A fresh tattoo of mine and my friend’s, moisturized and covered in Saniderm.

Whether you’ve just gotten inked up for the first time or the 20th time, it’s never a bad idea to bone up on the best tips for tattoo care. After all, you have willfully had your skin jabbed many, many times by needles — it’s important to make sure you know how to take care of a new tattoo properly! 

I spoke with Marie C. Leger, MD, PhD, FAAD, from Entière Dermatology and a former member of the board of the European Society of Tattoo and Pigment Research. She shared advice on things like how often we need to clean our fresh tattoos, the best tattoo care products (including sunscreen), and revealed some surprising misconceptions.

To keep your ink nice and fresh you'll want to keep it moisturized for the healing period (four to six weeks).

First, let’s be clear here: Tattoos are wounds! But they look nice, so let’s keep them that way. Tattoo aftercare essentially boils down to three things:

When it comes to keeping it clean, don’t go overboard. You might be tempted to wash it several times a day to prevent infections, but you’ll only end up drying it out and potentially causing scabs to develop. “I would recommend washing the tattoo once or twice daily with a gentle cleanser,” Leger explains. “No scrubbing.” 

Like any wound, Dr. Leger says that warding off scabs is essential. “Keeping them covered with an occlusive ointment and a non-stick dressing prevents scab formation and promotes healing.” 

Occlusive ointments? What now? Well, there are a few types of moisturizers: emollient, humectant, and occlusive. Emollients usually add oil to moisturize the skin, like anti-aging creams. Humectants, like glycerin, attract water for moisture. Occlusive ointments, like petroleum jelly, are thicker, waterproof, and rely on locking in your natural moisture instead. 

As for the non-stick dressing, your tattoo artist will likely provide the initial coverage you need and let you know how long to wear it. Many shops prefer Saniderm, a self-adhesive plastic wrap that is also breathable for your skin. It is a lot more convenient than dealing with clunky tapes and plastic. You can also buy it on Amazon for under $10, but you should ask your artist whether they recommend using it after your first wrap. 

I would love to tell you there is a set amount of days that you should meticulously care for your tattoo, but that will depend on its size and design. Again, Leger says to listen to your tattoo artist’s advice. “They tend to be super knowledgeable about what is normal tattoo healing and what is not,” Leger says. “Good artists are interested in performing their craft as meticulously and safely as possible.”

There is one method she absolutely does not recommend, however: Dry healing. It’s exactly what it sounds like by skipping moisturizers altogether. “I don’t like it,” Leger puts it bluntly. “Injured skin heals better when it is not allowed to dry out.”

Worried about signs of infection in your tattoo? There will always be a bit of redness that should go away in about 24 hours or so. If you see new redness show up a few days later and start expanding, that could be an early sign of infection. Other symptoms she lists include pain, swelling, and drainage. In these cases, you should try to make a same-day appointment with a dermatologist or head to an urgent care facility to get checked out. 

Hopefully, with Leger’s advice and the tattoo care products listed below, you and your shiny new tattoo won’t have to worry about that anyway.

My friend and I one year after getting these tattoos together; one of us avoids the sun more than the other. 

When I asked about her favorite products for tattoo aftercare, Dr. Leger most strongly warned about sneaky allergens. She also cited colleagues at the University of Chicago who just completed a study on products frequently recommended by tattoo artists. “Of 114 products they analyzed, there was an average of 11.8 ingredients per product, and between 7 to 8 commonly recognized allergens per product,” Leger explains. Her advice: Keep it simple. 

Armor Gel Wound Dressing Gel

Remember, your tattoo is just a pretty wound, so treating it with this ointment makes sense. It also contains no core allergens, which makes Dr. Leger a fan.

Although marketed as a diaper cream, this ointment has long been a popular pick with tattoo artists for keeping fresh ink moisturized. Just make sure you aren’t prone to any allergic reactions from the ingredients, including lanolin and fragrances.

This is another frequently recommended moisturizer by tattoo artists. Again, just make sure you aren’t vulnerable to allergic reactions from ingredients like lanolin or mineral oil. Also, remember to only use a thin layer of thick, goopy products like these and the others listed here.

Leger knows you might hear alarm bells with this controversial product, but tells me, “Vaseline has a bad reputation for some reason, but I think it’s great.” She adds, “My colleagues at the University of Chicago like it too. I have never met a single person who is allergic to it, and dermatologists have a ton of experience using it safely over superficial wounds. It is simple, and it’s not very sexy, but it’s also a cheap, easy way to keep new tattoos healthy and promote healing.” 

That said, the American Academy of Dermatology Association warns against using petroleum-based products (which includes A+D and Aquaphor, though they have lower percentages of it), claiming it can cause the ink to fade. They can also protect a little too well — locking in too much moisture and preventing any air at all from getting to your tattoo. Vaseline is 100% petroleum, making it the most likely to cause such issues. To be on the safe side, it might be better to wait until your tattoo is healed to use this as a moisturizer.

Really, any gentle soap will do, but this classic brand is the one you’ll hear both doctors and tattoo artists recommend most often for its effectiveness and low price. 

Leger suggests using mineral sunscreens, like this one by Vanicream, but not on a fresh tattoo. “For the first few weeks before the tattoo is completely healed, I recommend just keeping it covered — no sunscreen,” Leger advises. “After healing, sunscreen is really important to protect the integrity of a tattoo’s colors, and also to prevent the formation of breakdown products of the tattoo ink that can sometimes themselves be allergenic.” 

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Mineral Sunscreen

This is another budget-friendly and easy-to-find option Leger recommends for protecting your tattoo after it’s healed.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Body and Face Sunscreen

If you want to shell out a few more bucks for a slightly fancier sunscreen, Leger is also a fan of this brand.