4 Top Tattoo Care Tips

Whether your tattoo’s an intricate piece dedicated to a loved one, or a graphic your friend randomly stick-and-poked one night, it’ll look its best if you take proper care of it. We Lushies are no strangers to tattoos, so we’ve compiled our top tips for keeping your ink looking fresh and fab.  

A disclaimer before we begin: first and foremost, take your tattoo artist’s advice seriously. After all, they’re the experts and have seen all their clients through the healing process. Different inks and needles will require different care, so if your artist contradicts anything you read here, listen to them, not us!

1. No-scent zone

Until your tattoo has healed up, it’ll be sore and sensitive. So while your skin is recovering, put your fragrant products to the side and use unscented soaps and lotions. If your new tattoo starts to feel tight and dry, an unscented, moisturizing balm like Ultrabalm can offer sweet relief.

2. Keep it dry

While your tattoo’s healing, keep it dry and uncovered as much as possible. This means no swimming, and no baths either. (Tragic, we know.) And when you step out of the shower, gently pat yourself dry—no rubbing!

3. Protect yourself from the sun

Protecting your skin from the sun is always a good idea, especially if you’ve got tattoos. Once your tat has healed, keep it looking bright and bold by protecting it from the sun, which can bleach and fade your artwork over time. Stay out of the sun as much as possible, and if you do have to spend time in the sunshine, wear lots of SPF and reapply regularly.

4. Moisturize, like, a lot

Tattoos look most vibrant on healthy, hydrated skin, so moisturize regularly once your ink is healed to really bring it to life. For a long time, Lushies used Dream Cream Body Lotion and Therapy Massage Bar to make their tattoos look glossy and bright, but we now have a tat brightener that you’ll swear by!

Elbow Grease is a solid balm that blends rich cupuaçu, murumuru and illipe butters with extra virgin coconut oil to moisturize your skin without a greasy feel. Massage a little bit onto your healed tattoos and boom! They’ll look like they’re in HD, and you’ll smell of gorgeous, uplifting orange blossom.

There you have it! In the words of our beautiful Social Media Community Manager, Sabine, “You are now the art gallery curator of your own body. The better you take care of your skin, the better your tattoos will look as they age.” Here’s to great skin health and amazing, eye-catching tattoos.