13 Products You’ll Need to Heal and Care For Your New Tattoo

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Getting a tattoo is an exhilarating experience, whether you’ve been contemplating it for years or you just decided to get one on a whim. Either way, the last thing you want to do after going through the entire process is to ruin a tattoo with improper care. The best way to care for new ink is pretty simple: cleanse, heal, and moisturize. However, there are some caveats when it comes to what you can put on your new tattoo without causing irritation or premature fading. We rounded up the best tattoo aftercare products so you can heal your skin and show off your new ink ASAP.

The tattooed area will feel sensitive, and that’s completely normal; just be gentle while cleansing, drying, and applying healing products to the affected area. To reduce your risk of infection, it’s best to gently wash your tattoo with antibacterial soap at least twice a day in the weeks following. After washing your tattoo, gently apply a thin layer of ointment over it. Keyword: thin. Applying too much ointment can actually cause the initial scabs to come off prematurely, which could lead to discoloration or inconsistencies in the lines. During the initial healing process, you shouldn’t apply lotion on the tattooed area. However, after about a week (or whenever your tattoo starts peeling), you can replace your ointment with gentle, hydrating, fragrance-free lotions.

Ahead, we found the best tattoo aftercare healing ointments, creams, lotions, and more to ensure your tattoo stays in pristine condition.

— Additional reporting by Kelsey Garcia