattoo look better for longer, and prevent dryness, cracking and scabbing.
One of the best ways to keep your tattoo moisturized is by using special lotions specifically designed for both new and old tattoos.
Using a specialized lotion helps ensure that you don’t put anything on your skin that may lead to irritation or an adverse reaction, while also providing specific qualities meant to help nourish, protect and heal tattoos more quickly.
As such, these types of lotions are typically hypoallergenic and non-irritating so as not to damage fresh ink.
They are also often formulated without harsh chemicals like dyes, parabens and fragrances which could negatively affect the look of your tattoo over time or react with sensitive skin areas prone to breakouts.
These specialized lotions work by preventing moisture loss from within the dermis layer of skin where a tattoo has been applied, to reduce scabbing during healing.
They also provide vitamins E and vitamin A as natural antioxidants which foster tissue repair in addition to helping support healthy skin regeneration overall — all important steps for long-term success in keeping a healing tattoo looking its best.
These kinds of products often have aloe vera extract as an ingredient with naturally occurring properties that acts as an anti-inflammatory when applied topically.
While soothing any areas around freshly done body art that may be tender or delicate due to too much sun exposure or other activities
Lotion is ideal for this purpose because it holds essential proteins needed for healthy growth, plus valuable nutrients that can feed into already healed tattoos.
Replenishing lost color vibrancy – something especially pertinent if you get several repeat sessions done on existing body art pieces over time.
What Happens If You Apply Lotion Too Soon To A Fresh Tattoo?
Applying scented lotion too soon after getting a new tattoo can be detrimental to the healing process. If unscented lotion is applied to the tattoo area within hours or days of the initial treatment, it can cause an infection.
As this will prematurely open your pores and introduce bacteria into the freshly acquired tattoo before it has had time to properly heal, so you need to follow your tattoo aftercare steps to avoid any skin irritations.
It can also cause the ink to blur and dissolve, creating a smeared and distorted look to what would otherwise have been a beautiful piece of artwork on your skin.
Applying too much lotion may also clog up your fresh wound and dry skin, making it difficult for oxygen to pass through, which causes poor healing that could lead to you with a deformed looking tattoo in the end.
It’s important to wait at least two weeks before applying any kind of hydrating agents such as lotion, unless instructed otherwise by your artist or doctor.
During those first two weeks, apply a bandage, and change bandages frequently, as cleaning with warm water and gentle mild soap, or antibacterial soap several times daily until the scabs have come off completely.
Typically three days from when your artist was finished with their work. Ensure you dry your cleansed tattoo with a clean paper towel to keep your tattoo dry.
Allowing air exposure will help accelerate the healing process, but keep in mind that if you expose entire tattoos to direct sunlight without proper protection (SPF 30) even for brief periods of time, during the tattoo healing process.
Which Lotion Ingredients Should You Avoid With New Tattoos?
When getting a new tattoo, it’s important to protect the skin from infection and irritation, using skincare products like a skin protectant ointment.
The most important step in protecting your new ink is being aware of which lotion ingredients should be avoided with a new tattoo.
Many standard lotions contain active ingredients and fragrances that can irritate the surface of newly tattooed skin or, worse, cause an infection.
The two main ingredients you’ll want to avoid are alcohol and petroleum-based products. Alcohol acts as a drying agent on your skin, which can be very uncomfortable for fresh tattoos because they need extra moisture to heal properly.
Petroleum-based emollients are commonly found in lotions, but these can act as a plastic wrap over the healing wound, blocking necessary air circulation and trapping excess moisture underneath.
With the layer of ointment setting up an ideal environment for infection and skin irritation if not removed promptly.
Instead of using any old lotion, look for one made specifically for tattoo aftercare with only gentle moisturizing elements included such as allantoin or vitamin E.
Both of which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties without added fragrances or preservatives that could irritate your skin further.
Another helpful tip is to opt out of actual store bought creams/lotions altogether and just stick with basic coconut oil or shea butter – both proven safe for use on freshly pierced or brand new tattoos, when applied in a light layer.
Not only will these nourish the ink, but help keep future color vibrancy too, as well as preventing irritated skin. So, having the right lotions, will become skin care staples when healing your tattoos.
Your tattoo artist will be able to give you some ingredient recommendations and aftercare instructions on what you should be avoiding. However, regular fragrance-free lotion should always be your go-to, to keep your tattoo skin healthy.
How Best To Apply Aquaphor Moisturizer To Your New Tattoo
When applying Aquaphor to a new tattoo, it is important to remember that the skin should still be slightly damp.
Clean your tattoo. Use clean hands or a cotton swab dipped in warm water and press lightly on the tattoo to remove any excess surface ointment.
For best results, begin applying Aquaphor ointment with gentle circular motions and make sure to consistently cover the entirety of the tattooed area, with a thin layer of Aquaphor for the first couple of days, and you can be more generous as time goes on.
Let the tattoo ointment fully penetrate your dry skin and apply at least three times a day (morning, afternoon and night), in the coming days of tattoo healing.
Make sure you don’t use too much Aquaphor at once, as this might result in a sticky layer that can hamper the healing process, so keep your tattoo from getting too overloaded in product.
Summary
Caring for a new tattoo is an important step, as it helps ensure that it’s able to heal properly and look vibrant for years to come.
Aquaphor is a product which should be used during the first 1–2 weeks of healing, as it helps create a protective layer on the skin and keep moisture in.
After this period, you can switch to a specialized lotion designed specifically for tattoos that will help nourish and protect your ink, while also reducing the risk of infection or irritation.
Be sure to avoid lotions with alcohol or petroleum-based ingredients that could harm your tattoo or cause further irritation. Following these steps will help you take great care of your new tattoo.
Hi, my name is Gemma, and I’m the owner of MakeupMuddle.com. I’m a true beauty obsessive, and love writing about anything to do with beauty – I have been a beauty writer since 2012.
As well as owning Makeup Muddle, I also own GemmaEtc.com, and love sharing my thoughts and feelings about the greatest (and not so great) beauty products!