In the tattooing world, there are plenty of products marketed towards you that have the goal of healing your tattoo and keeping your skin healthy. It can be overwhelming when trying to pick out the perfect products for your needs, but tattoo aftercare is essential, and it can make a difference in how well your tattoo heals up. If you are familiar with tattoo aftercare products, you may have come across tattoo balm. 

Every tattoo artist has their own specific recommendations on what works best to help heal a new tattoo, but general tattoo aftercare looks pretty much the same in terms of what you should and shouldn’t do. One of those tried and true best practices is keeping your fresh ink moisturized and protected — two things that the right tattoo balm can help with. 

If you’ve been teetering on which tattoo balm to stock up on for your next appointment, you’ve come to the right place. We break down what tattoo balm is, how it works, and why we’re pretty damn proud of our very own tattoo balm right here at Mad Rabbit. 

What Is Tattoo Balm?

So, let’s get into it. What is tattoo balm, anyway? It sounds like the cousin of the ever-popular lip balm, and in fact, it does have similar properties and abilities. When it comes to the healing process of a tattoo, you are going to want to keep your fresh ink moisturized, hydrated, and just overall healthy.

Tattoo balms are all about helping to support the natural healing process of the tattoo so that you can keep the colors vibrant, the linework bold, and the skin protected. 

Think about it. When you get a tattoo, you are piercing your skin thousands of times to create an open wound and deposit some ink. Just like any other wound, you have to make sure that it’s taken care of and cleaned properly so that you avoid infections that can end up ruining your tattoo.  Using a product that was created for this purpose is going to give you the best results!

What Are Tattoo Balms Made From? 

Not all tattoo balms are going to be the same, but you can often find the same, or similar, ingredients in each product. Tattoo balms are meant to moisturize the skin, so they will often contain ingredients like shea butter to help lock in that moisture. This will create a smooth, buttery application process that will rejuvenate the skin and have your tattoo shining. 

You’re going to want to pick a tattoo balm that is made of natural ingredients, because you will be applying it to healing skin — we’ll show off in just a bit after getting you equipped with the basic info 😉. 

Many natural ingredients, like beeswax and calendula have natural soothing properties that work to promote healthy-looking skin that keeps your tat looking fresh and crisp instead of worn out and tired. 

How Does Tattoo Balm Work? 

The purpose of tattoo balm is to help support the skin around your tattoo. Your skin has just undergone trauma that it’s trying to now repair, and it doesn’t quite understand that what you’ve done to it was voluntary, so it works towards recovery. 

On top of supporting the natural healing process, tattoo balm is also created to nourish your skin for the long haul so your tattoo not only gets the support it needs while it’s healing, but also so it gets the vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and more than can help it stay looking vibrant and bold years after you’ve removed the wrap from it for the first time. 

The last thing we want as tattoo collectors or tattoo newbies alike is for our tattoos to begin to fade way before their time. Proper care is essential to maintain your tattoo for as long as possible, and a high-quality tattoo balm can help with that. 

Are Tattoo Balms Safe?

Tattoo balm is going to end up being safer than a lot of ointments and creams that are mistakenly but commonly used for fresh tattoos. 

Many products that are used to help with the healing process of a tattoo are petroleum-based, which can actually trap bacteria underneath the skin and cause infection.

Tattoo balm, on the other hand, is lightweight and made of breathable, natural ingredients that aim to hydrate and nourish without suffocating your skin. 

Is Tattoo Balm Essential?

Yes and no. Will your tattoo just be absolute shit without a tattoo balm? Probably not.

Will your tattoo be waaaaay better off with a tattoo balm? Specifically, our tattoo balm we’ve meticulously formulated to be everything a tattoo balm should be? Abso-lutely.  

People with tattoos that haven’t used tattoo balm might notice that, even after just a few years, their tattoos will begin to fade ever-so-lightly. 

Over time, tattoo ink does begin to fade no matter what you do, and you might notice this on much older tatted-up people where some of their earliest tattoos have lost their vibrance. It’s not their fault, as ink does fade with sunlight exposure and aging, which is why veterans and bikers have some of the most faded tattoos (and why they might benefit the most from picking up some tattoo balm ASAP). 

Keeping your new tattoo healthy and moisturized will ensure that you are able to admire your art for years to come, and that’s best done with a tattoo balm in the picture. Even if you alternate a hydrating daily tattoo lotion with your balm, or even if you choose a soothing gel for the fresh ink and balm for the older ink, as long as you have a quality tattoo balm somewhere in your routine, you are helping to preserve and rejuvenate your art.

So, though it’s not “essential” to use, it can really make a huge difference in the healing process and the look of the tattoo. The tattoo process often leaves your skin feeling dry and itchy, and your tattoos can lose their immediate vibrance after the healing process is over. Tattoo balm works to combat all of this by nourishing your skin, which can help with brightening your tattoos and enhancing their quality.

When Should You Apply Tattoo Balm?

Different tattoo balms will have different rules when using them. Often, you should wait until your tattoo is healed (usually, about three to four weeks) to begin applying tattoo balm. 

For the first few weeks after getting a fresh tattoo, our soothing gel is a good option to keep it moisturized, then pair that with unscented antibacterial soap to keep the wounds clean (wash about twice a day). Don’t forget fresh air to help with the healing process — your tattoo needs to breathe. 

Some people might tell you to use a tattoo balm immediately after you unwrap your tattoo, but if you are using Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Balm, give it a few weeks for your tattoo to heal first before using. Afterward, you can apply it as often as you want! It will continue to moisturize your skin and keep your tattoo looking brand new.

How Long Should You Use Tattoo Balm?

If you ask us? Forever. Our tattoo balm was specifically made to both support fresh tattoos and revitalize tried and true tattoos. Hell, we even created a subscription service to make sure you never run out of product since you’ll probably end up using it every single day!

If we’re talking short-term, though: After applying tattoo balm, it will likely put in work for up to 8 hours. You can then reapply, but you honestly might not feel the need to. Your skin should end up smooth and hydrated — that’s the main goal. It’s important that while you are using tattoo balm, you are staying hydrated liquids-wise, too, so that your skin can generate some moisture on its own from the inside out. 

Many ointments and jelly that are marketed towards tattoo aftercare work more like a sealant than anything. This means that they are trapping in bacteria or dirt as you apply the jelly, which is not what you want. Your tattoo should be able to breathe, which is what tattoo balm allows for. 

Using Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Balm

Our main goal at Mad Rabbit is to create tattoo aftercare products that are superior and all-natural. We want your skin to heal up nicely so that you are already conjuring up your next tattoo idea. 

When you get a tattoo, you shouldn’t walk away feeling uncomfortable or disappointed. If you’re anything like us, you are already thinking about the next several tattoos that you want to get, and the best way to do that is to first, be loaded with cash, and then more importantly, make sure your brand new tattoo heals properly and your skin gets all the nourishing it needs to support even more ink.

Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Balm contains: 

• Shea Butter, which softens and moisturizes

• Cocoa Butter, which creates a protective barrier to lock in moisture

• Beeswax, which attracts water molecules to keep skin hydrated

• Calendula, which helps soothe and promote healthy-looking skin

• Sweet Almond Oil, which helps improve skin texture and tone thanks to being vitamin-rich

Of course, you can grab any tattoo balm from Amazon and hope for the best, but with Mad Rabbit Tattoo Balm, you can feel confident knowing we only use sustainably-sourced, all-natural ingredients to provide the best outcomes. We literally founded the company because other products just weren’t good enough, or they were decent but made of crap ingredients. 

Our product can be used on gray-scale tattoos, color tattoos, big ones, and small ones, and it won’t poison you with toxic ingredients, so that’s a plus, too. 

If you have just gotten a new tattoo or are planning on adding a few more to your collection, consider picking up Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Balm so that you can see the results of a quality tattoo balm for yourself!

Sources:

Wound Healing And Anti-Inflammatory Effect In Animal Models Of Calendula Officinalis L. Growing In Brazil | NCBI

Tattoo Aftercare: Tips And Instructions | Medical News Today

Petroleum Jelly: Uses, Benefits, Dangers, And More | Healthline