Baby lotion is a specially formulated product that doesn’t have any harsh ingredients or fragrances, making it gentle enough for a baby’s sensitive skin. Babies also experience severe skin dehydration, and baby lotion nourishes this issue, soothing their skin in the process.
Knowing how safe enough it is for baby skin, you may be wondering if you can use baby lotion as a moisturizing alternative for your new tattoo. As with everything in tattoo aftercare, there is a time and a place for baby lotion, as well.
Baby lotion is a dermatologist-tested product that has everything we love in a moisturizer for our tattoos. They are:
- Paraben free
- Fragrance free
- Silicone free
- Dye free
- Petroleum free
- Mineral oil free
- Phthalate free
This means that it is not only optimized to be the safest for skin use, it’s also safe for the environment, as they are often vegan and cruelty-free. In addition, baby lotion is extra delicate on raw skin like the open wound of a new tattoo, often containing ingredients that combat inflammation and soothe irritation.
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Related: Best Tattoo Baby Lotions Reviewed
How to Use Baby Lotion on a New Tattoo
Within the first 72 hours of a new tattoo, your body goes through an immune response process called weeping, where it pushes out excess plasma, blood, and ink from your wound. Using anything overtop of your fresh ink during this time can block or compromise this process, which requires plenty of oxygen to work. It’s for that reason that no moisturizing agent, not even baby lotion, should be used on your tattoo for the first 72 hours.
What you can do from day one is begin your cleaning process with a mild baby soap, instead. New tattoos need to be meticulously cleaned at least twice a day, and baby soap, like baby lotion, is safe enough to be used on a raw and fresh tattoo. For thorough advice on washing your new tattoo, check out our article, How Do I Clean My New Tattoo? - An Ink Aftercare Guide.
After 72 hours, so around day three or four of your new ink, you can begin to use baby lotion on your tattoo. Lotion should only ever be applied to a freshly cleaned and dried area.
How Much Should You Apply?
When applying any kind of lotion to your new tattoo, you should only apply an amount that is quickly absorbed by your skin, making sure to wipe off any excess product that may be sitting on your skin. If you worry you may require more product, simply wait to assess how your tattoo reacts to the first layer of lotion.
You can apply baby lotion to your tattoo two to four times a day, but only ever apply the product to an area that has been thoroughly cleaned and dried.
How Long Should You Use It For?
There is no limit to how long you should moisturize your tattoo! In fact, proper skin health preserves the longevity of your tattoos and you should moisturize every day. Taking care of your skin is one of the best ways to combat the fading of tattoos.
Baby lotion is safe to use after the first 72 hours of your new tattoo and can be used every day, moving forward. It’s always recommended that after a month you begin to introduce sunscreen into your aftercare regimen, so you should consider looking for baby lotion that include SPF 30 or SPFF 50.
What About Baby Oil?
Baby oil is not recommended on new tattoos until they have had around three weeks to heal. The consistency may be detrimental to the healing process, dehydrating the area rather than hydrating it, and baby oils often contain a light fragrance which could cause irritation.
How Can I Know Which Baby Lotion Is Best for My Tattoo?
Baby lotions are generally hyper-safe and the ingredient lists are excellent. Along with the aforementioned items that we love about baby lotion, search for products that are organic, hypoallergenic, rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and contain anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe swelling and itchy irritation. If you are ever in doubt about a product, run it through the INCI Decoder to double-check the ingredients, or ask your tattoo artist for their advice.
Our Final Thoughts
Baby lotion is one of the safest moisturizing options for your brand new tattoo. Like all moisturization products, you shouldn’t begin to use baby lotion on your tattoo until it has completed its weeping process. After 72 hours, you can use baby lotion on your tattoo for its lifetime to help keep it hydrated and to preserve your skin health.
