17 Best Tattoo Lotions & Creams For Aftercare

1. 1. Billy Jealousy Marked IV Life Tattoo Care Kit

   Price: $30.00

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Amazon’s Choice
   • Doesn’t clog pores
   • Polishes and exfoliates skin
   • Keeps tattoo color clean and bright

   Cons:

   • On the spendy side
   • Heavy floral scent might be overwhelming to some
   • Most don’t need or want the whole kit

   Are you addicted to ink? This care kit contains Billy Jealousy’s Tattoo Wash, Tattoo Lotion, and Tattoo Salve. Billy Jealousy’s Tattoo Wash contains four fearsome cleaners to rid skin of dirt, excess oil and dead skin cells. Cucumber extract helps tattoos retain their color, while hydrolyzed oat protein helps skin retain moisture to enhance your tattoo’s vibrancy.

   Glycolic AHA and papaya extract exfoliate and polish. It’s especially good to use following a new tattoo, to assist in the healing process. Billy Jealousy tattoo lotion contains essential oils and shea butter to bring out your tat’s color, definition and just a little oomph.

   Green tea leaf extract delivers powerful antioxidant properties to protect against environmental forces, while grapeseed oil shields against harmful free radicals. Helps your tattoos look clean, colorful and shamelessly cool. Spread some on twice a day. Your skin and tats will be glad you did.

   Billy Jealousy tattoo salve is brimming over with vitamin E, natural olive and lavender oils and other goodies to bring out your tattoo’s color and assist in the healing process. It won’t clog pores and is non-irritating. To help heal your new tattoo, apply a thin layer three times a day for a week.

   Don’t need the whole care kit? You can buy the Billy Jealousy Tattoo Wash separately.

   Find more Billy Jealousy Tattoo Aftercare information and reviews here.

2. 2. Urban Nomads Tattoo Aftercare Oil

   Price: $19.95

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   Pros:

   • Good for skin and hair
   • Great scent
   • Helps renew and revitalize older tattoos
   • Feels smooth and clean on the skin

   Cons:

   • Unabsorbed oil can stain clothes
   • Scent isn’t perfect for everyone
   • Expensive for its size

   This Urban Nomads tattoo oil is made with the best of Mother Earth’s treasures, to make your ink pop out and come to life. Its healing, moisturizing properties work perfectly on your new tattoo. It also helps to bring luminescence and clear contours back to your older tattoos.

   This special formula combines Argan oil, vitamin E, and other nutrients that are well-known to be excellent for skin and hair. Because it’s so versatile, it can even be applied as a hair oil to help repair split ends. It is crafted with ingredients that penetrate your skin profusely, deeply moisturizing your tat.

   Plus it has an amazing scent. It contains 100 percent natural ingredients including Moroccan cold-pressed Argan oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil and Bergamot oil. Hand-crafted in Spain, Urban Nomads tattoo oil is the perfect tattoo aftercare, guilt free, because it’s cruelty free and completely natural.

   Urban Nomads makes a full line of beard care products as well, including beard wax and beard oil.

   Find more Urban Nomads Tattoo Aftercare Oil information and reviews here.

3. 3. INK-EEZE Green Glide Botanical Extract Aftercare Tattoo Ointment

   Price: $27.50

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Helps your tattoo heal with less peeling and itching
   • Natural botanical ingredients
   • Can be used during and after tattooing
   • Large container lasts and lasts

   Cons:

   • Petroleum based formula isn’t for everyone
   • Greasy and can stain clothes
   • A lot of product if you’re only getting a little tattoo
   • Kind of spendy

   Developed and used by some of the most highly renowned tattoo artists in the industry, Green Glide’s botanical formula is made with a variety of healing and moisturizing plant extracts such as cucumber, licorice, carrot, and cranberry.

   Great for use during the process as wells as tattoo aftercare, this ointment provides your skin with the necessary ingredients to help the tattoo machine go smoothly into skin. It ensures that your new tat gets all the necessary nutrients it needs to keep it moisturized and hydrated. Using green tea and other natural plant extracts, it provides the perfect healing touch, and it’s vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and made in the USA.

   Once your tat has healed, protect it from fading and burning, as well as premature skin aging, with INK-EEZE Ink Shield UVA / UVB Blocking Tattoo SunScreen SPF50. INK-EEZE Ink Enhance is a daily moisturizer and skin conditioner that will keep your tattoo looking vibrant, and the heavenly cucumber lavender scent is pretty delicious too.

   Find more INK-EEZE Green Glide Botanical Extract Aftercare Tattoo Ointment information and reviews here.

4. 4. Hustle Butter Deluxe Tattoo Butter

   Price: $23.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • #1 Amazon Best Seller
   • Reduces swelling and redness
   • Used by professional tattoo artists before, during and after tattooing
   • Can also be used as a healing ointment for other cuts, scrapes and scratches

   Cons:

   • Product seems hard until rubbed into warm skin
   • More expensive than products with similar results
   • May cause allergy issues for some users
   • Can feel greasy

   Post pen, this tub of Hustle Butter Deluxe is a 100 percent vegan replacement for all petroleum-based products. It’s used as a tattoo lubricant before, during and after the tattoo process, helping your tattoo heal faster and better. Made from mango, cocoa, papaya and shea butters, this butter delivers tremendous benefits.

   It will not remove stencils and doesn’t cause petroleum build up or clogged tubes. HBDlx® promotes healing upon contact, and helps to minimize redness, swelling and bleeding. For the professional tattoo artist, skin remains workable – you’ll never have any more over-worked highlights, yellows and whites go in the first time, color goes in super easily. Hustle Butter Deluxe will heal fresh tattoos quicker, with better results.

   Find more Hustle Butter Deluxe information and reviews here.

5. 5. Ora’s Amazing Herbal Tattoo Salve

   Price: $27.97

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   Pros:

   • Highly rated by users
   • 100 percent natural and organic
   • Soothes itching and irritation on new tattoos
   • Helps quickly heal fresh ink

   Cons:

   • Not as moisturizing as some
   • May cause breakouts
   • Scent might be overwhelming to some

   If you’re really into organic products, this 100 percent natural tattoo salve works because herbs are amazing healers. This tattoo ointment is slow-infused with an herbal blend formulated specifically for healing tissue, reducing inflammation, and reducing risk of infection.

   Applying a thin layer to new tattoos will help to protect and keep them supple. The best tattoo aftercare products heal, soothe and relieve itching without clogging pores or leaching color. This salve is lanolin, petroleum, synthetic and paraben free. It is gently scented with essential oils of rosemary, thuja (cedar leaf) and tea tree.

   Essential oils have been used throughout herb medicine history to help prevent infection. All ingredients were carefully selected for their healing, soothing, and protective qualities. This tattoo care salve contains moisturizing grapeseed oil infused with organic calendula, organic comfrey, organic plantain, organic chickweed, organic St. John’s Wort, organic burdock and thyme, organic coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin E And essential oils.

   Ora’s Amazing Herbal also makes an Intensive Skin Salve for deep hydration and healing. If you’re especially sensitive to scents, or if you have extra sensitive skin, Touchy Skin Salve might be the solution for healing your new ink.

   Find more Ora’s Amazing Herbal Tattoo Salve information and reviews here.

6. 6. After Inked Tattoo Moisturizer & Aftercare Lotion

   Price: $23.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • True vegan tattoo aftercare
   • Good consistency
   • Pleasant, light scent
   • Moisturizes well, without feeling heavy or sticky

   Cons:

   • May enhance scabs
   • Can cause itching or irritation
   • May sting when used on fresh ink
   • Can cause pimples and rash

   After Inked is well-respected in the tattoo, piercing and permanent makeup industry. It’s a daily skin moisturizer for new and existing tattoos that won’t stick to your clothes. If you’re looking for a truly natural tattoo aftercare product, Aft Ink is a non-petroleum based, paraben-free, fragrance-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free formula.

   It’s been clinically tested and dermatologist tested, so it’s safe for all skin types. Plus, it’s non-allergenic so it won’t irritate sensitive skin. After Inked is a premium product that’s been used and recommended by many world-renowned tattoo artists.

   Enriched with grapeseed oil, this is a great daily moisturizer for all your tats. It can also be used on any permanent makeup procedure on lips, brows, eyeliner and areola. You can use it as well, as an after-laser tattoo removal moisturizing lotion.

   And why carry a big bottle around, post tattooing? You can get the After Inked Tattoo Aftercare Lotion in convenient, disposable pillow packs. They also make a terrific piercing aftercare spray.

   Find more After Inked Tattoo Moisturizer & Aftercare Lotion information and reviews here.

7. 7. Tattoo Skin Silk

   Price: $16.74

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   Pros:

   • Great natural ingredients aid in healing
   • Moisturizes and smooths
   • Doesn’t feel greasy
   • Smells great

   Cons:

   • Scent is unappealing to some
   • Product can seem hard and waxy
   • May require warming to spread effectively

   For those of us with an ink addiction, we know new tattoos need protection and healing vitamins. Unlike lanolin and petroleum based products, all-natural Tattoo Silk won’t clog pores or pull out your new ink. You’ll heal quickly with this hypoallergenic balm that protects and heals, while allowing your skin to breathe.

   Full of vitamins and beneficial natural oils, this silk balm is a great tattoo aftercare solution. This tattoo cream helps rejuvenate, heal and protect your body’s largest organ – your skin – naturally. Vitamin-rich ingredients soften, replenish, restore and repair the most delicate, damaged, and itchy skin.

   Just a few ounces of this natural balm can easily last as long as ten ounces of products diluted with water. With no water to evaporate, the moisture is sealed deeply into your skin, keeping it hydrated much longer. Tattoo Skin Silk will leave your tat feeling soft, healthy, healed and smooth.

   To nourish the rest of your body and fight dryness and itching, try Healing Skin Silk. For soothing and relaxing your stressed out self, try the Itchy Bitch Skin Silk.

   Find more Tattoo Skin Silk information and reviews here.

8. 8. Tattoo Goo Aftercare Kit

   Price: $22.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Comes with great instructions on tattoo aftercare
   • Goo spreads evenly in a thin layer
   • 30 SPF sunscreen works effectively
   • Lotion moisturizes and aids healing

   Cons:

   • Salve seems hard at first
   • So many products may seem like overkill
   • Can cause skin irritation and breakouts
   • Scent was bothersome to some

   The Tattoo Goo aftercare kit is for the complete aftercare and perpetual care of all of your tattoos. This awesome kit contains one each of Tattoo Goo salve in a 3/4 ounce tin, a two-ounce Tattoo Goo deep cleansing soap for immediate healing, a two-ounce Tattoo Goo quick penetrating lotion for moisturizing and enhancement of your new ink, and a Tattoo Goo color guard, fade protection stick with 30 SPF outdoor activities and protection against the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.

   This makes a great gift for that tat happy someone you love, who wants a one-stop solution to tattoo aftercare. Tattoo Goo also has a fantastic new formula cleansing soap for both your tattoos and piercings. And because summer’s coming and you’ll have a lot more skin showing, grab this awesome two-pack of Tattoo Goo and Tattoo Goo Color Renew Lotion at a killer price.

   Find more Tattoo Goo Aftercare Kit information and reviews here.

9. 9. H2Ocean Ocean Foam Tattoo Aftercare

   Price: $14.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

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   Pros:

   • Effectively aids the healing process
   • Can help accelerate healing time
   • Soap doesn’t dry out skin
   • Easy instructions for use

   Cons:

   • Somewhat spendy
   • Moisturizing cream contains parabens
   • Foam lotion can irritate skin
   • Scent was an issue for some

   This H2Ocean Ocean Foam tattoo aftercare is essential for all of the healing stages of your new tattoo, plus it can be used after healing on your existing tattoos. This kit is designed to cleanse your tattoo, while also providing nourishment and moisture to your skin, which is bound to feel a little touchy right now.

   This one-of-a-kind aftercare foam acts as a natural liquid bandage that moisturizes your tattoo while helping to lock in color. It acts as a barrier to stop airborne pathogens from entering your skin with the highest quality pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. It’s naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory as well.

   Ocean foam minimizes scabbing and infuses your skin with the necessary vitamins and minerals to soothe your skin while creating the perfect healing environment for your new tattoo.

   For cleansing your new ink, H2Ocean Canadian Foam Soap is antibacterial and vegan friendly, so you’ll feel great about using it on your tender tat. Once your tat is healed, keep it moisturized and looking gorgeous with H2Ocean Aquatat Moisturizer. 

   Find more H2Ocean Ultimate Tattoo Care Kit information and reviews here.

10. 10. Aquaphor Healing Ointment

    Price: $18.37

    Amazon Customer Reviews

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    Pros:

    • #1 Amazon Best Seller
    • Heavy duty healing power
    • Medicated to soothe discomfort
    • Good for many uses in addition to healing your tats

    Cons:

    • Pretty greasy feeling
    • Doesn’t smell great
    • Isn’t as easily absorbed as some
    • May cause breakouts

    Trusted by dermatologists, pediatricians, and people with new tattoos like you, Aquaphor Healing Ointment provides the special care that your new tat needs. That makes it a popular choice among those with lots of tattoo aftercare experience. It’s also great for your whole family, healing any very dry, chapped, or irritated skin.

    Specially formulated to create an ideal environment that protects and helps heal your skin, it’s perfect on your fresh ink. It’s also free of fragrance, dyes, and preservatives, making it gentle for sensitive skin. Use this multi-purpose ointment to protect or soothe extremely dry skin, chapped lips, cracked hands and feet, minor cuts and burns, and any other skin irritations, so you can get on with your day comfortably.

    It also helps prevent and soothe chafing, blisters, dry or chapped skin resulting from windburn, cold or dry air. Because it protects, it will help to heal your new tattoo as well as other minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. Aquaphor also makes an awesome Healing Lip Repair

    Find more Aquaphor Healing Ointment information and reviews here.

11. 11. Fisticuffs Tattoo Balm

    Price: $16.00

    Amazon Customer Reviews

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    Pros:

    • Reasonably priced compared to many
    • All natural ingredients ingredients
    • Fights bacteria, cracking and swelling
    • Helps speed healing

    Cons:

    • Eucalyptus and peppermint scent isn’t for everyone
    • Can feel grainy compared to some
    • May not be best on super sensitive skin

    Fisticuffs Tattoo Balm is a fast healing formula for tattoo aftercare. This balm is comprised of the highest quality ingredients and is specially formulated to aid in the recovery of your tattoos during the healing process. It contains no petroleum jelly, instead of relying on an array of all-natural ingredients that address issues like swelling, pain cracking and skin damage while fighting bacteria.

    After washing your new tattoo, just apply a thin layer of Fisticuffs Tattoo Balm over your entire tattooed area once or twice a day until it’s healed.

    Fisticuffs also make a wide range of mustache and beard taming products. 

    http://amzn.to/2cnPdAa&quot

12. 12. Redemption Lubricant, Barrier and Aftercare

    Price: $26.00

    Amazon Customer Reviews

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    Pros:

    • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by users
    • Helps to minimize scabbing and itching
    • Soothes pain and speeds healing
    • Powerful and effective organic ingredients
    • Excellent for sensitive skin

    Cons:

    • Requires frequent reapplication
    • Expensive compared to many
    • Small quantity for the price

    The terrific tattoo cream was developed specifically for tattoo artists and collectors. It acts as a lubricant, barrier and aftercare, all in one. While it may look and feel smooth like petroleum based products, it is 100% natural with powerful healing ingredients that include: organic Castor Oil, organic Sunflower Oil, organic Beeswax, organic Cocoa butter, organic Coconut oil, organic vegetable glycerin, organic Arrowroot powder, organic Calendula oil, organic Arnica, organic Chamomile extract, organic Rosemary extract, and mixed Tocopherols.

    This amazing natural formula helps soothe and heal your new tat for a beautiful outcome. It keeps your ink and the skin around it deeply moisturized to prevent fading and keep your design looking new.

    Find more Redemption Lubricant, Barrier and Aftercare information and reviews here.

13. 13. Viking Revolution Tattoo Balm

    Price: $9.88

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    Pros:

    • Promotes healing of newly inked skin
    • Helps to soothe itching and irritation
    • Brightens old tats too
    • No greasy residue

    Cons:

    • More expensive than some
    • Very small container
    • Ingredient list not readily available

    This all natural, vegan-friendly tattoo balm is a great way to prep your skin prior to getting inked, and helps to soothe and heal your skin afterward. It promotes healing and minimizes irritation and itching with natural oils and herbs that don’t clog pores, or cause your new ink to bleed. It’s especially effective for getting through that annoying flakey stage, leaving your skin smooth and supple. 

    This vegan balm is also great for helping to brighten up your old tats, giving them new life and vibrancy. It’s got a light scent that’s not overpowering. Because it’s so concentrated, you only need to use a tiny bit at a time. Another thing you’ll love? This comes with a 100 percent money back guarantee.

    Find more Viking Revolution Tattoo Balm information and reviews here.

14. 14. Ink Scribd Premium Tattoo Balm

    Price: $9.95

    Amazon Customer Reviews

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    Pros:

    • Reduces pain and inflammation
    • Essential oils fight infection
    • Helps tattoos heal faster
    • Soothes itching and irritation

    Cons:

    • Not as moisturizing as some others
    • Small container for the price
    • Caused rash for some

    Although getting a tattoo doesn’t feel too cruelty-free, you might appreciate treating your tender tat with a healing balm that is. Ink Scribed tattoo balm helps to promote healing and preserve color in your fresh ink. It helps to soothe and heal your skin and relieves itching at the same time – a definite plus. 

    This inflammation-reducing ointment also helps reduce pain and redness. Made with all-natural ingredients, it’s chemical and preservative-free. It helps to reduce scabbing making for quicker healing and less peeling. With essential oils, it’s naturally antibacterial as well so it helps to keep any infection at bay. And while it’s called an ointment, it never goes on greasy so you won’t have to worry about ruining your clothes.

     

    Find more Ink Scribd Premium Tattoo Balm information and reviews here.

15. 15. Ink Oil Tattoo Wash & Salve Set

    Price: $12.08

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    Pros:

    • Full tattoo care kit
    • Botanicals to prevent swelling and infection
    • Helps to reduce itching and scabbinb
    • Nice organic ingredients

    Cons:

    • Pretty spendy stuff
    • Not everyone wants a combination pack
    • Salve not as hydrating as some

    This two piece set addresses both cleansing and moisturizing your tender new ink. Start with Susie Q Skin Ink Oil soothing tattoo wash. It’s great to use in the shower instead of antibacterial soap or instead of body wash to cleanse your new tattoo. It utilizes four therapeutic grade essential oils that are designed by nature to be anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, soothing to inflamed nerves and muscles, and to naturally combat scarring and scabbing.

    Follow up with Ink Salve, which is rich in organic oils. It’s a soothing, long-lasting, and non-greasy lotion for tattoos. Also made with essential oils it helps to boost collagen production, prevent scarring, kill bacteria and reduce inflammation. Both formulas are all natural and contain no petroleum, lanolin, mineral oil, or synthetic fragrance. They’re also gluten, aloe, paraben and sulfate free.

    Find more Ink Oil Tattoo Wash & Salve Set information and reviews here.

16. 16. Hustle Butter Tattoo Lotion

    Price: $23.99

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    Pros:

    • Fair trade sourced ingredients
    • Natural antioxident properties
    • Conditions skin pre-ink and helps heal post-ink
    • Won't pull ink or cause it to bleed

    Cons:

    • Pretty spendy for the size
    • Feels a little greasy
    • Marijuana leaf on label is a bit misleading

    This all-natural cream actually preps your skin prior to getting inked, helping to soften underlying cells and minimize bleeding. Afterward, this triple buttercream helps to soothe and heal without stinging. A major bonus. The all-natural formula is filled with skin-loving African shea butter, and mango butter, as well as moisturizing hempseed and grapeseed oils, which also have antioxidant properties. 

    Made with fair trade ingredients, it is naturally rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F, and K. It will heal your tat, and keep the ink from bleeding. It’s fragrance-free and doesn’t contain harsh chemicals, parabens, sulfates, or most other bad stuff. And, since it’s made in small batches, you can feel secure about this product’s purity. 

    If you’re looking to revitalize your old ink, Color Stay natural hemp conditioner helps to bring back color and clarity, restoring your tat to the days when it was new. If you’ve got old and new ink, grab the combo pack that features a bottle of each.

     

    Find more New Ink Natural Hemp Tattoo Lotion information and reviews here.

17. 17. Mad Rabbit Tattoo Enhance Balm & Aftercare Cream

    Price: $18.98

    Amazon Customer Reviews

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    Pros:

    • Lightweight
    • Easy to use
    • Makes color pop

    Cons:

    • Only three scents available
    • One size
    • Not for daily use

    Mad Rabbit is a fan favorite when it comes to tattoo aftercare. The lightweight balm spreads evenly over freshly-inked areas and heals quickly without sacrificing color and dark lines. Made from all-natural and organic ingredients it is one of the more comprehensive tattoo balms on the market. 

    Just a tiny bit on your fingertips should be enough to cover even the biggest tattoos. One pack of this gel should last you all the way through the healing process, which can take several weeks. Mad Rabbit boasts that it has the ability to make colors brighter and pop even more than its competitor’s tattoo lotion. 

    Find more Mad Rabbit Tattoo Enhance Balm & Aftercare Cream information and reviews here.

The benefits of this burgeoning world of new tattoo care are many - among them, avoiding irritation and infection. More importantly, these tattoo aftercare products help with healing and preserve the design and colors of your awesome new tat. Whether your ink is fresh, or somewhat "mature" like mine, many of these products claim to refresh and renew your tattoos, to keep them looking their best.

Since people with tattoos love to expose a bit more skin than the average un-inked person, you'll also need to think about protecting your tats from the sun's damaging UV rays, and believe it or not, there are even tattoo specific sunscreens.

As you're healing, avoid spending a lot of time in the water, especially in pools and hot tubs that are often laden with unseen bacteria. Your risk of infection is much greater during this important time. Also, find some comfy and loose-fitting clothes that won't rub or chafe your new tat. That will keep you from agitating already tender skin and making it itchy or causing a rash. And sweating, even if you're a gym rat, may cause additional issues during the healing phase.

If you're thinking about inking, remember this: tattoos are a lot easier to get, than they are to get rid of, so it pays to pick a great design. Do some research for the best tattoo artist in your area, and be willing to pay the price for a quality job. And it's especially important to take care of your tat, to keep it looking good for the long haul.

Don't forget, it's going to hurt a little (or a lot) depending on size. I'd say the pain is equivalent to laser hair removal, or electrolysis. Since tattoos can become crazy addictive, you'll want to stock up on the best tattoo aftercare products so you're ready for the time the urge strikes for some new body embellishment.