If you are looking for an all-natural and vegan moisturizing alternative for your tattoos, you may want to consider reaching for cocoa butter. Yes, cocoa butter is the primary ingredient in your delicious chocolate, but it also makes for a fantastic moisturizing agent with numerous health benefits! Read on to know if cocoa butter is good for tattoos!
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What Is Cocoa Butter?
Cocoa butter is a vegetable fat, much like shea butter, which comes from cocoa beans. It is believed that cocoa butter has been used for its medical purposes since 460 AD, with the lipids in the product known to be as beneficial as those in olive oil.
Cocoa butter is a raw product, which means it is extracted from the bean and used in its pure fatty format, and this is what is then added to cosmetic beauty products. Cocoa butter can be consumed for its antioxidant properties or used on the skin in its raw format for its healing benefits.
Can I Put Cocoa Butter On My New Tattoo?
Like the majority of moisturizers you put on your tattoo, cocoa butter should only be used after your tattoo stops weeping. Weeping happens during the first 72 hours of a new tattoo, when your immune system goes into overdrive and pushes out excess plasma, ink, and blood from your wound.
It is not recommended that any product is put over your tattoo during the weeping stage, as it may prevent this necessary healing from happening. In addition, your tattoo is most sensitive and vulnerable when it is weeping, and introducing any product while your immune system is already pushing cell regeneration to the area may cause an allergic reaction response to the product.
When your tattoo begins to look or feel dry, when it has begun scabbing, or is showing signs of peeling, you’re free to slap on some of that cocoa butter. In fact, this natural product is highly recommended by many tattoo professionals for a variety of reasons.
It Has Healing Properties
Cocoa butter is known for its several healing properties, and there are many recordings of it being used for medicinal purposes. It has numerous antioxidants that help maintain skin health, reduce inflammation (which is a skin’s response to stress and trauma, such as a tattoo), and also create a barrier of protection from sun damage - a tattoo’s number one enemy.
Anything that you apply topically to your skin is absorbed by your skin and taken into your bloodstream. Studies have shown that cocoa butter provides your blood with numerous nutrients, as well as increasing its absorption of oxygen, which are all essential to the regeneration of your cells to mend your new tattoo.
It Treats And Prevents Skin Dryness
The moisturizing properties of cocoa butter cannot be denied, which is why it is used in so many manufactured moisturizers. In its raw base format, it’s even more nourishing, forming a hydrating layer on the skin that stops moisture from escaping while also allowing the skin to breathe.
People also turn to cocoa butter for skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis, emphasizing just how nourishing and hydrating this product truly is for dry skin.
It Is Easy To Apply
Raw cocoa butter will melt when heated between your hands, creating a smoothe oil-like formula that glides onto your tattoo effortlessly. This results in a painless and even application that will be quickly absorbed by your wound. This format is also less tacky or sticky, meaning dirt and grime is not likely to grab onto the product and stick to your tattoo.
Not Much Product Is Required
A little bit of raw cocoa butter goes a very long way, and not much is needed to cover large ink pieces. This is not only economical but also means you don’t need to worry about whether you have applied enough moisturizer to your dry tattoo.
It Reduces Itchiness
The itchy stage of a tattoo is one of the most frustrating periods, and the soothing benefits of cocoa butter help combat this problem efficiently.
It Smells Great
Most moisturizers that smell nice have fragrance or essential oils added to the product. Fragrances are a composition of chemicals, and can have very severe adverse reactions on wounds like tattoos. Essential oils are first-press natural scents, but these can cause allergic reactions in certain individuals. Cocoa butter has a soft, natural scent with no additive to achieve it. If you are particularly sensitive to smell but want the benefits of a nice scent, cocoa butter is usually the safest alternative.
Is Cocoa Butter Good To Use On Older Tattoos?
Cocoa butter is a fantastic moisturization option for older tattoos. It is recommended that you keep your tattoos well hydrated for their lifetime to not only combat the signs of aging in your new tattoo, such as fading and blurring lines, but also for your general skin health. With the added benefit of sun protection which is essential to preserve your tattoos, cocoa butter is a safe bet.
Cocoa butter has also been known to help combat pregnancy stretch marks, which is great if you have a tattoo on an area that may experience this growth.
Cocoa butter provides breathable hydration and healthy nutrients to your skin that will bring a sense of brightness and life to older tattoos.
What’s The Best Cocoa Butter For Tattoos?
In order to ensure you are putting the safest product on your tattoo, you should look for unrefined or raw cocoa butter. This means that the cocoa butter has not been processed with any additives and has no added ingredients. Other forms of processing cocoa butter may use cheaper oils to dilute the product. Raw cocoa butter is not expensive, but will be more expensive than cocoa butter that has added ingredients.
Are There Any Negatives To Using Cocoa Butter?
Though generally safe for all skin types, it’s important to always patch test new products on the inside of your elbow for 48 hours.
If you are prone to acne or breakouts, cocoa butter may exacerbate this issue as it is an oily and fatty substance. If you are allergic to cocoa beans, you should also avoid this cocoa bean derivative.
In addition, there has been some research that has suggested that some cocoa butter products had anti-estrogenic concerns, resulting in adolescent puberty issues. This is one reason why you should only use cocoa butter in its raw format.
Our Final Thoughts
While cocoa butter should not be used on a weeping tattoo, it is certainly a safe, all-natural moisturizing agent that is a great option for use after the first 72 hours of fresh ink. With its numerous health benefits and skin nourishing properties, it is a logical (and vegan) option for the long-term health of your tattoo. If you’re ever unsure about using a product on your tattoo, don’t hesitate to ask your artist for advice.
